Game:

The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures (2015)

Category:

Vlog

Duration: 4:20:17

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Originally recorded: June 23, 2022
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Well, I'd like to say that I managed to bite off more than I could chew for this session... but the truth is, everything went great. I just think it's ironic that the longest session I've done thus far for Back the Log Off! literally came at the heels of the shortest. I have to wonder if I just should've gone a bit longer last time, to even things out. I have to admit, I did feel a bit daunted by the idea of finishing up the third episode this time around. Considering the fact that I had four whole sessions left, I thought that I'd be recording well past 3 AM. And while I did end up going beyond my usual time by a fair amount, in the end, I'm pretty happy with how things ended up.

Normally, I try to name these episodes right after finishing them. At that point, my memories of the material involved are still fresh, which generally makes the naming process easier than if I just let it go for awhile. Struggling to rack my brain, to recall exactly what happened in any given session makes naming episodes way harder than just doing it right after finishing. This time, however, I was kind of stumped until after a good night's sleep. I can't really say that this is the episode title I'm the most proud of... but considering the fact that my brain has just been stuck on candy puns for the past couple episodes -- I was honestly looking for a way to incorporate the term "king-size" into this episode, since I was on for over 4 hours -- I'm happy that I managed to find something that's both thematically relevant to the case's subject matter and... you know, actually a good title?

I have to admit, I was surprised to find out that Edgeworth's father last case was... as comedic as it honestly was. I mean, obviously, a murder's still a murder... and what happened to Jeff Master as a result of the false charges *was* pretty grim as well. But still, I just never pictured von Karma taking a murder that took place in a dessert competition seriously enough to forge evidence the way he did. I mean, granted, the mainline AA games didn't seem to delve into any details that they didn't absolutely have to. But I guess when AA3 delved into the past, it seemed to treat things involving specific characters with a bit more gravitas. I'm not really complaining, it just seems a bit weird, based on what I can remember from previous games. Granted, I guess I always felt like (Miles) Edgeworth's origin story was a bit cobbled together in the first place. Never made any sense to me that an orphan would just be automatically adopted by his father's workplace rival. Throw Ray Shields into the mix and things get even dodgier. Honestly, I'd kind of like to hear Ray's recollections of the adoption process at some point.

I do like the cases where it turns out that the person you're defending isn't completely innocent... or where different character serve as the defendant at different points in the case. I think that's one of the things I liked more about the original Investigations over the previous games in the series. Since cases usually take place completely outside of the courtroom, things can be a bit more freeform. I think that's part of the reason why Danganronpa resonated with me so much as well. Not to mention the juror system in the Great Ace Attorney games. From what I've heard, AA5 and 6are a step down in quality, even when compared to the once-divisive AA4 which seems to get more love these days. I guess like all geniuses, I'm just ahead of my time. Still, it's good to know that there are at least interesting ways to toy with the established Ace Attorney formula. We just need a director to take charge of the next game that's willing to shake up the formula again.

I enjoyed the final culprit's breakdown animation at the end of the episode, but unfortunately, I still feel like Episode 2's is the one to beat. I just love how over the top they've been so far in AAI2.

I'm 6 recordings into a game that I'd thought would take me 12 to finish... and by my estimate, I might be more than halfway through the game. But if there's anything this game has already taught me, it's that one can't take progress for granted. I'm just glad KI's and my interests are aligned: he wants to discuss the game in full ASAP and I want to make sure that I save enough room for the rest of the Trails in the Sky trilogy. In the past, some people have actually been offended when I don't spend "enough time" with specific games. While I don't like rushing through video games in general, it does feel nice not to have that feeling of guilt hanging over my head when I make headway at a decent clip.