Ace Attorney Investigations Collection’s Character Art Gets the Best of Both Worlds

Highlights

• Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offers a fresh take with more focus on exploring environments, a departure from traditional visual novel gameplay.
• The remaster features hand-drawn chibi sprites for a modern look, while also preserving the option to switch back to pixel art for nostalgia.
• Players can enjoy the game with new expressive animations and have the freedom to choose between different art styles, catering to all fans’ preferences.

Capcom announced its Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, an effort to remaster and localize a spinoff in the Ace Attorney series that fans have had very few avenues to play until now. It’s exciting news for Ace Attorney fans for a number of reasons, one of which being the direction the game seems to be taking with its character art.

Most Ace Attorney games live solely within the visual novel genre. However, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection stands apart, featuring a greater focus on exploring the environment than its peers in the franchise. A visual upgrade is one of the first orders of business for any remaster, but this collection has a wonderful option for preserving the original as well.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Character Art is its Secret Weapon

While Phoenix Wright is rarely seen outside of the courtroom in Ace Attorney, Investigations differs by allowing the player to actually walk around environments and sleuth for clues as Miles Edgeworth. This is the titular feature that sets Investigations apart from other games in the series, and one Capcom is leaning into for its remaster.

Ace Attorney Investigates a New Artstyle

One of the main highlights of the trailer for Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a massive overhaul to the visual style of the remaster. While the original games featured a pixellated style during investigation sections, Investigations Collection is exploring a whole new route. Rather than pixel art sprites, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection revealed that it will feature hand-drawn chibi sprites instead. These sprites do a great job at giving the game an updated look for a new generation, and serve the dual purpose of giving the game a charm overhaul as well.

The hand-drawn aspect of the sprites already lends the game a unique identity, as does the chibi artstyle. On top of both of these things, however, are a host of new and expressive animations to go alongside them. Investigations Collection has only shown off a few tidbits so far, but every single one has shown characters emoting in a way fully befitting Ace Attorney‘s reputation.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Preserves the Look of the Original

While Ace Attorney Investigations Collection has busted out a brand-new look with plenty of appeal, it would be understandable if fans were to miss the art style of the original games. After all, the pixel sprites in the original Investigations games had plenty of appeal all on their own. Thankfully, Capcom considered this already, and is allowing players to switch art styles if they choose.

This is great for a number of reasons. For one, it works towards not erasing the work that came before it, a valuable lesson for any video game remaster. In the same vein, player choice should be a primary motivator behind any game’s design. The fact that players are not locked into one option or the other, and can instead toggle between both, is a huge green flag for the care behind Capcom’s latest remaster collection.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Has Options For Everyone

Ace Attorney is, in some ways, all about exaggerated expression. The series’ most memorable moments are chock-full of colorful characters finally being exposed for their crimes, and putting on the breakdown of a lifetime for fans to enjoy. Now, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is promising to bring that level of charm and expressiveness into every moment of gameplay.

While Ace Attorney is usually limited to depicting its characters in courtrooms or jail cells, the Investigations remaster is making full use of its overworld, all while allowing fans to look back on the art that gave the original its appeal in the first place. Players aren’t locked into either option, and can instead choose to experience Ace Attorney Investigations Collection exactly as they please.