Every Ace Attorney Mechanic Ranked (Top 10)

I love the Ace Attorney series, and I especially love some of the mechanics … not the people that fix cars – the enhancements to trial and investigation gameplay.

There are ten unique Ace Attorney mechanics by my count (not including general investigation & trial contradictions). How would I rank them all?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

10 – Perceive (Apollo Justice)

None of the Ace Attorney mechanics are bad by any means, but the clear sore thumb of the bunch is definitely “Perceive” from Apollo Justice.

Apollo’s ability to simply look at his witnesses is easily the lamest unique skill of the bunch, and waiting for the right tic or twitch isn’t that fun.

9 – Logic (Investigations 1 & 2)

Miles Edgeworth employs the greatest, most awe-inspiring skill of all in his spin-off games – basic logic!

It’s quite funny how none of the other characters have the base-level of logic needed to function as human beings, but otherwise it’s not noteworthy.

8 – Logic Chess (Investigations 2)

I remember really liking the “Logic Chess” segments in Investigations 2, but in hindsight it’s clearly a drawn-out contradiction tool to pad the game.

It can be quite frustrating at times to find the right route of logic to go down, and the time limit feels a little tight in the endgame.

7 – Little Thief (Investigations 1 & 2)

I don’t mind the Investigations duology, but its unique mechanics are hardly worth writing home about.

The best of the three is probably “Little Thief”, Kay’s crime scene reconstruction tool. It’s not brilliant, but it’s a fun visual mix-up.

6 – Divination Séance (Spirit Of Justice)

The most divisive Ace Attorney mechanic of all – some love the “Divination Séance” from Spirit Of Justice, but others think it’s too hard.

While I didn’t appreciate the difficulty spike straight off the bat, I really like the presentation and uniqueness of the Séances.

5 – Jury Closing Arguments (Great Ace Attorney 1 & 2)

The first Great Ace Attorney game got off to a slow start with both its story and gameplay, but that all changed in Case 3 with the introduction of the Jury System.

The segments where you have to pit the jury’s arguments against each other feel like evolved versions of the general contradictions, and I hope they make an appearance in the main series soon.

4 – Mood Matrix (Dual Destinies & Spirit Of Justice)

Athena doesn’t get to do much in either Dual Destinies or Spirit Of Justice, but when she gets her brief moments in the spotlight she makes them count.

Her unique ability to detect and analyse the witness’s moods is one of the most sci-fi and bizarre of the series – which is why I love it so much.

3 – Psyche Locks (Multiple)

The original Ace Attorney is a classic, but even die-hard fans will admit that the investigation segments could be painfully slow. The developers realised this, however, and decided to shake things up in the sequel.

The “Psyche Locks” in Justice For All (and beyond) were exactly what the investigations needed, effectively adding some trial-level deductions and contradictions to the rest of the game. I don’t think the series would be as beloved as it is today without them.

2 – Revisualization (Dual Destinies & Spirit Of Justice)

Other than maybe the “Logic” system in Investigations, there isn’t a mechanic as simple as “Revisualization” from Dual Destinies and Spirit Of Justice. So why have I ranked it all the way at number two?

Sometimes the simplest mechanics are best – summarising the case up until that point and reaching new conclusions based on the evidence is always electrifying, and some of my favourite moments from the recent Ace Attorney games have come from these segments (I’m looking at you, “Rite of the Turnabout”).

1 – Dance Of Deduction (Great Ace Attorney 1 & 2)

Like how the Psyche Locks added some much needed energy to the main series investigations, the “Dances Of Deduction” from the Great Ace Attorney duology made me actively look forward to the pre-trial antics.

Sholmes is up there among my favourite Ace Attorney characters, so to see him waltz around with his outlandish deductions was always entertaining. As radical as it is to say, I don’t think the Great Ace Attorney games would be half as good without this mechanic – which is why I ranked it at top spot!

Aaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: