Ace Attorney Deep Dive: “Turnabout Goodbyes” (Phoenix Wright – Case 4)

Originally the final case of the first game, “Turnabout Goodbyes” saw the DL-6 Incident come to its conclusion in dramatic manner. For many, this is the case that first displayed Ace Attorney’s immense storytelling capabilities – but will it hold up to an intensive Deep Dive?

I’ll be deconstructing the case in ten distinct categories and giving a score out of ten for each. This will give a definitive score out of a hundred, if the maths checks out!

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Micro Story

Miles Edgeworth is accused of murdering Robert Hammond, a retired attorney, on Gourd Lake on Christmas Eve. Miles Edgeworth! You won’t believe how hard my jaw hit the floor the first time that signature cravat was revealed.

Over the course of “Turnabout Goodbyes”, ties to a previous case – the DL-6 Incident – start to become more apparent, but the closer Phoenix gets to the truth the more Edgeworth seems to push him away.

I’m better off saving the specifics of the Micro Story for other categories, but it’s worth mentioning that “Turnabout Goodbyes” is the narrative peak of the original game for multiple reasons. The defendant reveal and the way it all ties back to DL-6 as well as previous cases blew my mind when I first played it, and I don’t think there was a dull moment up until the climactic court stand-off.

Score: 9/10

Macro Story

Like with every Ace Attorney game that came after it, “Turnabout Goodbyes” acts as an explosive finale (kinda … we’ll talk more on that in the next case) that ties together the overarching narrative of the previous three cases. Even after two decades and almost a dozen entries in the series, I’m not sure any Macro Story has been as all-encompassing and engrossing as the DL-6 Incident.

Aspects surrounding the Fey family, Edgeworth’s past and von Karma’s involvement come into fruition across the case’s run-time, and we’re drip-fed the information expertly and concisely. By the time it’s revealed that von Karma masterminded the whole thing after enacting an opportunistic murder on Gregory Edgeworth in a courthouse elevator, my eyes were glued to the screen.

But let’s not forget to talk about the main characters – weirdly, Maya and Phoenix don’t get much in terms of character development. I guess Phoenix’s arc is more just holding his nerve and mastering his skills in the courtroom, or maybe it’s his unwavering belief in his client and his willingness to pursue the truth no matter the cost. It’s not the most ground-breaking arc, but it’s compelling nonetheless.

The true MVP, as always, is Miles Edgeworth. Watching him come to terms with his past and the traumas of the DL-6 Incident was where the character work in “Turnabout Goodbyes” truly shined, and the ending where he renounced his prosecutor’s badge was a fitting end to that arc … At least it would have been if not for “Rise from the Ashes” spoiling that a little. I can’t hold this case responsible for another’s misdeeds, however, so “Turnabout Goodbyes” has more than earnt its perfect score.

Also that scene of Edgeworth and Larry defending Phoenix in “court” as kids was both adorable and deeply important to all of their characters.

Score: 10/10

Mystery

The first two cases outright told you the killer, and the third case had a solid whodunnit let down by an obvious culprit, but I was still scratching my head deep into “Turnabout Goodbyes”.

There were times when I genuinely doubted Edgeworth (especially when he thought he killed his own father), and there were other red herrings that threw me for a loop and added to the mystery, and it was only really at the eleventh hour that I realised who the true mastermind was. I never suspected the prosecutor – your opponent in court – to be so intimately involved in the crime!

There’s an air of secrecy and conspiracy that shrouds the entire investigation, and for most of it you’re as helpless and in-the-dark as Phoenix. For that, this case is going to get a high Mystery score.

Score: 9/10

Side Characters

After a forgettable cast in “Turnabout Sisters” and a terrible set of side characters in “Turnabout Samurai”, the characters in “Turnabout Goodbyes” feel like a cut above and then some.

A few characters return, like Marvin Grossberg and Larry Butz, and they do a good job of expanding the world. Larry isn’t at his worst like he will be in future games, and not a single top scientist on earth could tell you what Grossberg was doing at the Boathouse, but I appreciated their presence nonetheless.

The main new inclusion, and one that proved to be quite divisive among fans, was Lotta Hart. She’s a southern investigative reporter who’s trying to get the scoop on Gourdy, and many find her to be grating and OTT … but not me. She’s a bundle of fresh air in an otherwise bleak case, and I really appreciated her comedic outbursts and ulterior motives. She’s a huge step up from the likes of April May and Wendy Oldbag, anyhow …

There’s a couple of other new characters that I’ll save for a later section that may or may not rhyme with “Smulprits”, but the new and returning supporting players did a good job making “Turnabout Goodbyes” the lauded case it remains today.

Score: 8/10

Soundtrack

To me, it feels like every single Pursuit and Cross-Examination and Court Theme was leading to “Turnabout Goodbyes”. All the hype tracks come back at the best possible moments, and it made for a thrilling gameplay experience.

In terms of the new tracks, both Reminiscence themes – School Trial and DL-6 especially – are really beautiful, and “End” (I think that’s what it’s called?) is a fantastic closing song on what would have been the final credits of the game originally.

Maybe if a few other awesome tracks were introduced this could have attained a perfect ten score, but otherwise the Soundtrack in “Turnabout Goodbyes” is stellar.

Score: 9/10

Investigations

A lot of the problems with the first game’s Investigations are still present in “Turnabout Goodbyes”, but it’s nowhere near as egregious as the previous case.

The locations, like the Boathouse and Gourd Lake, don’t pop out quite as much as the Movie Studio, but at least you don’t have to bounce back and forth between sets trading cards with random side characters!

That’s not to say “Turnabout Goodbyes” doesn’t have problems with railroading and padding – it drags over three days, as is customary by now. The part where you have to pick between three investigation tools like Missile the Dog or the metal detector is the worst offender, as I hated returning to Gumshoe every time I wanted a tool change.

Luckily, the Trials are so awesome that you’ll probably forget about the elongated Investigations once the credits roll.

Score: 7/10

Trials

For the first time in the series, there’s a palpable sense of dread in the Courtroom – Miles Edgeworth as the defendant gives real stakes to the defence’s case, and Manfred von Karma hardly gives you any time to breathe as your fearsome opponent. Even though there are three trial days yet again, probably one too many, its pacing still feels fairly tight.

The first couple of Trials are mainly just stalling for time and proving little by little that Edgeworth didn’t fire the shot – Larry saving the day is probably the highlight of this section, as well as von Karma’s continuing attitude and threatening aura.

The real kicker comes in the final trial, when everything comes crashing down and all is revealed. Both Yanni Yogi and von Karma are ousted as culprits, and the events of DL-6 come to the forefront in dramatic fashion. Taking von Karma down to the tune of “Cornered” is a gaming memory that I’ll cherish forever.

Score: 9/10

Case Logic

“Turnabout Goodbyes” is fairly tight in the logic department, but there are lots of little things that hold it back.

Edgeworth should’ve just admitted that he didn’t shoot the guy instead of playing coy, and a lot of von Karma’s plan hinged on Edgeworth not recognising either Yogi or Hammond – I guess the darkness covered Yogi’s face, but it was a big risk.

Von Karma has a couple of odd things too – his implied re-training of the parrot is a stretch, as is the notion that he kept the bullet in his shoulder for over a decade to “hide any trace of it”.

Other things like Larry’s deus ex machina (“Almost Christmas means it wasn’t Christmas!”) and Grossberg’s presence at the Boathouse were a little odd, but on the whole it didn’t break my immersion.

Score: 7/10

Culprits

For the first time in the series, we have two separate culprits to look at.

Let’s start with Yanni Yogi – the bumbling Boathouse caretaker is soon revealed to be a key participant in the DL-6 Incident, a case which tore his life apart. I really enjoyed his tragic backstory and the bitter motivation it brought, and he served as a compelling pawn in a greater plan. Speaking of which …

Manfred von Karma is easily one of the most iconic culprits in the series. His mentoring of Edgeworth leads to a fascinating dynamic across the case’s story, and I was shocked when his connections to – and eventual culpability in – the DL-6 Incident were revealed. His cross-generational hatred of the Edgeworth family is chilling to the core, and his breakdown after you unveil the bullet in his shoulder is euphoric.

I guess the only real criticisms are that one culprit outshines the other and that von Karma’s wickedness could have maybe been teased more across the other cases, but otherwise these are some of my favourite culprits in the original trilogy.

Score: 9/10

Charm

You cross-examine a parrot. A freakin’ parrot!

The music, the zany characters, the dialogue, the evil culprit, the bombastic twists, the credits where you catch up with all the previous characters … The first game’s charm peaked in “Turnabout Goodbyes”, and few cases have been able to replicate it since.

When Ace Attorney fans think of the first game, 99% of the time they’ll recall a scene or moment from this case. That’s the power of “Turnabout Goodbyes”!

Score: 9/10

FINAL SCORE: 86/100

I was starting to get a little worried that the first Ace Attorney game hadn’t aged all that well, but then “Turnabout Goodbyes” came and washed all my doubts away. It remains a highlight of the critically acclaimed series – it’ll take a hell of a case to beat it.

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