Ace Attorney Deep Dive: “Turnabout For Tomorrow” (Dual Destinies – Case 5)

“Turnabout For Tomorrow” picks up right where “The Cosmic Turnabout” left off – Athena is accused of Clay Terran’s murder, a mysterious Phantom is still running amok, and Apollo is still donning bandages and an eyepatch. One thing’s for sure – we’ve got an Ace Attorney finale on our hands!

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!

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

Micro Story

Clay Terran is still dead, except this time there’s a new defendant in the hot seat – evidence is brought forward that indicts Athena Cykes for the charge of Terran’s murder. Not only that, but Aura Blackquill indicts Athena on a new charge – murdering her own mother, Metis Cykes, all those years ago.

What makes “Turnabout For Tomorrow” such an engaging story on its own is the ties between the past and present cases, and I especially loved the international espionage aspect thrown in for good measure. This is easily the most intense case of “Dual Destinies”, so they definitely saved the best for last.

Score: 9/10

Macro Story

The characters are where this case’s Macro Story shines … for the most part.

I’ll start with the positives – Blackquill and Athena trying to save each other is the best part of this case, bar none, and Aura’s attempts to save her brother are insane but justified. I also really like how Apollo suspects Athena, and how when she’s proven innocent he can now trust her more than ever.

What I didn’t like, however, was how Apollo was sidelined. Again. His ties to Clay Terran end up going nowhere, and his off-screen investigation may as well have not happened. Also, and I’m sure I’m not the first Ace Attorney fan to say this, the “Dark Age Of The Law” plotline is so underdeveloped it hurts. They could’ve done so much more with it!

Oh, and Daddy Edgeworth makes a triumphant return, acting just as direct and collected as ever. He genuinely raised my score from a 6 to a 7 from his mere presence alone.

Score: 7/10

Mystery

There are lots of little mysteries in play, like who killed Metis Cykes and Clay Terran as well as the location of the missing moon rock, but the biggest Mystery of all is clearly the Phantom’s identity.

Bobby Fulbright being the Phantom is one of the great Ace Attorney twists, and it almost comes out of nowhere. Almost. They certainly jam the “leading detective” flashback down your throat enough times up until the reveal, so it’s not the biggest shock in the world when it happens.

Also, there’s a bit at the end of Trial Part One where Phoenix suspects one of the officers first on the scene seven years ago was the Phantom. The only law official we know in Dual Destinies is Fulbright … so yeah, it’s not a big logical leap to suspect him.

Score: 8/10

Side Characters

Technically there’s only one new Side Character in “Turnabout For Tomorrow”. Yuri Cosmos gets sidelined, Trucy gets kidnapped, Aura Blackquill turns up the crazy, and Juniper Woods randomly returns to give brief exposition about Athena’s upbringing.

The “new” character is actually a returning one, Pearl Fey. She’s all grown up and just as sweet as ever, and I enjoyed having her around as the temporary investigation assistant.

Score: 7/10

Soundtrack

Ace Attorney finales rarely have many new songs, since all the themes have already been introduced, but “Turnabout For Tomorrow” had enough going on in the Soundtrack to make my ears perk up.

The opening cutscene is dramatic as hell, Pearl’s theme returns, “Tragic Memories” is a haunting look at Athena’s past, and the best of all is the magnificent return of “Miles Edgeworth – Great Revival” – one of the best tracks in the whole series.

Score: 9/10

Investigation

Just the one Investigation this time around, still set predominantly at the Cosmos Space Centre, but it was one of my favourite Investigation segments yet.

Trucy and Pearls act as the plucky assistants, it’s revealed that Athena’s mum Metis Cykes was the victim seven years ago, Aura Blackquill stages a robot revolt and takes hostages, and did I mention DADDY EDGEWORTH RETURNS?!?

Score: 9/10

Trial

Again, there’s only one Trial segment this time around. But that means the writers can pack in as much drama as possible into one courtroom day.

There are many shocking revelations in a row, such as Athena putting her mum on the robot workbench and the Phantom’s identity, and having Edgeworth prosecute the first half and Blackquill do the second was the perfect way of appeasing both camps.

We also never truly find out the Phantom’s identity, as he’s assassinated before we can see his face. Part of me wishes we could’ve had closure in that regard, but the unanswered questions are also an appropriate way to end a mysterious character.

Score: 9/10

Case Logic

For as much as I enjoyed “Turnabout For Tomorrow”, there were a plethora of things that broke my immersion. Other than Apollo getting made redundant again. Not cool, writers.

Two that I can maybe look past are Edgeworth being drafted in and organising a trial within an hour of the hostage demands, and Blackquill smuggling evidence through prison for seven years straight. Ace Attorney will be Ace Attorney, I suppose.

But one that really bothered me was the CCTV of Metis Cykes’ murder – you mean to tell me a suspicious man left the scene less than an hour before the supposed time of death, wound on hand and looking shady, and CAUGHT ON CCTV, and the police didn’t do anything about it? Blackquill could’ve been cleared for murder on the spot if the investigators had put an iota of effort in!

Score: 5/10

Culprit

For as underwhelming as the “Dark Age Of The Law” plotline was, I still really liked the Phantom / Bobby Fulbright as the game’s major antagonist. Is that a controversial opinion?

The part where you use the Mood Matrix on him and he shows no emotion is utterly terrifying, and I liked the idea that he’s forgotten his own identity as he’s changed faces so often.

That being said … I would’ve liked the face changing / personality shifting to have played more of a central role. How cool would it have been to find out Bobby Fulbright and another random side character(s) were actually the same shape-shifting figure all along?

Score: 8/10

Charm

Edgeworth and Pearls returning, a robot revolt in a space centre, a murder tying to another murder seven years ago, Athena and Aura trying to save Simon Blackquill from execution, an international spy getting his comeuppance in a desolate courtroom …

“Turnabout For Tomorrow” may not be the tightest finale of the bunch, but dagnabbit I was charmed.

Score: 9/10

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

I always had fond memories of “Turnabout For Tomorrow” as a show-stopping finale, and for the most part it delivered. Some aspects broke my immersion, and it doesn’t hold a candle to the original trilogy’s finales, but on its own it’s a fantastic end to a fairly solid game.

Aaaaand that’s my list! Amazingly, this wasn’t the last we’ll see of Dual Destinies in this Deep Dive … but until next time you can check out some of my latest blog posts below: