Ace Attorney Deep Dive: “The Rite of Turnabout” (Spirit Of Justice – Case 3)

It’s back to the kingdom of Khura’in for Case 3 – “The Rite of Turnabout”. With Phoenix at the helm and Maya back in the mix, it’s starting to feel like the good ol’ days!

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

After the conversation Phoenix has with Maya on the phone in “The Foreign Turnabout”, they finally get their long-awaited reunion in “The Rite of Turnabout”.

As expected, Old Man Phoenix passes out from back pain and Maya gets arrested for yet another murder. Some things will never change.

An elusive vigilante named “Lady Kee’ra” has been going round killing people, and the police suspect Maya Fey of the crimes. There’s a rebellion brewing in Khura’in, and even the spiritual folk seem to be intertwined …

This is a pretty solid set-up for a case. It’s a little predictable that Maya got arrested for a crime yet again, but the allure of a new country and the mystery surrounding the rebellion and Lady Kee’ra make for a promising start.

Score: 7/10

Macro Story

The story brewing underneath “The Rite of Turnabout” is that of rebellion – the Defiant Dragons are making waves in Khura’in, and the general populace are starting to get worried.

That being said, I was a bit surprised by how shallow the rebellion subplot was in this case. I remembered it being more prominent – especially with the escaped rebel and the Culprits being involved in shady dealings – but I guess the main parts of the Defiant Dragons’ tale happens in “Turnabout Revolution”.

I’ll also use this section to talk about Maya Fey. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad she could return to the main series … but she still acts like the plucky girl from before. I guess it would be jarring to long-time fans if she was more mature, but she’s meant to be a grown woman now!

I guess I can’t complain – her chemistry with Phoenix is as good as ever, and I’d rather have her back than not return to the series at all.

Score: 6/10

Mystery

The Mystery in “The Rite of Turnabout” is simple yet compelling – a murderous force named Lady Kee’ra is on the loose, and authorities don’t know who is behind the mask. Not exactly the most ground-breaking plot but it gets the job done.

In the meantime, a rebel has escaped from a maximum security prison and is on the loose. As it turns out (and as is predictable if you’ve played this series), the escaped rebel has something to do with the murder plot.

Not the greatest Mystery set-up in the series but it’s enough to hook me.

Score: 7/10

Side Characters

Other than Albhi, who I guess is still around, there are three other Side Characters in this case I want to talk about.

The two quicker ones are Rayfa and Minister Inga. Both characters we’ve seen before, but they both make a bit more of an impact this time around. Inga is as intimidating as ever and Rayfa is starting to have some doubts – something that’ll see its pay-off in the final case.

The other, far more important Side Character to this case is A’nohn Ihmus – or, as it turns out, the escaped rebel Datz Are’Bal. His amnesia means he initially can’t remember his ties to the case and the Defiant Dragons, but his personality shines through pre and post regaining memories. He’s as goofy and endearing as Larry Butz … but, dare I say, he’s better and more palatable? Is that a controversial take?

In summary, Datz carries the side cast on his back.

Score: 7/10

Soundtrack

The Soundtrack is solid in “The Rite of Turnabout”. I mean, c’mon. It’s Ace Attorney. Of course the music was going to pass the test.

I really like “The Teachings of Khura’in”, “Cheerful People”, “The Dragons of Rebellion”, and it’s always a joy to hear “Turnabout Sisters 2016” make a return. Good stuff all round.

Score: 7/10

Investigations

We saw a tease of Khura’in in “The Foreign Turnabout”, but the Investigations in “The Rite of Turnabout” is our first real chance to explore this new country and its unique culture and architecture.

The best part of the Investigation is getting to reunite with Maya (briefly) and exploring the Inner Sanctum – one of the most beautiful, visually interesting crime scene locations in the series.

The main bombshell of the Investigations is the reveal that rebel leader Dhurke is Apollo’s adoptive dad, and Nahyuta is Apollo’s brother (and therefore Nahyuta is Dhurke’s son if you want to fill in the family tree). We don’t see the consequences of this reveal in “The Rite of Turnabout” but it’ll have big rammifications in the finale case.

Score: 7/10

Trials

Look, I know most people don’t rate “The Rite of Turnabout”. Even I have to admit that the general facts of the case are quite average by Ace Attorney standards. But my god … its Trials provided some of my favourite twists and turns in the series – definitely within this second trilogy of games.

The first Trial sees the truth of the strange man’s identity (turns out it’s the escaped rebel … to the shock of nobody playing), the spooky first Divination Seance, and a second body is found. And Maya is outright declared guilty at the end!

The second Trial is where this case ramps up to eleven. It’s revealed that the second victim died a day before everyone expected. In order to shed some light on the situation, Maya channels the first victim Tahrust – the first time an Ace Attorney court has ever used a dead man’s testimony for evidence.

What follows is a series of bombshell reveals that floored me the first time I played this case. It turns out Tahrust committed suicide in order to cover for his wife Beh’leeb (that suicide Synaptic Resonance section left me gobsmacked!), and Beh’leeb was the one who killed Puhray Zeh’lot … and Puhray Zeh’lot was Lady Kee’ra all along! That was an unbelievable one-two-three punch.

That suicide twist single-handedly bumped this score up a couple of points. I’d never seen anything like it in Ace Attorney – it was something I never expected this series to have the balls to do.

Score: 9/10

Case Logic

For as intense, emotional and serious the final Trial’s twist is, it’s quite surprising to reflect on how unserious and oftentimes illogical the writing of this case is.

Datz has amnesia, which is always a touchy writing trope, but I’m more bothered by the prison he escaped from. Who built a prison on the mountaintop above the inner sanctum? Miles above everything with sheer drops on all sides?!? That’s gotta be a thousand health and safety violations …

The plot of “The Rite of Turnabout” starts with Phoenix being absent for Maya’s arrest. How absent, you might wonder? Well, he passed out while doing some stretches. FOR A WHOLE DAY. That’s one of the most ridiculous Ace Attorney set-ups I’ve ever seen.

Finally, I know this is Ace Attorney and the courtrooms are always a farce, but c’mon. How can a dead man’s testimony be admissible in a serious court of law? We’ve had spirits testifying in the past, like Dahlia Hawthorne in “Bridge to the Turnabout”, but we didn’t know it was Dahlia at the time. Tahrust’s testimony is funny at first but too far-fetched when you think about it.

If we allow Ace Attorney to use dead people’s testimony, then why can’t they use spirit mediums in EVERY court case? It would make things much easier. Actually, they should probably do that in Ace Attorney 7 – it’ll be like the Divination Seances but less cool and more ridiculous.

Score: 5/10

Culprits

For the first time in a hot minute, there are two Culprits to look at individually – the power couple of Tahrust and Beh’leeb Inmee.

Beh’leeb is definitely the least interesting of the two. Her murder is one of panic, seeing her kill Puh’ray Zeh’lot in a tragic loss of self-control. It’s not a bad story, per se, but it’s quite tame by Ace Attorney standards.

Her husband, Tahrust, steals the show – his suicide acts as a sacrifice to both help his wife walk free and protect the rebel hideout. Rarely are Ace Attorney crimes committed out of sheer love, which is perhaps why he stood out more as a Culprit to me.

Separately these two aren’t particularly ground-breaking Culprits, but together they make one of the saddest Culprit circumstances in the series.

Score: 8/10

Charm

The Ace Attorney developers must have heard about “Third Case Syndrome” and taken steps to subvert it – “Turnabout Academy” was fun in the last title, and now “The Rite of Turnabout” is also far from the worse case in the game.

Phoenix and Maya are back together on our screens. Datz provides the comedy and levity. The Trial’s main twist is both shocking and heart-breaking. This case is a rollercoaster of emotions – one that ultimately works.

Score: 8/10

The final Trial’s twist does some heavy lifting, but I still feel that “The Rite of Turnabout” remains one of the stronger third cases in the series.

FINAL SCORE: 71/100

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