Gameplay ''; the player can move between statements, press the witness for details, and present evidence that contradicts the testimony. The
Ace Attorney games are
visual novel adventure games in which the player controls
defense attorneys and defends their clients in several different episodes. The gameplay is split into two types of sections, investigations and courtroom trials. During the investigations, the player searches the environments, gathers information and evidence, and talks to characters such as their client, witnesses, and the police. In the courtroom trials, the player aims to have their client declared "not guilty". They cross-examine witnesses, If the player is correct, the game presents a sequence that often starts with the protagonist shouting "Objection!" and pointing at the witness along with a shift in music before they begin to grill the witness with the inconsistency, which has become an iconic aspect of the series. Once enough evidence has been presented that conflicts the witnesses testimony, the witness will suffer a breakdown or occasionally would remain calm and reveal a major truth in the case. The player is penalized if they present incorrect evidence: in the first game, a number of exclamation marks are shown, with one disappearing after each mistake the player makes; in later games, a health bar that represents the judge's patience is used instead; and in 3DS games, the character's lawyer badge is used. If all exclamation marks or lawyer badges are lost, or the health bar reaches zero, the player loses the game and their client is found guilty.
Apollo Justice introduces the "perceive" system, where the player looks for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to a
tell in poker.
Dual Destinies introduces the "mood matrix", through which the player can gauge the emotions of a witness, such as tones of anger when mentioning certain topics; if the player notices a contradictory emotional response during testimony, they can point out the discrepancy and press the witness for more information.
Dual Destinies also introduces "revisualization", where the player reviews vital facts and forms links between evidence to reach new conclusions.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney introduces simultaneous cross-examinations of multiple witnesses, with the player being able to see and hear reactions from the different witnesses to the testimony and using this to find contradictions.
The Great Ace Attorney introduces "joint reasoning", where the player finds out the truth by pointing out when their investigative partner
Herlock Sholmes takes his reasoning "further than the truth". The
Ace Attorney Investigations spin-off series splits the gameplay into investigation phases and rebuttal phases, the latter of which is similar to the courtroom trials of the main series. During the investigation phases, the player searches for evidence and talks to witnesses and suspects. Things which the player character notices in the environment are saved as thoughts; the player can use the "logic" system to connect two such thoughts to gain access to new information. At some points, the player can create
hologram reproductions of the crime scene, through which they can discover new information that would otherwise be hidden. ''Prosecutor's Gambit'' introduces "Mind Chess", where the player interrogates witnesses in a timed sequence that is visualized as a game of chess, with the player aiming to destroy the other character's chess pieces. To do this, they need to build up their advantage in the discussion by alternating between speaking and listening, and then choose to go on the offensive.
Characters and setting The protagonist of the first three games is the defense attorney
Phoenix Wright, who is assisted by the spirit medium
Maya Fey; in the fifth, Phoenix, Apollo and the new defense attorney
Athena Cykes are all protagonists; and in the sixth, Phoenix and Apollo are the main protagonists, while Athena is playable in one case. The spin-off
The Great Ace Attorney is set in England near the end of the 19th century, and follows Phoenix's ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo. Susato Mikotoba, Naruhodo's judicial assistant, is a playable character in one chapter. Phoenix's childhood friend
Miles Edgeworth, who is the protagonist of the
Ace Attorney Investigations games,
Klavier Gavin in the fourth,
Simon Blackquill in the fifth,
Nahyuta Sahdmadhi in the sixth, Barok van Zieks in
Adventures, and Kazuma Asogi in
Resolve. Most of the prosecutor characters are portrayed as powerful and arrogant characters of high social status and who care about keeping perfect-win records in court, and even may favor convictions over finding the truth, although most have secret motivations and sympathetic backstories and typically help the protagonist at the game's climax. Similarly to real Japanese prosecutors, the prosecutors in the series often directly oversee investigations, issuing orders to the police. Japanese attitudes towards the police force are reflected in the series, with the police being represented by incompetent characters such as
Dick Gumshoe, Maggey Byrde, and Mike Meekins. In the world of
Ace Attorney, trials only last three days, and usually end with a "guilty" verdict, with trials taken up by the protagonists of the games being rare exceptions. The outcomes of cases are decided by a judge, based on evidence provided by the defense attorney and the prosecutor. The only official exception is the
French version, which takes place in
Paris. ==Development==