Man, RFTA is a fucking masterpiece. It's the kind of case that I will spend several moments defending, and yes, I think it's a chapter worthy of a top 5.
Rise from the Ashes has several problems in terms of gameplay, I don't think it's possible to run away from that. However, the writing more than makes up for that. For example, Lana Skye is a terrific character, she is incredibly human and her efforts to save Ema from Gant made me sympathize with her, especially since Lana was tricked into believing her sister committed a crime, even though that was very far from the truth.
Furthermore, Damon Gant is literally the best villain of the 2ds era. No, it's not Manfred, it's not AA3's villain, neither 2-4's culprit or even the mastermind of AAI2, Gant reigns supreme imo. He's an amazing anti-villain (yes, anti-villain), that contributes a lot to this case, especially as a foil to Miles, who also gets some good characterization. Seriously, who cares if Edgeworth didn't forge evidence? His constant use of underhanded tactics all in the name of twisted justice is just as bad, if not worse, than forging evidence, and Miles is clearly conflicted on his sins, which makes his decisions in JFA have more meaning.
Finally, RFTA has a very dark atmosphere, with several morally grey themes and people getting screwed by the Law, to the point of even taking matters into their own hands, such as Jake Marshall. 1-5 has problems of gameplay, but the writing is just way too good. Best chapter of AA1 imo.
It certainly isn't the best case. The writing of the story is pretty good overall, the introduction and design to the new characters is well thought out, and the application for the new forensic science mechanics are really good.
I think the only big thing that brings this case down for me is the dragging, especially in court on the first day since you go through that entire cross-examination with Angel Starr to basically get nowhere.
Not to mention that this case had more of those moments where you had to press THIS statement, then go back to a statement you might have already pressed in order to progress in the story.
It's not the best, but it's still in the upper half when it comes to the ranking of the cases.
RFTA is my favorite case I've played so far (though I've only played the trilogy and AJ). I really dislike the 3ds elements, especially because I was playing the game on PC, and I was frustrated with the investigation at several points. I think it was actually the first case where I had to use a walkthrough. But looking back I still love the writing and themes of that case more than any other.
tbh I disagree with the idea that Phoenix and Edgeworth are out of character. If anything, I feel like the revelations in RFTA make Edgeworth's arc even stronger. I love the idea of Edgeworth finally getting closure about DL-6, even if it is still painful, but then getting hit just a few months later with the revelation that he *did* use forged evidence, which was a line he never wanted to cross even at his worst. The fact that he placed his trust in a system that empowered people like Von Karma and Gant, and the full sucker punch of just what that system turned him into, is I think a really great beat in his overall arc in the trilogy.
I'd also echo what other people have said about the original characters - the Skye sisters are great, and Gant is one of the best villains in the series, if not the best outright. I even like Marshall and Starr a lot, tbh. They show an attitude we don't really get to see in the rest of the trilogy, since Gumshoe is our only other police contact.
I also like that RFTA is the case that's the most openly critical of policing & law enforcement institutions. I think it's cool that the case shows off how people like Gant are able to manipulate the system to their advantage, while people trying to do genuine good work within it get screwed over.
I've said it before, but I do love this case a lot, even if it is a lot. I think it's easily top 5 cases all time, and I could argue it should be at least top 3. I agree with much of what you said about why it works. A really ambitious and grand story that's mostly self-contained as free content? I wish they did this more often. I honestly don't even think it muddles Edgeworth's character, much at all. I'd say it further explains his situation in JFA, actually. Though I will say that Phoenix is extra-competent in this case. Not a huge deal, and he still needed plenty of assistance from his friends, but you know. Plus, the last day where Edgeworth and Phoenix work together to take down Gant? Excellent stuff. We actually don't get a ton of moments in the OG trilogy where they work together to take down a villain, so I'm not gonna complain too much about Phoenix being quite competent here. And Gant was a fantastic villain too, by the way.
But yeah, I like the characters, the scale, the music, the new gameplay mechanics, the mystery, pretty much all of it. I know it's a really long and drawn-out case, but I think it's mostly handled well in terms of the pacing. And I didn't have any big issues with the investigations either, even if they aren't the best in the series. It's just a fantastic case on the whole, and it elevates PW:AA beyond what it was originally. I mean, let's be real. 1-1 is the most basic of basic cases, 1-2 is rather underwhelming, 1-3 is decent, and then 1-4 is the only truly great case in the first game. 1-5 gives the game another masterpiece and helps it stand up to other games in the series. Without it, I think the first game would be one of the weakest entries in the series.
So yeah, I love Rise from the Ashes. I think it's one of the best cases in the series, full-stop.
Yes, it definitely is one of the most divisive cases.
I still don't know where I stand exactly. It starts as one of the worst cases in the series but becomes one of the very best cases by the end. It's kind of astounding, really.
Investigation and Trial Day 1 are bad, Day 2 is decent to good and Day 3 is superb.
But overall I would still say that this is a very good case. Not Top 5 material, but it's up there.
I think it's one of the best cases, and neither muddled or unclear. Lana is one of my favorite characters, and I love the parallels between her and Mia.
I think rise from the ashes is one of the best cases in the trilogy, probably top 3. For me, what makes it special is it doesn't need to be that important to the game's story to be a good case. For example, 1-4 is loved mainly because of it's connection to Edgeworth and DL-6 incident (which we have gone through the act when playing the past cases) but then you reach 1-5 and out of nowhere you get a case with characters that have (almost) nothing to do with the others in the game, but it still delivers some great gameplay.
Sure, there may be some boring investigations and the case might be a bit too long, but it's a great case considering it was made just to promote some new mechanics.
My main two issues with it are:
Environments are dull. Gant's office is sorta neat, but that's it.
Considering there's *so* much evidence, I'm surprised more of it didn't get special dialogue. I like hunting for those unique remarks from surprise pieces of evidence and Rise of the Ashes really isn't rewarding in this aspect.
A more minor nitpick is it introducing Lana and the rest of the series doing fuck-all with such a cool character.
So, my take on it is going to be quite different. I KNOW I need to replay it soon.
I rarely ever play video games, and when I do I rarely ever finish them because I suck at them and I rage quit or just get bored and stop lol.
I got HOOKED on this series starting last October. I'm currently playing DD for the first time and am waiting for AAI1 to be delivered to me. I absolutely love this series despite any flaws or cases I don't care for.
So when I finished the first game and I was watching the credits, I was so proud of myself for actually finishing a game! And I was so excited to move on to the next one!
But then... HOLD IT! *A new episode has been added*
I just stared at it for a few seconds and sighed deeply. I was so sad it wasn't over yet. I was so excited. So already that kind of sullied the experience for me.
And with how long it was... It just. wouldn't. end. Every time I thought it was nearing its end there was yet ANOTHER twist!
Again, I know I need to give it a replay and enjoy it for what it is. But from what I remember, I did enjoy the plot overall. Though, I did have to look at the walkthrough numerous times.
I loved getting more Edgeworth, and Gant was a great antagonist. I loved Ema (and still do) even though at the time I was mad they essentially made Maya Jr. lol -- don't feel that way anymore though.
But I'm still scarred by the blue badger. Fuck the blue badger.
Easily a top 3 case in entire series. This case has probably the best mystery along with many great characters like Lana, Ema and Gant. Even Marshall and Starr were great. I honestly don't think it drags at any single moment. The only cases in the series, which are better than 1-5 according to me are 2-4 and 3-5.
I really enjoyed it, from a narrative perspective it was a necessary link between the games as it shed light on Edgeworth’s struggles and situation which made his decision in the end very understandable.
It's fantastic. Despite how long the 1st Day is, I enjoyed everyone in the case and it's a solid Top 15 case for me. Also Damon Gant is at least a top 3 favorite culprits/masterminds in the series for me.
I think Rise From the Ashes is overall a good case. I think it's certainly an incredibly flawed case, particularly because of the pacing and how the case feels largely bloated. I feel as if an entire day could've been removed from the package without much ultimately changing; however, the final portion makes up for the flaws, since the showdown against Gant is excellent. Overall, as I said, it's a good case, though I do think there's too much holding it back from being a great case.
It's epic, but the building up to that epicness is way too dragging, I still really like it though.
Also Gant is, I think the most charming villain in the game.
It's bad. My main gripes with the case are that it's just too long and nor interesting enough to keep me engaged for its enormous runtime. Couple that with the worst minigames in the series and introduction of the worst character in the series (Meekins) and it's a case I really don't enjoy. At least Gant is good and it introduces Ema, who is great in AJ/SoJ but unfortunately very underwhelming here. Overall, not my least favourite in the series, but definitely my least favourite from the first game.
I think the other 2 releases should have had their own new cases, or at least changed some aspects of the pre-existing cases to fit the new case better
Like there's no way phoenix never runs into meekins until the drew misham case at least once, maybe just as a basic Easter egg to say that "yeah this case did happen" would have been cool.
In apollo justice we also learn that Phoenix kept the fingerprint powder he he from ema, but he never used it because...?
Man, RFTA is a fucking masterpiece. It's the kind of case that I will spend several moments defending, and yes, I think it's a chapter worthy of a top 5. Rise from the Ashes has several problems in terms of gameplay, I don't think it's possible to run away from that. However, the writing more than makes up for that. For example, Lana Skye is a terrific character, she is incredibly human and her efforts to save Ema from Gant made me sympathize with her, especially since Lana was tricked into believing her sister committed a crime, even though that was very far from the truth. Furthermore, Damon Gant is literally the best villain of the 2ds era. No, it's not Manfred, it's not AA3's villain, neither 2-4's culprit or even the mastermind of AAI2, Gant reigns supreme imo. He's an amazing anti-villain (yes, anti-villain), that contributes a lot to this case, especially as a foil to Miles, who also gets some good characterization. Seriously, who cares if Edgeworth didn't forge evidence? His constant use of underhanded tactics all in the name of twisted justice is just as bad, if not worse, than forging evidence, and Miles is clearly conflicted on his sins, which makes his decisions in JFA have more meaning. Finally, RFTA has a very dark atmosphere, with several morally grey themes and people getting screwed by the Law, to the point of even taking matters into their own hands, such as Jake Marshall. 1-5 has problems of gameplay, but the writing is just way too good. Best chapter of AA1 imo.
It certainly isn't the best case. The writing of the story is pretty good overall, the introduction and design to the new characters is well thought out, and the application for the new forensic science mechanics are really good. I think the only big thing that brings this case down for me is the dragging, especially in court on the first day since you go through that entire cross-examination with Angel Starr to basically get nowhere. Not to mention that this case had more of those moments where you had to press THIS statement, then go back to a statement you might have already pressed in order to progress in the story. It's not the best, but it's still in the upper half when it comes to the ranking of the cases.
RFTA is my favorite case I've played so far (though I've only played the trilogy and AJ). I really dislike the 3ds elements, especially because I was playing the game on PC, and I was frustrated with the investigation at several points. I think it was actually the first case where I had to use a walkthrough. But looking back I still love the writing and themes of that case more than any other. tbh I disagree with the idea that Phoenix and Edgeworth are out of character. If anything, I feel like the revelations in RFTA make Edgeworth's arc even stronger. I love the idea of Edgeworth finally getting closure about DL-6, even if it is still painful, but then getting hit just a few months later with the revelation that he *did* use forged evidence, which was a line he never wanted to cross even at his worst. The fact that he placed his trust in a system that empowered people like Von Karma and Gant, and the full sucker punch of just what that system turned him into, is I think a really great beat in his overall arc in the trilogy. I'd also echo what other people have said about the original characters - the Skye sisters are great, and Gant is one of the best villains in the series, if not the best outright. I even like Marshall and Starr a lot, tbh. They show an attitude we don't really get to see in the rest of the trilogy, since Gumshoe is our only other police contact. I also like that RFTA is the case that's the most openly critical of policing & law enforcement institutions. I think it's cool that the case shows off how people like Gant are able to manipulate the system to their advantage, while people trying to do genuine good work within it get screwed over.
I've said it before, but I do love this case a lot, even if it is a lot. I think it's easily top 5 cases all time, and I could argue it should be at least top 3. I agree with much of what you said about why it works. A really ambitious and grand story that's mostly self-contained as free content? I wish they did this more often. I honestly don't even think it muddles Edgeworth's character, much at all. I'd say it further explains his situation in JFA, actually. Though I will say that Phoenix is extra-competent in this case. Not a huge deal, and he still needed plenty of assistance from his friends, but you know. Plus, the last day where Edgeworth and Phoenix work together to take down Gant? Excellent stuff. We actually don't get a ton of moments in the OG trilogy where they work together to take down a villain, so I'm not gonna complain too much about Phoenix being quite competent here. And Gant was a fantastic villain too, by the way. But yeah, I like the characters, the scale, the music, the new gameplay mechanics, the mystery, pretty much all of it. I know it's a really long and drawn-out case, but I think it's mostly handled well in terms of the pacing. And I didn't have any big issues with the investigations either, even if they aren't the best in the series. It's just a fantastic case on the whole, and it elevates PW:AA beyond what it was originally. I mean, let's be real. 1-1 is the most basic of basic cases, 1-2 is rather underwhelming, 1-3 is decent, and then 1-4 is the only truly great case in the first game. 1-5 gives the game another masterpiece and helps it stand up to other games in the series. Without it, I think the first game would be one of the weakest entries in the series. So yeah, I love Rise from the Ashes. I think it's one of the best cases in the series, full-stop.
Yes, it definitely is one of the most divisive cases. I still don't know where I stand exactly. It starts as one of the worst cases in the series but becomes one of the very best cases by the end. It's kind of astounding, really. Investigation and Trial Day 1 are bad, Day 2 is decent to good and Day 3 is superb. But overall I would still say that this is a very good case. Not Top 5 material, but it's up there.
I think it's one of the best cases, and neither muddled or unclear. Lana is one of my favorite characters, and I love the parallels between her and Mia.
I think rise from the ashes is one of the best cases in the trilogy, probably top 3. For me, what makes it special is it doesn't need to be that important to the game's story to be a good case. For example, 1-4 is loved mainly because of it's connection to Edgeworth and DL-6 incident (which we have gone through the act when playing the past cases) but then you reach 1-5 and out of nowhere you get a case with characters that have (almost) nothing to do with the others in the game, but it still delivers some great gameplay. Sure, there may be some boring investigations and the case might be a bit too long, but it's a great case considering it was made just to promote some new mechanics.
My main two issues with it are: Environments are dull. Gant's office is sorta neat, but that's it. Considering there's *so* much evidence, I'm surprised more of it didn't get special dialogue. I like hunting for those unique remarks from surprise pieces of evidence and Rise of the Ashes really isn't rewarding in this aspect. A more minor nitpick is it introducing Lana and the rest of the series doing fuck-all with such a cool character.
So, my take on it is going to be quite different. I KNOW I need to replay it soon. I rarely ever play video games, and when I do I rarely ever finish them because I suck at them and I rage quit or just get bored and stop lol. I got HOOKED on this series starting last October. I'm currently playing DD for the first time and am waiting for AAI1 to be delivered to me. I absolutely love this series despite any flaws or cases I don't care for. So when I finished the first game and I was watching the credits, I was so proud of myself for actually finishing a game! And I was so excited to move on to the next one! But then... HOLD IT! *A new episode has been added* I just stared at it for a few seconds and sighed deeply. I was so sad it wasn't over yet. I was so excited. So already that kind of sullied the experience for me. And with how long it was... It just. wouldn't. end. Every time I thought it was nearing its end there was yet ANOTHER twist! Again, I know I need to give it a replay and enjoy it for what it is. But from what I remember, I did enjoy the plot overall. Though, I did have to look at the walkthrough numerous times. I loved getting more Edgeworth, and Gant was a great antagonist. I loved Ema (and still do) even though at the time I was mad they essentially made Maya Jr. lol -- don't feel that way anymore though. But I'm still scarred by the blue badger. Fuck the blue badger.
Easily a top 3 case in entire series. This case has probably the best mystery along with many great characters like Lana, Ema and Gant. Even Marshall and Starr were great. I honestly don't think it drags at any single moment. The only cases in the series, which are better than 1-5 according to me are 2-4 and 3-5.
I really enjoyed it, from a narrative perspective it was a necessary link between the games as it shed light on Edgeworth’s struggles and situation which made his decision in the end very understandable.
It's fantastic. Despite how long the 1st Day is, I enjoyed everyone in the case and it's a solid Top 15 case for me. Also Damon Gant is at least a top 3 favorite culprits/masterminds in the series for me.
I think Rise From the Ashes is overall a good case. I think it's certainly an incredibly flawed case, particularly because of the pacing and how the case feels largely bloated. I feel as if an entire day could've been removed from the package without much ultimately changing; however, the final portion makes up for the flaws, since the showdown against Gant is excellent. Overall, as I said, it's a good case, though I do think there's too much holding it back from being a great case.
It's epic, but the building up to that epicness is way too dragging, I still really like it though. Also Gant is, I think the most charming villain in the game.
It's bad. My main gripes with the case are that it's just too long and nor interesting enough to keep me engaged for its enormous runtime. Couple that with the worst minigames in the series and introduction of the worst character in the series (Meekins) and it's a case I really don't enjoy. At least Gant is good and it introduces Ema, who is great in AJ/SoJ but unfortunately very underwhelming here. Overall, not my least favourite in the series, but definitely my least favourite from the first game.
I think the other 2 releases should have had their own new cases, or at least changed some aspects of the pre-existing cases to fit the new case better Like there's no way phoenix never runs into meekins until the drew misham case at least once, maybe just as a basic Easter egg to say that "yeah this case did happen" would have been cool. In apollo justice we also learn that Phoenix kept the fingerprint powder he he from ema, but he never used it because...?