Meet the people behind Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
03/03/2010
The Ace Attorney series is back on Nintendo DS, but this time there’s a new star lawyer dealing justice! We put some questions to game producer Motohide Eshiro and creative director Takeshi Yamazaki of Capcom about the finer points of how players will go about upholding the law in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
Although Miles Edgeworth has previously been a playable character in an Ace Attorney game, this is the first time he’s been the central character. What are the “star qualities” that make Miles perfect for a leading role?
Takeshi: The star quality would be the charisma Miles has as a genius prosecutor with a clear presence of mind. However, with the influence of Phoenix Wright, Miles has gained another important trait; the will to pursue truth and justice. I believe this attribute is crucial for a protagonist, especially if he or she is to shed light on a mysterious case.
Is it true that the decision to feature Miles was partly due to requests from fans who thought he was deserving of his own game?
Motohide: This is true. It was indeed the fans that drove the creation of AAIME (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth)!
In terms of gameplay, will there be some new innovations players can look forward to in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth?
Motohide: The cool thing about AAIME is the fact the player will be able to take direct control of Miles, freely walk around the crime scene and actively investigate it. The new feature ‘Logic mode’ will allow players to experience Miles’ ingenious deduction skills. Of course, the Ace Attorney series’ signature thrill of slowly stripping lies off the tricky witnesses remains intact - so no disappointment there!
The Ace Attorney series is brought to life by the colourful characters at its heart. Can we expect to be introduced to some new faces this time around? If so, could you tell us a little about them?
Takeshi: Kay Faraday is the new heroine of AAIME. She claims to be the greatest thief of all time and loves to party. The contrast between calm and quiet Miles and loud, out-going Kay is sure to be interesting!
Shi-Long Lang is an international investigations officer who uses masses of agents in his operations and utilises his charismatic nature to the full. At one point he strips Miles of authority to investigate – can Miles make a comeback even without the help of the police force?
Jacques Portsman is an unusually athletically fit prosecutor with amazing reflexes. I’m not entirely sure if any of that helps in a courtroom though… He appears in the first episode.
Rhoda Teneiro is a cabin attendant on the aeroplane Miles is boarding in episode two. She is very polite and appears to be valiant.
For players who haven’t played a previous game in the Ace Attorney series, do you think Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth would be a good place to start?
Motohide: In AAIME we have made sure the game is easy to play with a well-integrated tutorial. I think it is playable mostly by intuition and you are able to fully immerse yourself into the world while learning how to investigate the crime scenes. And, of course, for those who are familiar with the Ace Attorney series they are sure to find many moments that will make them chuckle in reminiscence.
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is in shops now, only for Nintendo DS.
