Board 8 > Rate the Ace Attorney case: The Return of the Great Departed Soul (G2-3)

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Rules:

1. Rate each case on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Anything above 10 gets rounded down to a 10, and anything below a 1 gets rounded up to a 1.
2. Anything beyond one decimal point will be rounded accordingly: .04 and below will be rounded down, .05 and up will be rounded up.
3. You may grade on any criteria you like.
4. You can rate cases from previous topics if you miss a topic.

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PiEuURt1qf19VoYzcFCU1EFa8uqs2teJiVcip7JmjDw/edit?usp=sharing

Previous Results:

Bridge to the Turnabout (3-5) - 9.8 (37 votes)
Farewell, My Turnabout (2-4) - 9.7 (30 votes)
Turnabout Revolution (6-5) - 9.6 (25 votes)
Turnabout Goodbyes (1-4) - 9.2 (32 votes)
Turnabout Reclaimed (5-6) - 8.8 (23 votes)
The Golden Court (L-3) - 8.6 (14 votes)
The Inherited Turnabout (E2-3) - 8.5 (16 votes)
Turnabout Beginnings (3-4) - 8.4 (26 votes)
The Rite of Turnabout (6-3) - 8.4 (22 votes)
Rise from the Ashes (1-5) - 8.2 (28 votes)
The Stolen Turnabout (3-2) - 8.2 (24 votes)
The Adventure of the Runaway Room (G1-3) - 8.2 (20 votes)
Turnabout For Tomorrow (5-5) - 7.9 (27 votes)
The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro (G2-2) - 7.6 (18 votes)
Turnabout Memories (3-1) - 7.4 (30 votes)
Turnabout Samurai (1-3) - 7.4 (29 votes)
Turnabout Academy (5-3) - 7.4 (27 votes)
The Grand Turnabout (E2-5) - 7.3 (16 votes)
The Adventure of the Unspeakable Story (G1-5) - 7.2 (21 votes)
Turnabout Target (E2-1) - 7.1 (17 votes)
Turnabout Trump (4-1) - 6.9 (25 votes)
The Magical Turnabout (6-2) - 6.7 (22 votes)
Recipe for Turnabout (3-3) - 6.6 (27 votes)
The Fire Witch (L-2) - 6.6 (14 votes)
Reunion, and Turnabout (2-2) - 6.5 (25 votes)
The Monstrous Turnabout (5-2) - 6.5 (23 votes)
The Adventure of the Great Departure (G1-1) - 6.0 (20 votes)
Turnabout Ablaze (E1-5) - 6.0 (19 votes)
The Cosmic Turnabout (5-4) - 5.9 (24 votes)
The Adventure of the Blossoming Attorney (G2-1) - 5.8 (20 votes)
Turnabout Sisters (1-2) - 5.7 (25 votes)
Turnabout Reminiscence (E1-4) - 5.6 (22 votes)
Turnabout Storyteller (6-4) - 5.3 (21 votes)
The Imprisoned Turnabout (E2-2) - 5.3 (16 votes)
The Forgotten Turnabout (E2-4) - 5.2 (16 votes)
The Foreign Turnabout (6-1) - 5.0 (23 votes)
Turnabout Visitor (E1-1) - 5.0 (20 votes)
The Final Witch Trial (L-4) - 5.0 (13 votes)
The First Turnabout (1-1) - 4.9 (25 votes)
The Kidnapped Turnabout (E1-3) - 4.6 (22 votes)
English Turnabout (L-1) - 4.3 (14 votes)
Turnabout Airlines (E1-2) - 4.2 (22 votes)
Turnabout Countdown (5-1) - 4.1 (24 votes)
Turnabout Corner (4-2) - 4.0 (25 votes)
The Adventure of the Clouded Kokoro (G1-4) - 3.9 (21 votes)
Turnabout Time Traveler (6-6) - 3.9 (19 votes)
Turnabout Big Top (2-3) - 3.7 (25 votes)
Turnabout Succession (4-4) - 3.5 (24 votes)
The Lost Turnabout (2-1) - 3.3 (27 votes)
The Adventure of the Unbreakable Speckled Band (G1-2) - 3.2 (18 votes)
Turnabout Serenade (4-3) - 2.7 (24 votes)

Everyone pretty much liked this case. Shamspeare is a highlight, but Soseki and Green are both good too. The only downsides are that the jury is the same as the G1-4 jury and that the case seemed to lack an "it" factor.

Summary:

The last and greatest World's Fair of the century gets underway in London, but tragedy strikes when an explosion during a live experiment kills a man. Was it an accident? Was it murder? With Susato still in Japan, Ryunosuke, Iris, and Sholmes take the case to find out.

Main Characters: Ryunosuke Naruhodo, Mael Stronghart, Herlock Sholmes, Iris Wilson, Barok van Zieks, Masked Apprentice, Gina Lestrade, Tobias Gregson, The Judge of the Old Bailey, Susato Mikotoba, Kazuma Asogi
Other Characters: Albert Harebrayne, Odie Asman, Esmeralda Tusspells, The Professor, Balthazar Lune, Gotts, Middled Aged Man Juror, Mature Lady Juror, Magician Juror, Scientist Juror, Young Girl Juror, Policeman Juror, Courtney Sithe, Maria Gorey, Enoch Drebber, Klint van Zieks, Genshin Asogi

My rating: 9.5/10. It would not surprise me if this was the finale case of the supposed missing Game 2 of GAA. This case definitely has a lot of dramatic and emotional highs. Drebber is really incredible. He really chews the scenery when playing the culprit but turns out to be a pretty tragic character in the grand scheme. We get the first hints of The Professor Killings, which adds a ton of intrigue for GAA2. Harebrayne is a surprisingly deep defendant for a completely absurd character. Happy Lestrade is a delight, Tusspells is a wonderful witness, and the Dance of Deduction is easily the best in the series. The only misses are Sithe being low-key and Trial 1 being a bit whatever for a case of this caliber.

9/10

I think the biggest flaw is that taking down Sithe isn't really satisfying at all because you've barely spent any time with her up to that point. They make up for it with the Professor reveal at the end, so I'd still say they stuck the landing. I also kinda wish they'd done more with the relationship between van Zieks and Harebrayne, but that's a minor nitpick for me.

The rest of the case is fantastic though. The wax museum and the fair are perhaps the two best locations in either game. Tusspells and Drebber are both great. The Dance of Deduction where they find Drebber is the best one in the two games, too. GAA as a whole kinda peaks here in several ways.

9.7

10

8.5/10

Mostly a very good case, but I was a bit disappointed in the ending with Sithe. I think it'd have been better if she was innocent, or guilty and got away with it this time.

8/10

I wanted to REALLY love it, and I almost considered giving it a 9, but I just feel let down by the fact that this case barely builds up Sithe at all before you take her down. Everything about this case is great of course and I think it's the best case in the duology, but like every other good GAA case it just lets me down juuuuust a little bit. Another casualty of the fact that it wasn't a trilogy, probably. Taking down Sithe would have been so much cooler if she was a character that was established earlier.

8.5

Quite good. This case really lets you know that you're playing an honest to goodness high quality AA game again

8

maybe deserves higher? fizzles just enough at the end

8.5

Possibly the best unimportant side-case in the series, just everything about it works perfectly except the villain not getting enough screentime. Is Tusspells the sexiest girl in the series? I feel like she is.

9.5

Can you really call this case unimportant?

9.7/10

The ending could've been handled ever-so-slightly better, because the villain gets so little screentime to fight back, but like..... what else could you possibly ask for from a Case 3.

Anagram posted...

Is Tusspells the sexiest girl in the series? I feel like she is.

Yes.

9.5

GOODBYE ASSMAN .... ripperoni in piece.

Harebrayne is an endearing defendant. I was almost annoyed at his insistence on throwing himself under the bus for his experiment, but the game manages to use its pacing well. His relationship with Barok is sweet, though I definitely wish I could have seen more of them. I read a comment that called him Barok's Larry and while I don't wholly agree, I think that's a hilarious comparison.

And Barok has been great so far! I really enjoy how despite his disdain for the Japanese, he's been increasingly more and more willing to work with Ryunosuke. It definitely has shades of Edgeworth in AA1, but it doesn't feel derivative.

Drebber is so damn good. His design, his jerky movements, his theme. He's such a cool mfer, but he's also a tragic character. I cannot stress enough that he's a potential top character in the entire franchise.

Sithe is probably the lowest point. She literally survives almost solely on coolness points and taking her down doesn't feel fully satisfying. I love how this game comes swinging with three super closely connected cases right after the other, but it would have been nice if... idk she was a character who sometimes assisted Gregson or Strongheart throughout the games.

Tusspells is cool. I don't like feel strongly about her but I fully support her in everything she does.

I love the climatic moment at the end of this case, but as an artist I couldn't help but lose it at the statue being destroyed. Boy you can't just throw a woman's hard work down the drain like that wtf

8.5

Leonhart4 posted...

Can you really call this case unimportant?

To the overall story/end case, sure. I guess it removes the doctor woman as an ally for what's-his-name, but it's not integral to what's going on, like say the Mia cases in AA3.

Yeah it's not like Kazuma returning is integral to what's going on

I'd consider the Professor stuff pretty integral too tbh

Leonhart4 posted...

Yeah it's not like Kazuma returning is integral to what's going on

I completely forgot that part

lol me

Now this case is the exact opposite of G2-2; it is the one case that has absolutely stuck with me through the years. Absolute peak from start to finish, which is only slightly marred by the amount of raw rage I felt at Kazuma's return. And while perhaps in the trilogy-version of DGS we would've gotten more time between Zieks and Harebrayne, I love how we're given just enough that it shows us more of who Zieks really is, without feeling like he ever becomes the protagonist. I also love their (final, I believe?) conversation in court in 2-3, which I did a translation of back in the day:

"That man mocked you. Named you talentless.
"Yet he knows nothing.
"Nothing of the sacrifices you've made in pursuit of what you believe to be true.
"He has no right to scorn such a thing. No one does."

9

9/10

taking down Sithe as almost an afterthought is weird, but I feel like the case wanted to distinguish between "murderer" and "villain", which... honestly is kind of a recurring theme in the game. though I do still wish she'd gotten a bit more buildup.

easily the best case in this game.

8.5/10.

Not quite as on board as some here but its a great case. I really liked that it actually gave you a decently sized cast of characters aside from just the principle figures for the case and the ending is terrific. The mystery is solid, clearly riffing on stories like The Prestige and that whole genre. One issue I have with it is that the amnesia angle for Kazuma just felt quite unnecessary and trite, though the payoff after he regains his memories is great.

9/10

Life was so much simpler in those halcyon days when gravity could be reversed

Yeah everyone summed it up already, this is a fantastic case and the only major blot against it is taking Sithe down at the end. The game had successfully built up the stakes and kept outdoing itself with reveals, so when we stop the trial from ending (lol) I was expecting a larger twist, like that Sithe had been the one blackmailing Drebber the whole time, but it's simply a weak takedown of her that doesn't meaningfully affect anything. And I don't get why we had to establish a whole new motive for her when the blackmail still would've worked. Post-finale, do we think Stronghart intentionally put Sithe out to dry here? He chose Ryunosuke and Barok to be the lawyers in this case, surely knowing they wouldn't stop until they reached the truth.

But pretty much everything else is done really well. Compacting two games into one may have helped Kazuma, as they don't drag out his reveal longer than a single case. And the introduction to the Professor is wonderfully eerie, easily the best of the series' DL-6 style past cases coming back to haunt the present. I guess my only other minor negative point would be Gregson being merely a regular helpful dude again after the shit he pulled in 1-5, and how Gina worships him with no mention of him having lied to get her convicted of a murder she didn't commit. Oh, and Susato's return, in which she immediately goes back to her usual role and never develops as a character again, with no mention of her having to flee the country because she tampered with a crime scene. That one's definitely a casualty of two games becoming one.

The first dance of deduction here kinda sucks too actually, but the second is easily the best one we ever get imo. Thinking about it this case has a pretty great balance of comedy and seriousness.

skulltrumpets posted...

I love the climatic moment at the end of this case, but as an artist I couldn't help but lose it at the statue being destroyed. Boy you can't just throw a woman's hard work down the drain like that wtf

I mean she was profiting for years off of the image of his dead father's traumatic last moments, which she took without permission or consent by gravedigging and handling his corpse! I don't blame Kazuma.

The best deduction is definitely in the last case! But this could be the best one with Naruhodo.

Anagram posted...

I completely forgot that part

lol me

The case is literally named for that moment!

9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NS1nLErW9A

9

I'm a fan of the music of this whole subseries, but this case in particular adds a bunch of neat themes- Drebber, Professor, Tuspells, Sithe, and I believe this is the first one with Overture to Pursuit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTd0UVvmMI

LightningStrikes posted...

The best deduction is definitely in the last case!

That may be the second best, but it's not got enough meat on the bones to compete with the anti-gravity timebomb shenanigans imo. Also Drebber unfolding out of the safe > Jigoku in a case

The moment when Overture to Pursuit debuts in this case is really awesome, I just wish they had set Sithe up better to make the moment more earned. It's still a great moment though

9/10

It's not perfect but it's so dang enjoyable.