Ace Attorney is a legendary series of video games developed by Capcom, of Resident Evil and Monster Hunter fame. The games put you in the shoes of an attorney who must uncover the truth and protect their clients in high-stakes courtroom battles. You interview a host of bizarre and colorful characters to get to the bottom of each case, debating with rival attorneys in dramatic displays of courtroom sleuthing. The series is beloved for its over-the-top characters and clever mysteries. In the course of its run, however, the series has also branched out in some interesting ways. Most notable is The Great Ace Attorney games, taking place in the distant past, starring an ancestor of series protagonist Phoenix Wright. The second game in this subseries, The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, launched in Japan in 2017, and reached America in 2021 as part of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve Premise
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve Characters
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve picks up where its predecessor leaves off with subseries protagonist Ryunosuke Naruhodo, also known as Runo. The game takes place in the Victorian era of England, known as the Meiji Period in Japan. It starts four months after the events of the previous game and sees Runo and his friend Susato Mikotoba drawn into a conspiracy related to a previous case they worked together. In true Ace Attorney fashion, the game is played as a visual novel. Your time will be split between investigating crime scenes for clues and doing battle in court. During trials, you’ll need to cross-examine witnesses, comparing their stories with the evidence. If you can catch them in lies and contradictions, you can expose the truth.
As a visual novel, The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve is very heavy on characters. Each case features several witnesses and suspects who you’ll have to get to know to ascertain what really happened. Here are just a few of the major characters you’ll meet during your investigations.
- Ryonosuke Naruhodo: Runo serves as the main protagonist of The Great Ace Attorney games. As an ancestor of Phoenix Wright, Runo shares his descendant’s dedication to truth and justice. He serves as a passionate and driven attorney.
- Susato Mikotoba: Susato is a judicial assistant who aids Runo on his investigations. She is a great lover of mystery novels, which helps her investigate cases with Runo.
- Herlock Sholmes: The eccentric Herlock Sholmes is a brilliant private detective who aids Runo on his investigations. As the name suggests, Herlock is a tribute to the legendary Sherlock Holmes, as well as Maurice Leblanc’s Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes. This was an anthology of stories pitting Leblanc’s master thief against the world-famous detective. In The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, however, Sholmes is a bit too quick to jump to conclusions. Runo and Susato usually have to correct his deductions in order to arrive at the real truth.
- Iris Wilson: Much like Sherlock Holmes’ beloved companion Dr. Watson, Iris Wilson is Herlock Sholmes’ assistant. She is a child genius who aids Sholmes in his investigations.
- Barok van Zieks: The infamous Barok van Zieks is a prosecuting attorney who is well known for his harsh record. He has earned the nickname “the Reaper” due to the fact that many of the suspects he prosecutes are either found guilty or perish under mysterious circumstances after the trial. He serves as a prominent rival for Runo during the course of the game.
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve Games in the Series
Ever since the first release in 2001, the Ace Attorney franchise has had a long and illustrious history. Phoenix Wright and his fellow attorneys, Runo included, have seen more than their fair share of strange and outrageous cases over the years. If you’re a big fan of the games or if you want to jump on, here’s a full list of every Ace Attorney game released to date. In addition to the titles listed below, a remastered trilogy called Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is set to release in 2024. This will combine Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and its sequels, Dual Destinies and Spear of Truth.
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All (2002)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (2004)
- Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (2007)
- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (2009)
- Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (2011)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (2012)
- Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2012)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies (2013)
- The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures (2015)
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice (2016)
- The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve (2017)
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (2021)
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, there are no official cheat codes for The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. Since most of the gameplay is dialogue and crime scene investigation, there’s very little for a cheat code to modify. There isn’t any combat that you would require increased damage or HP for. If you’re stuck on a particularly difficult trial, you can always just look up a walkthrough to figure out the correct solution. Visual novels like the Ace Attorney games are great, but they’re very light on gameplay.
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve FAQ
Will there be a third Great Ace Attorney game? While the upcoming release of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is big news for fans of the franchise, some might want to return to the past and team up with Ryunosuke and Herlock Sholmes once again. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem likely. Capcom has announced no plans for a new addition to the Great Ace Attorney subseries. Still, the launch of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles in 2021 lets fans worldwide enjoy the two Great Ace Attorney games that have already been released, which is better than nothing.
How long is The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve? The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve tells a complex and lengthy story, and it has the runtime to match. Players can expect to spend around 35-40 hours untangling the many mysteries in the game. While this might not be on par with a massive open world game like Elden Ring or Tears of the Kingdom, it’s a considerably large size for a visual novel, packing in a lot of story content for fans to enjoy.