We all can agree that the Phoenix Wright games really
make us think. Capcom's law games create these little worlds of scenarios,
character, evidence, and motivations. At its most intense, I have found myself
so immersed in a Phoenix Wright storyline that I began seeing the real world in
terms of alibis and some way in which a murder could have been hidden.
Officially known as the "Ace Attorney" series,
some games in the franchise even star other characters and take place at
various times in the world's history. Phoenix Wright just happens to be the
most recognizable aspect of the series .
For the uninitiated, Ace Attorney games work your problem-solving
skills more than they do your reflexes. You won't be defeating enemies one
after the other, nor won't you be grinding up stats, picking up loot, earning
weapons, or even much of controlling your characters. The bulk of Ace Attorney
gameplay is in its dialogue. You will spend more time hearing characters talk
and explain things than you will taking any sort of action.
Everything happens in menus, and every option opens up a colorful and endearing new event
On paper, this sounds dreadfully boring. But in
execution, this is perhaps the most enthralling way to play a video game that I
have yet experienced. Like I said above, an Ace Attorney game is more than
interactive media. It is a window into a world of intrigue and murder mystery.
And yes, every court case boils down to murder at some point.
Every chapter follows the same formula: Your main
character meets a person who is charged with murder and takes the case to
defend this person. From there, you hit the streets to scour the crime scene,
find evidence, and talk to people related to the incident. The games are all
very linear, so you'll be following a carefully crafted storyline the whole way
through. When your investigation is over, it's time to head to court where you
will engage in debate with the prosecutor, whose job it is to see your
defendant found guilty.
Already you can see how Ace Attorney can keep a person
hooked. The gameplay and the storyline are chained at the hip. Whereas most of
what happens in a video game is part of the "experience" and you can
go for long stretches without continuing the story, Ace Attorney is in
storyline mode full-tilt. If the game ever stops, it's because it needs you to
nudge it in the right direction. You are never not ingrained in an Ace Attorney
storyline for as long as you are playing it.
By now you're probably wondering what it is the player
actually does which presents any challenge. Well, there come times in the story
where your protagonist will have to put money to mouth and prove their point
with some evidence. But they won't do it by themselves. When you hit that
impasse, it's up to you, the player, to sift through the evidence and find that
piece that will throw doubt on the other person's claims, forcing them to
elaborate or admit to lying. So, if your witness claims to have never been at
the crime scene and yet you found their phone right next to the body, time to
raise an OBJECTION!! Digging up the truth is very rewarding, and watching your
character pursue that line of logic further just makes it all the better.
But allegedly, the victim wrote the defendant's name with his right hand. Curious...
Bringing it all together, what does this game being good
have to do with me being on the treadmill? Nothing, directly. But it does help
me focus on the exercise. And funny enough, it helps me focus by taking my mind
all the exercise almost entirely. And let me say ahead of time that this is a
particular sort of multitasking that not everybody can do, so be careful if you
try it out.
First, by concentrating on the game I am less aware of my
surroundings. Not by a whole lot, just enough to where I am not constantly
checking the clock, calories, or distance. This way, I won't be thinking about
how much further I need to go. Likewise, since I'm not focused on the strain of
the exercise, I won't have any reason to exaggerate how tired I feel just to
give myself a reason to cut it short.
Second, the attention that I am not giving to the
exercise pours straight into the game. With the amount of attention that game
commands, it's not likely to let go of that focus any time soon. The storyline
is constantly in motion, so at any time you can just click on it to see more.
Further, the conversations and characters are entertaining enough where pretty
much any exchange contains at least one smirk or laugh out of the player. There
is a lot going on at any time in the game, so you'll be thinking about the
storyline and what the newest developments mean for the larger mystery afoot.
Even putting the game down to think about something will keep you invested
enough to where you won't get bored while exercising.
The game's music is also exceptional and has everything to do with the Ace Attorney experience. The iconic "Cornered" theme is catchy, especially in a capella.
There are two caveats for this method. First, playing a
game while exercising requires being able to multitask in a very particular
way. While I can stay enthralled in my game, I still need to keep up with the
treadmill, maintain balance on the belt, and keep an eye on the timer so I can
scale up the speed according to my routine. If you cannot multitask like this,
then this whole method could prove dangerous. Practice first on low speeds,
even if you already multitask well.
Second, there do come those times in an Ace Attorney game
where you will get utterly stumped. The solution is out there, but your thought
process won't find it. In those cases, the game's hold can wane. In that case,
you may want to switch up for a game that doesn't require problem-solving to
continue, like Animal Crossing.
These things aside, I have a great time on the treadmill
with 3DS games, Ace Attorney in particular. If the story really picks up, I
might even pull some overtime just to keep in the zone.
All of that said, I'd like to hear from you. What
activities keep you in "the zone" like a good game does? Which
activity would you like to have a zone for? A game-like perspective on that
activity may help in accomplishing this. On the other side, what are good games
you like to play while doing something else? And on the other side of the other
side, what are some things you like to do while playing games? I know I like to
wind down at the end of the day by catching up on my videos while playing some
Borderlands 2 or Cube World. I look forward to seeing what you all have to say!
Until then, game out.
