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TheAce Attorneygames take you across the globe to real and fictional locations to crackthe world’s most baffling mysteries. While some of the places you explore have extensive lore and history, surprisingly, the series' main setting is a bit of an enigma.
It’s natural to be puzzled by the setting of the Ace Attorney games, given that the environment looks like Japan, yet many characters reference living in the United States. And that’s just one of the many locations in Ace Attorney’s expansive world. Phoenix Wright’s cases take him to other countries, mysterious remote villages, and even through time.
The following information is spoiler-free!
Where Are The Ace Attorney Games Set?
The short answer is that the Phoenix Wright trilogy, Investigations games, and most of the Apollo Justice trilogytake place in Los Angeles.However, it’s a little more complicated than that.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney and its two sequels initially launched on the Game Boy Advance as Japan exclusives. Because of this,all three games were originally set in Japan.
This changed when the trilogy was localized in North America, and the setting was altered to LA. However, the environments were not updated to reflect this shift, resulting ina fictionalized version of Los Angeleswhere the culture and architecture resemble Japan.
This has led fans to affectionately refer to the location as “Japanifornia.”
The Los Angeles setting is only implied in most Ace Attorney games, like in The First Turnabout when Phoenix says they’re nine hours behind Paris, putting them in Pacific Time. It wasn’t until Spirit of Justice, the sixth mainline entry, that the setting was finally confirmed in-game.
While most games are set in this alternate-universe LA, Phoenix and his teamtravel to many fictional cities and landmarkswhile investigating crimes.
Kurain Village
Located two hours from Los Angeles, Kurain Village isa small mountain town home to the Fey Clanand Kurain Channeling Technique. Most residents are spirit mediums who spend their time honing their powers at Fey Manor. Because of its seclusion, you won’t find much technology there.
Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice visit the village to investigate the murder of Dr. Turner Grey and the mysterious death of Archie Buff, respectively.
Gourd Lake
Famous for being home to the mystical monster Gourdy, Gourd Lake isa heavily wooded public park with a dark history.Not only was Robert Hammond murdered there on Christmas Eve, but it is also where Miles Edgeworth investigated the assassination attempt of Zheng-Fa president Di-Jun Huang.
Coincidentally, the fact that the lake is shaped like a gourd has nothing to do with its name. Instead, the name comes from the gourds that used to grow there.
Hazakura Temple
Spirit mediums from across the world travel to Hazakura Temple for an intense training regimen to heighten their ability to speak with the dead. This channeling dojo can be found at the top of Eagle Mountain and is run by only two nuns. Given that it is located hours away from civilization, it proved to be an ideal spot for murder.
Hazakura Temple and its neighboring Dusky Bridge sawtwo murders and a kidnapping, providing Phoenix and Mia Fey with the most puzzling mystery in the series.
Nine-Tails Vale
The lively Nine-Tails Vale isentirely Yokai-themed.Legend has it that this quaint little village was once the battleground of the benevolent Nine-Tailed Fox and the half-bird-half-demon Tenma Taro. Rumor has it that the monster is still alive, sealed behind the doors of the town’s Forbidden Chamber.
Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes meetmany colorful, yet often forgotten, charactersthere when investigating the murder of the town’s alderman, Rex Kyubi.
Where Is Spirit Of Justice Set?
In Spirit of Justice, Phoenix and Apollo travel to the Kingdom of Khura’in, a fictional countryruled by a royal family of spirit mediums.While it may seem like a peaceful place on the surface, the nation became famous for itscruel and unorthodox legal system.
Khura’inese murder trials revolve heavily arounda ritual called the Divination Séance, where the victim’s spirit is channeled to revealtheir final moments before death. Many prosecutors rely solely on this to build a case against defendants.
What caused public outrage, however, was the implementation of the Defense Culpability Act. This law states that if someone is found guilty,their lawyer is deemed guilty by associationand given the same sentence. Because of this, many Khura’inese defense attorneys were executed, and most defendants appear in court unrepresented.
Thissparked a revolutionled by the rebellion group, the Defiant Dragons. With the country in turmoil, Phoenix and Apollo put their lives on the line to defend the innocent in court and restore a fair and just legal system to the kingdom.
Where Is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Set?
Set in the late 19th century, The Great Ace Attorney and its sequelstart in Meiji-era Japanbefore Ryunosuke Naruhodo and Susato Mikotobaventure to Victorian London, where most of their adventure takes place.
While the courtroom segments in Japan play like the rest of the series,the London court implements a jury systemwhere Ryunoske must appeal to six randomly selected citizens to believe in his client’s innocence unanimously.
Since both games areloosely based on the Sherlock Holmes novels, some locations you visit either originate from or pay homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work.
These include 221B Baker Street, famous for being Holmes’s residence, and Wilson’s pawn shop, which is called Windibank’s Pawnbrokery in the game.
Many characters from The Great Ace Attorney Chroniclesalso originate from the Sherlock Holmes books, though most of them have been changed significantly.
Where Is Professor Layton Vs Phoenix Wright Set?
Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton start their adventure in modern-day London before being abducted and taken tothe strange, medieval land of Labyrinthia.
Stepping into this kingdom is like being transported back in time. Knights patrol the streets, magic is commonly believed to exist, there is no semblance of modern technology, andwitch trials are frequently held.
The most mysterious part of Labyrinthia is its ruler,a masked man known only as the Storyteller. It is said that whatever he writes comes true, meaning he decides the fate of the entire kingdom and its residents.
Phoenix and Layton must quickly get accustomed to the laws of the land to defend the innocent against allegations of witchcraft and eventually find a way home.
