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The approximate story order is The Great Ace Attorney duology, the original Phoenix Wright trilogy, the two Ace Attorney Investigations games, then the Apollo Justice trilogy. That is different from the most newcomer-friendly order: for a first playthrough, start with the original Phoenix Wright trilogy and continue through the Apollo Justice trilogy before the historical prequels and Investigations games.
Approximate story chronology
The sequence below is a game-level chronology, not a case-by-case timeline. Flashbacks and past cases complicate exact placement, and the games do not explicitly provide year numbers. The years are Prima Games’ approximate placements, not official dates published by Capcom. Prima Games’ order and timeline provides the chronology.
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| Order | Game | Approximate placement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures | Early 1900s |
| 2 | The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve | Early 1900s |
| 3 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | 2016–2017 |
| 4 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All | 2017–2018 |
| 5 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations | 2018–2019 |
| 6 | Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth | 2019 |
| 7 | Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit | 2019 |
| 8 | Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney | 2026 |
| 9 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies | 2027 |
| 10 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice | 2028 |
Capcom describes Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney as taking place roughly seven years after Trials and Tribulations, supporting the broad gap between the original trilogy and Apollo’s story. Capcom also discusses Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice in sequence in its Apollo Justice trilogy announcement.
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Best order for a first playthrough
Chronology is not the only consideration. The following order follows the mainline games first, then moves to the historical prequel and Edgeworth-led side series. It is editorial guidance rather than an official required order.
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- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
- Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice
- The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures
- The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve
- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
- Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit
Prima Games recommends saving The Great Ace Attorney games for later despite their earlier setting, and notes that they reflect more recent mystery and storytelling design. The Investigations games shift away from courtroom battles toward investigation-focused play, so they can also be saved until after the mainline games. Whichever route you choose, keep each trilogy or duology in its listed order.
How the collections map to the order
| Collection | Games included | Place in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Justice for All, and Trials and Tribulations | Start here for the recommended first-play order. Capcom Support lists the three included games. |
| Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy | Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice, plus two formerly DLC-only special episodes; 16 episodes total | Play after the original trilogy. The PlayStation listing identifies PS4 and a January 25, 2024 release date; store price and availability may change. |
| The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | The two Great Ace Attorney games | Chronologically first, but optional to defer until after the mainline trilogies. |
| Ace Attorney Investigations Collection | The two Miles Edgeworth Investigations games | After Trials and Tribulations in story chronology; a natural later stop for first-time players. |
Collection contents for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection are identified in Prima Games’ series guide. Check your regional store listing for current platforms and editions.
Rank #2
- Courtroom Cases Now Made for Consoles – Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will be available on numerous platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Steam for the first time ever.
- Newly Added Features for a More In-Depth Gameplay Experience – The collection will have a new and intuitive design that allows players to experience the game’s story mode in an exciting and more in-depth way.
- A Collection of Special Items for Dedicated Defense Attorneys – The collection includes special items that will have attorneys excited to fight for justice!
Where the Layton crossover fits
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an optional crossover, not part of the main-series canon as described by Prima Games. If you want to play it, Prima suggests placing it after Trials and Tribulations and before Apollo Justice. Its English 3DS physical release may be difficult to find; availability varies, so check current regional listings.
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Rank #4
- Two games in One - For the first time, players in north America and Europe will experience 10 episodes from the great Ace attorney: adventures and the great Ace attorney 2: resolve, previously only available in Japan.
- An all-new cast - the collection follows ryunosuke naruhodo, an ancestor of Phoenix wright, alongside a colorful new cast of characters including the quirky Ace detective, her Lock Sholmes.
- New gameplay mechanics - the great Ace attorney Chronicles debuts two new gameplay experiences to Raise the stakes in and out of the courtroom.
- Bonus content included - in addition to the two games, The collection also includes exciting bonus content that was previously released as DLC content or through special events in Japan.
- Art gallery and auditorium - experience the beautiful artwork, music and voice recordings of the great Ace attorney, presented in full-fledged galleries for players to enjoy.
Rank #3
- Experience Ace Attorney Like Never Before – Unlike the mainline Ace Attorney games, these titles focus more on point- and-click puzzle and adventure gameplay, offering a fresh perspective within the Ace Attorney universe. Players will explore crime scenes, interact with diverse environments, and solve puzzles to uncover the truth, providing a more hands-on investigative experience.
- Crime Scenes and Witness Confrontations Optimized for Newer Consoles – Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will be available on modern platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation4, Xbox One, Windows, and Steam for the first time ever. The highly anticipated release also features improved resolution with more fluid character animations, as well as richer expressions for both classic and new sprites – all created by the Investigations series’ original character designer. Players will have the ability to change between classic sprites and the new character sprites.
- Newly Added Features for a More In-Depth Gameplay Experience – The collection allows new and veteran players to experience both titles in an exciting and more in-depth way. With the History functionality, players can review any dialogue they may have missed and can freely choose which game, chapter, or section they want to start from or revisit. With the Story Mode feature, players can immerse themselves in the twisting tales of each case with a story and puzzles that progress automatically. Mind Chess is another new feature players can explore from Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, where they engage in mental battles to pull important information from witnesses.
- A Collection of Special Items for Passionate Prosecutors – Players can delve deeper into the world of Ace Attorney Investigations with the Gallery, which features a catalog of illustrations, sketches, character animations, promotional art, and accolades, as well as all 106 in-game background music tracks, 23 orchestral tracks, one completely new song, and five arranged tracks from the original Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
- PRE-ORDER INCENTIVE: Five arranged in-game tracks for Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit
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