Ace Attorney 5 Confirmed for Western Release, First Screenshots Entered into Evidence

Your Honor, if it pleases the court, I would like to update the court record to reflect these new Ace Attorney 5 screenshots.

Shortly after Capcom’s announcement that the newest numbered installment of Ace Attorney, featuring the return of Phoenix Wright in the lead role, will indeed be coming to the West, the formerly exclusive screenshots shown off in Famitsu, as well as many more, have appeared online.

The screens demonstrate AA5’s new 3D, cell-shaded character models, as well as the ambiguously defined “facial expression” mechanic and a new female sidekick, who seems to be wearing Sailor Moon’s earrings. We’re just saying.

From the full batch of screens we can also deduce some of the early plot points previously detailed by Andriasang: a bomb is set off at the courthouse, and a schoolgirl named Shinobu is fingered as the prime suspect. It’s unknown at this point whether Maya Fey or other series regulars such as Miles Edgeworth or Dick Gumshoe will be reappearing in this installment.

The game is set to be a 3DS exclusive and while no release has yet been announced, reasonable speculation points toward a 2013 drop date. Until then, you can look forward to a playable demo at September’s Tokyo Game Show.

You can check out more screenshots over at the game’s official website.

Via VG24/7.