Warning! This post contains major spoilers for Of The Devil cases 0, 1 and 2. As OTD is a detective/mystery game, it is best experienced blind. If you have any interest in playing the best Ace Attorney successor out there before getting spoiled, please try it out. The first case is free!
There's a strange phenomenon that haunts Ace Attorney, and all who seek to follow in its footsteps. The dreaded "third case curse"! Though some later entries in the series manage to escape it (TGAA2-3, etc.), the trend of the third case being atrocious has stayed surprisingly consistent. Even most of the "spiritual sequel" indie hits seem to struggle with it. Why does this keep happening?
Why third cases are like that
I think it all stems from the way these games are structured. Every other case serves a clear purpose within the larger narrative and has clearly defined space to flesh out the cast. Going in order:
- Case 1: Establishes main character and their dynamic with the judge and at least one other main cast member, acts as a refresher for old game mechanics and explains new twists on the formula.
- Case 2: Establishes main prosecutor and their dynamic with the protagonist. Usually also acts as an introduction to the main assistant character and the detectives. Often has more personal stakes and a Columbo esque obvious villain who you struggle to find proof against.
- Case 4: Somewhat short intro to the finale case. Some games merge this into the fifth case. Sets up some of the major players and setting of the finale and usually introduces that games "incident" (gotta have one). There's usually a sort of "mini-boss" antagonist who acts as a red herring for the true threat.
- Case 5: The finale. Completes the prosecutor's arc and the protagonists arc if they have one. All the case 4 setup is finally fully paid off. These are usually pretty long, and the prosecutor or defense attorney will most likely be replaced with someone else for at least some of the trial.
This all leaves the third case as the odd one out. It's a "just-do-whatever" free space for the writers to throw in whatever they want. Since this also makes the third case the least important one to get right, it often feels as though this spot is used for whatever ideas the writers fleshed out the least.
Each of the bad third cases tend to lack a strong motivation for the player to care and don't tend to develop the characters much. The other cases feel personal. The third case just kind of happens. So, how does the best AA-inspired indie darling handle this terrifying curse?
Of The Devil: Episode 2
She's so normal.
I loooooove this opening. Any fears I had about the quality of this case gets thrown out of the window when Morgan begins the cold open by murdering four people. Can't really get more personal for the protagonist than "she literally committed the crime". We finally get to experience Morgan's murder sprees on-screen instead of them just being implied! Opening a case like this isn't how you make a good Ace Attorney. It's how you make the best Ace Attorney.
And it just keeps going! Where as episode 1 floated to the top of the city's upper crust and business elite, episode 2 (which is the third case in order, this game starts from 0) dives down to give the lower wards so much character and interesting weirdoes on all sides of criminal conflict.
It helps that Of The Devil as a whole is excellent at not only creating an interesting setting but also on making that setting and background lore consistently relevant to solving the mystery. The whole concept of Atlus pillars not only sets up an excellent twist, but the idea of the whole canopy just collapsing on the lower parts of the city due to lack of maintenance is delightfully awful to think about!
This episode doesn't skimp out on character development either. We get some fun to interpret flashbacks to Morgan's past, the reveal that her parents are alive and on speaking terms with her, and her consistently not understanding the devotion of people like Sosuke. Serra gets a fun bar subplot with a great new supporting character and some very potent conversations with Morgan, and Emma's conversation after the shooting was fascinating! Don't even get me started on all the new London stuff. And somehow, all the new characters are good too!? And the actual murder case and the eventual culprit of the one murder Morgan didn't commit are also excellent!?
This case felt like a finale to a lesser game. The way it twists usual genre tropes by giving you a VERY intimate understanding of most of the murder but you also have to be very careful not to incriminate yourself is genius. Covering up a crime scene being mechanically the same as investigating one was brilliant. Episode 2 is personal, compelling and fleshes out the characters I already loved even more. The third case curse is officially dead and buried. What the hell are the rest of these Episodes going to be like!? I can't wait.