Aviary Attorney

Overall, a game that I enjoyed, but if I could give it a "mixed" or sideways thumb review I would. I've added my full review below, with either + or - indicating the weight of positive or negative traits. +++ Very amusing, good writing, with a sense of humour. A fun read. So many puns. +++ Great graphics and music, very nice to look at and listen to. + In chapter 1 and 2, choices actually do seem to have consequences. But often the choice has no real logic or way to identify what the "correct" choice is. There's never multiple correct-ish choices, it's always right/wrong. So you're kind of just guessing and then either reloading or you lose resources if you're wrong. Chapter 3 is the only chapter with 3 branching paths, with chapter 4 being an epilogue story chapter. Overall I did feel like I had agency here, even if it was a bit limited. +/- Here's my big beef / drama with this game. Ignore this completely if you don't care about artwork history. I'm going to refer to both musicians and illustrators as "artists" and "artworks" for brevity. The graphics and music are actually just straight rips from public domain old artists. The game itself doesn't really credit the artists at all, except very briefly in the closing credits and the store page. They're briefly mentioned as "inspired by". I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand - it's wonderful work, and suits the theme perfectly, and it is public domain after all. On the other hand - the artworks are not original. Like if you Google "J. J. Grandville" you will literally see the exact character designs online. In fact, here is the main character I found online from a museum [url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/813037]here[/url] - the original caption in French being "This old court apparently has an old falcon..." It makes me wonder how much of this game is actually "made" and how much is just essentially public domain asset rips? What makes me even more suspicious is people already flipping these prints online for over $200 without credit. I feel like I would accept this more if the character profile list functioned as an art gallery. Actually display each character in full with the caption, and credit given to the original artist. Also the fact that they're reselling a 100+ year old music composition as a deluxe edition OST feels... off. It's possible that they got an orchestra or custom performance of the music but I somehow doubt it. You can see the full original collection by the original artist [url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?q=59.500.592&searchField=AccessionNum&offset=0&sortBy=Date&showOnly=withImage]here[/url] in case you would like to see more. - Missing major visual novel industry-standard QOL features. See previous text, fast text display, skip previously seen text, hide UI to appreciate the art, multiple save files, spacebar/enter to proceed, the list goes on. You can basically only click to proceed the text and select options with the mouse. -- The actual game window / client is horrible. It's very glitchy, and feels exactly like playing a browser based flash game from the early 2000's. Like if you resize the window you can see the other menus hiding just off screen, and the character's feet which are not normally displayed from the original artwork cutouts. You have to carefully resize the window so that the UI displays properly, otherwise text will runn off screen by default. It was playable for me, but annoying. -- Only 4 hours actual playtime to complete an "ending" - I didn't have the motivation to hunt down the other endings but I'd imagine you're looking at a total of 7-10 hours playtime. -- It's quite expensive for what it is.

Aviary Attorney is a game very similar to the Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney series: a mix of investigation and trial proceedings. Even the title calls back to it. Some might call it a clone, but I think it's different enough and too high quality for that. Aviary was closer to visual novel than adventure. It used public domain drawings from an 18th century artist called Grandville and classical music from composer Saint-Saens. I think they both fit in very well. The realistic characters with animal heads combined with lack of color gave it an appropriate look for the period in addition to making it unique. The only small problem was that characters were stuck in neutral expressions with only their eyes and mouths moving, which was something very different from the hyper expressions of the Ace Attorney series. The music was also very good and appropriate; my only complaint being that it was sometimes too loud. The game was only in English but taking place in France and the integration of French words was very well done, which is usually not the case when the developer is American or British. I would know since French is my native language. The story was very well written, even including clever puns. The plot twists were surprising and kept me in suspense. The last act felt a bit rushed with very limited item selections. However, going for the three different endings, by replaying act 3, is worth the extra time as the last act becomes totally different.

Ace Attorney but you're a bird is a reasonable starting description of this game, but it is not a fair one. This game is, by and large, more artistically ambitious than anything Ace Attorney has ever done, and I say that as someone who truly loves those games. One of the more obvious ways it does this is in the literal art, drawing, with little exception, its art assets from the works of J.J. Grandville, a French caricaturist who died almost a hundred years before the first electric computer was ever invented. This limits the sprites considerably, but leads to a unique sort of flexibility born of understanding- how much can you do, when your artwork was created by a dead man who never dreamed of the concept of a video game? You make allowances. You coax out a cohesive vision through an artists various works, grab hold of the connective tissue that existed in the context of their original creation and rebirth them anew. The music as well- compositions of works by Camille Saint-Saëns, were ordained before a single keystroke of coding was made for this game, before its developers were ever born. None of that is to discredit the artistry put into taking such things to make them into this, nor the skill displayed in the writing and design of the game itself. The game sets itself in the days before the February Revolution, and does not shy away from the fallibility of the justice system- addressing systemic injustices in ways its inspiration does not by drawing on a real political moment, and placing you, somewhat, on the side of the oppressor. You are not a bad man, or bird, you fight with integrity for fairness and justice. But you fight within the confines of a system that has torn people to shreds, starved them and spit on their corpses. The gears of procedure are non inoculations against petty injustice, they are often perpetrators of it. It is not a world ruled by a strict sense of absurdist rationality, like Ace Attorney, here there is a jury, and their feelings are the final decider on matters, regardless of what facts you ultimately present. The game adapts to this as well, as I understand it, though I did not lose a case. I do wish it was a bit longer, and while there are other endings to explore, I feel I performed the way I hoped to, and am uncertain about returning to see what would happen were I worse at my job. I might rate it a bit pricey at full cost, but it is a good game, and a worthwhile play.

Liberté • Égalité • Fraternité

I liked the game, but I consider it more of a step towards a more refined product in the future. It's neither an Ace Attorney-like game, nor a story-driven game more in general, given that it's quite a short game. I would like to see more like it, though. + the visuals were really interesting + fitting soundtrack + decent story for its length, even has multiple endings; at a certain point it stops following its narrative rails and requires you to figure out the correct sequence of choices. It can be annoying but it saves it from being too linear - too short, would not (and in fact did not) buy it at full price - too little space given to trials: they barely last more than a day, and they are very short regardless. They feel more like a device to advance the plot rather than a core aspect of the game; maybe that's the intention. - buggy, especially if you're playing on linux where you risk softlocking the game. At least in this instance not having steam cloud is a good thing. - conventional VN controls do not work; no skip available, dialogues seems to be advanced only via mouse input. Don't know if that's a bug or a straight up omission, but I found it rather annoying especially in the third act. - doesn't support features such as steam cloud or overlay. It's still an enjoyable game, just not at a 15€ price tag. Pick it on a discount, if nothing else to support an indie studio.

I think it's a very clever and charming usage of public domain art. I feel like the original artist from the 1800s would have enjoyed this application of his art pieces which were somewhat whimsical to begin with. I like the slightly comical but intriguing story and the classical music they use. It all comes together nicely and is pretty cohesive. I found it fun to uncover the truth of each investigation and even though it's likely somewhat railroaded, it still feels like you have to think and make good choices to uncover the *real* truth. Only issue I had is first time I opened the game it didn't open correctly and I had to close/reopen it. But since then it's working fine. I also think the save system could've been a bit more granular, letting me continue from any point in a day instead of having to restart the day. For most of the game it's not a problem, but near the end of the game some of the days are pretty long, and if you feel you've screwed up and want to reload, it takes a couple minutes to get back to where you were in the dialog. It is rather expensive for what you get, so I'd recommend playing it after getting it on sale.

[h1]FR/EN Aviary Attorney[/h1] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3689872857 [h3]---FR---[/h3] Aviary Attorney nous entraîne dans une série d'enquêtes en compagnie de deux avocats à la grande époque parisienne. On se retrouve avec des graphismes réussis avec des dessins tout droit sortis des livres d'histoires. Les animations sont simples mais réussies et le personnages sont des animaux. Le rendu est assez réussi et on se lance avec plaisir dans les enquêtes avec nos deux comparses. Le jeu est plein d'humour et de jeux de mots. Il est à noter qu'il est en anglais seulement. Le principe est assez simple, un crime est commis et on est embauché afin de défendre la personne qui est accusée. On discute avec les différents protagonistes et on visite les lieux afin de trouver des preuves afin de disculper notre client. [h3]---EN---[/h3] Aviary Attorney takes us on a series of investigations alongside two lawyers during the golden age of Paris. The game boasts impressive graphics with illustrations straight out of history books. The animations are simple yet effective, and the characters are animals. The overall presentation is quite successful, and we happily embark on the investigations with our two companions. The game is full of humor and wordplay. It's worth noting that it's only available in English. The premise is quite simple: a crime is committed, and we are hired to defend the accused. We talk to the various protagonists and visit the scene to find evidence to exonerate our client. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3689872892 [h3]---FR---[/h3] Une fois cette première phase réalisée vient le moment du procès en lui même où on va devoir utiliser les éléments récoltés afin de faire germer un doute raisonnable dans l'esprit du jury si l'on souhaite obtenir un verdict favorable à notre client. La musique classique qui accompagne nos enquêtes apporte un côté épique avec de grande envolées musicales. Au final le jeu est bien pensé et nous plonge dans ce Paris fictif en quête de justice en des temps troublés. On déroule petit à petit l'intrigue et nos choix influent sur le dénouement final que l'on obtiendra. Il faudra compter de 8 à 10 heures pour boucler l'aventure et un peu plus si vous souhaitez voir les différentes fins. [h3]---EN---[/h3] Once this initial phase is complete, the trial itself begins, where we must use the evidence gathered to raise reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury if we hope to secure a favorable verdict for our client. The classical music that accompanies our investigations adds an epic feel with soaring musical passages. Ultimately, the game is well-designed and immerses us in this fictional Paris, a city searching for justice in turbulent times. The plot unfolds gradually, and our choices influence the final outcome. It will take 8 to 10 hours to complete the main story, and a little longer if you want to see the different endings. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3689872970

one of the most boring games i've played during my life sorry creator, i see effort here, but i dont remember too much of it after many years the ace attorney gameplay is on point, i like the deal and i dont really have to much problem with what the game has to offer, the initial premise seems interesting and the first trials are impressive, but is like idk man where it become boring? like where? its not like the "early modern era" setting makes the game boring because is centered around an era where formality and good speech manner where a thing so normal slang today isn't seen around everywhere, but is like, man no.... this game is just boring, and i just get to the end but never cared for the other endings because is...tedious is like, yeah it has that stylized writing, but it doesn't grow on me, i dont feel totally invested on the characters, not even after one of they just gone apewire and needs help **** well i dont really have to much to say, is not like i dont like to read or sh** danganronpa, ace attorney dammit, saya no uta, hatoful boyfriend and subahibi are better games than this which is sad saying this game is bad because it has good atmosphere and the art is something i dont think im going to replicate in a long time as a artist! overall, meh

The game is literally unplayable I can't even get past the opening It just freezes forever!!!

Since the artwork and music is all(?) public domain stuff I can't really praise it, it does look and sound nice but the sprites are obviously quite limited. It was a little overwhelming but I liked that you had a bit more freedom in the order of how you do things, it is kinda easy to screw yourself over but the game does let you go back and try again from any day. The three endings are pretty different from eachother and I thought they were all not perfect but quite good and I was happy to have gone for them all. The mysteries aren't really anything special but the game has enough interesting characters and funny writing that I didn't mind much. Overall, pretty good.