Personally I'd like Phoenix back to being the main character in GS5.
What does everyone else think?

Phoenix should stay as a trilogy.

My vote goes for Apollo. ;)

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Oh, dear, this again...
Apollo

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I'd quite like Apollo, to be honest.

Although, it would be good if there was another flashback case, like in AJ.

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Phoenix.

I really hope that he re-takes the bar exam. ^_^;;

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Apollo. LET IT GO PEOPLE!

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Phoenix.

Oh, the deja-vu of this topic.

While I do love Phoenix and would trample babies underfoot to go buy GS5 if it starred him, I wouldn't mind Apollo being the main character IF, and only IF, they actully do some work on his character's background, motitvation and give some kind of depth. If he comes out of GS5 the same way as he did in GS4, then bring Phoenix back by all means. I'd rather play as a main character I can actully care about then a character who's completely hollow and generic.

If anything though, how about a compromise? Do a game where after the first four cases that center around some story with Apollo, we get a spinoff case that vaguely relates to the plot where you play as Phoenix, complete with assisstant Maya and the psyche lock system.

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Apollo.

If only because I think he has some serious potential for an awesome backstory.

And I really, really, really love Apollo. <3

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"Hollow and generic"? Phoenix's personality is hollow and generic. Risk X or Y, determination, save damsel in distress, seemingly passive. Unlike Apollo, who actually has more personality, if not just as much as Phoenix in AA. Okay, I admit that Phoenix had more backstory in AA, and while we know little about Polly's past, we know about his Gramarye connection.



No. That's what I want to avoid. Phoenix stealing Apollo's show again.

In short: it's Apollo's era. IMO, Apollo is just as good as Phoenix, if not better. As Wocky said, let it go.

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I guess we can just say it comes down to personal tastes.

To me, almost everything you mentioned to describe Phoenix could be said for Apollo moreso. He blindly obeys and gets manipulated by people without any proper insight as to why. How am I supposed to care for a main character I know nothing about? He does have some amusing personality quirks yes, but to be frank I think they got old and annoying really fast. (Look out cords of steel, here comes Justice!) Some people will say he's more professional then Phoenix, but I'm having a hard time grasping why professionalism = a better character.

As for Phoenix, I love how he's not totally professional. He has more of an idealistic feel to his character, he has deep reasons for the things he does, and is pretty apathetic towards most things except for his friends, which he is fiercely passionate about. He was practicing as a defense attorney because he wants to help people with no one to turn to, and his behaviour and motivation is explained by his backstory, making us engaged throughout the game by his mission. I also love his inner sarcastic nature.



Like I said, one bonus case. It dosen't even have to be a full investigation/trial/investigation/trial. It could be a short trial as long as a tutorial.



Maybe it's just personal preference then. After growing very attached to Phoenix's character after three games, it's hard for me to shun and wish death on him and immedately fall in love with a kid I know nothing about.

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Here we go again..

While I agree that a GS5 in the style of 1-3 starring Phoenix would be superfluous, if it gives Phoenix anything like the redemption he deserves I'm all for it. Fact is, I don't really care about Apollo. I wanted to like his character, sure, but he was too generic and what little character he did have was irritating (like always doing what he's told by weird mentors and hobos.) It took me all of 2 minutes to be captured by Phoenix's personality and idealistic streak in 1-1, and they didn't give Apollo anything interesting to replace it. Phoenix's personal mission in 1-4 was enough to endear him to me for life, and the subsequent games just enhanced this fact. (And of course, 2 minutes into the 4th game, my attention was merely captured by Phoenix in his hobo incarnation.)


There's no stereotypical 'damsel in distress' plot here, the series turned that one on its head. Phoenix was not hollow or generic, believe me, I would not have found his character so interesting if it was. He's a character which comes alive in his interactions with others (most notably Edgeworth and Maya) but they bring out the best in him and engage his motivations. He's not your typical boring hero type. I'd say more, but I have no need as DarkWobbuffet said it for me. QUOTED FOR TRUTH:

Oh yes. I loved the sarcasm.

The writers achieved something amazing with the original trilogy (most notably cases like 1-4 and 3-5), ie actually making people give a damn about the characters. I genuinely felt emotion for Phoenix, Edgeworth, Maya and even Mia and Franziska. The writers have made me care about them, even though they're not real, and this happened by the end of the 1st game. Apollo? Sorry. He was too much a boring avatar. Trucy was marginally better, [why couldn't she have just been the main playable char?] but I know the main reason I give a damn about her is because she's Phoenix's daughter - and that's exactly why they did it, isn't it. So, instead of leaving Phoenix with the resolution of his trilogy they give him the unresolution of game 4 - who do you think deserves a game to (re) resolve his character? The generic avatar who didn't engage my emotions, or the one who has to suffer some kind of unproperly resolved injustice for the sole purpose of dragging him into the arc but 'not allowed to be a a lawyer because Apollo is now or something'.

Of course, this kind of resolution doesn't need a whole game, we're just that desperate that Phoenix gets a better deal. Hey, I wouldn't even call for it in the main series if we could guarantee spinoffs - GK2 with a case thing with Phoenix and Maya anyone? They can hijack that investigation stuff to detail any plot, I'm sure. Gyakuten Kenji is just a big load of fanservice, so a Phoenix-fanservice containing game would be perfect. Of course, GK1 isn't even released, so there may not be more, so unfortunately this option isn't really an.. option. So, fanservice case on GS5.



If it was Apollo's 'era' Phoenix would not have returned, and game 4 would not have revolved around him. [Which was of questionable value, the way the writers did it, but it's too late now.] And I can only assume you know that Phoenix is so much more compelling than Apollo that you somehow fear just one case tacked on the end after 4 would take the spotlight totally off Apollo forever or something. Which seems a bit of an unreasonable fear (though I know I'd rush through the game to get to the 5th case).

So, what can I say? It was a short-term marketing ploy to do what they did with Phoenix in game 4, (actually sacrificing him for.. who knows what) with long term unfortunate divisive consequences with their fanbase which was probably not a very intelligent idea. I'd say just get them out of each others' series and let Phoenix have his fanservice 'GK2' to go with the fanservice GK1. If only we could get the writers to commit to this option.

Okay seriously there are already two open topics about this. Go talk about it in those!

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