The defence roosts.

January 29, 2020 12:24 PM

Aviary Attorney [Game Trailer] “Aviary Attorney, a gorgeous adventure game set in 19th Century Paris featuring the illustrations of renowned cartoonist J. J. Grandville. Cast in the mold of Shu Takumi's Phoenix Wright series, it follows JayJay Falcon, defence attorney (and bird of prey) and his dim-witted assistant Sparrowson as they try to make a name for themselves in the justice system of King Louis Philippe's France. Unfortunately, neither bird is particularly gifted in the field of law; they're renowned for being bungling idiots, in fact. It falls to you to guide JayJay and Sparrowson as they probe each case before defending their client in court. You build said case by combing through crime scenes and interrogating the people (animals) involved, gathering pieces of evidence to call on while cross-examining the prosecution's witnesses.” [via: Eurogamer]

• It's Basically Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, But With Birds [Kotaku]

“For those of you who'd rather not watch a video, here's a quick synopsis: A frog has been murdered, a cat has been arrested, and the cat's father hires Jayjay and Sparrowson to exonerate his daughter. Bird puns ensue. Great bird puns. Then come horse puns. Jayjay uses his deductive reasoning. Sparrowson uses his tenuous grasp of how the law works. Or maybe he's onto something. In the video I play a portion of the first of four cases included in the game's initial release. There is much clicking, poor French pronunciation, and a brief cameo by a small child who had no idea what was going on but is a big fan of words. You really should watch. Or just go buy Aviary Attorney and play.”

• The feathered arm of the law [Nintendo Life]

“We all know how an Ace Attorney-like will play, but Aviary Attorney: Definitive Edition's charm comes from its setting and style. The distinctive art all comes from legitimate 19th-century illustrations of French caricaturist J. J. Grandville. He created every anthropomorphised aristocrat, every preening prosecutor, and even the penguin-King of France himself. Nearly 200 years after Les Métamorphoses du jour was published, developers Jeremy Noghani and Mandy Lennon set about animating them and creating a legal game for those characters to explore. The score similarly combines works from the period, and the more classically-minded among you may recognise the romantic notes of Berlioz, Chopin, or Camille Saint-Saëns lilting through the sepia screen. While it takes a back seat in your journey, it helps build the world of Paris in 1848; a fitting accompaniment to the troubles of the well-to-do establishment you’re investigating. However, standing out from all the 19th-century charm is a modern wit that it is really, really, funny.”

• Hatoful Boyfriend meets Ace Attorney [PC Gamer]

“It’s an eccentric idea, but it works. You have limited time to explore Paris for clues before your case goes to court. You visit different locations in Paris, talk to witnesses and gather facts about your case. This investigative element makes Aviary Attorney feel as much like a detective game as a legal one (Clucklumbo? Hercule Parrot? Dale Coop? Let’s move on). You’re rarely given the full story, and it’s fun to discover what actually happened by reverse engineering your defence with whatever scraps of evidence you can find. There are red herrings—and I mean literal herrings, which are red—but I loved exploring such a rich, unusual world. Best of all, it’s possible to fail horribly. It might sound a strange thing to celebrate—like laughing at a fallen elderly relative—but it adds murky peril to every trial. Waste too much time on irrelevant questions and the case can be thrown out.”

posted by Fizz (27 comments total)

I too am an expert in bird law.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:28 PM on January 29, 2020 [18 favorites]

That's delightful!
posted by sjswitzer at 12:28 PM on January 29, 2020

Bird Law in this country just isn't ruled by reason.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:37 PM on January 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

I've had this on my wishlist for over a year now. I keep putting off just getting it, and I really shouldn't.

For a while it seemed really hard to find solid info about this game, thanks for this grouping of really solid reviews.

Knowing they really tried to nail the historical setting really just makes me want to play it more now, this wasn't just a small joke, this sounds like a really thoughtful big joke, rather.

Also, yes, obligatory "Bird Law" reference.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:38 PM on January 29, 2020 [3 favorites]

I am fully on board for a game featuring Severin Cocorico, No-nonsense Bird of Justice.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:39 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I've had this on my wishlist for over a year now. I keep putting off just getting it, and I really shouldn't.

For those unaware, the game has been around for some while, since 2015, but it's recently been ported to the Nintendo Switch.
posted by Fizz at 12:42 PM on January 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

I'm not a gamer, but having seen the trailer, I really want this to be a Major Motion Picture™.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:44 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I've had this on pc for a while and it's really a HOOT!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 12:55 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I quite enjoyed this game, and I think it's especially valuable for showing how a game can be built with public domain resources and still look professional. I only wish it were a little longer.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 1:10 PM on January 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

All I could think of: Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
posted by mystyk at 1:17 PM on January 29, 2020 [11 favorites]

I know this might sound like a silly gimmick that won't hold up, but it's actually a really fun game.
posted by waffleriot at 1:35 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

All I could think of: Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

Which some of you may recall was ALSO adapted into a Phoenix Wright-inspired video game for the Wii and Playstation 2.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:37 PM on January 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Harvey Birdman? Phoenix Wright? Now this? What is it about the field of law that attracts birds?
posted by brundlefly at 1:57 PM on January 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Rorgueil is clearly some kind of rakshasa.
posted by exogenous at 2:00 PM on January 29, 2020

Here's a video from Many A True Nerd showcasing gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpclaKE7IPI
posted by caphector at 3:41 PM on January 29, 2020

why do the birds have human hands.

dear god why
posted by mbrubeck at 5:39 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

so they can do up the buttons on their waistcoats?
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:56 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

Fizz, I swear half the things on my DekuDeals wishlist are the result of your posts!

I really adored Phoenix Wright, waiting for this to go on sale so I can get in on the fun. Bonus: Paris!
posted by invokeuse at 6:10 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

My parents are an avid birder and a law professor, I love furry art and media, I loved the Ace Attorney series and the Professor Layton series, I love woodcuts and premodern illustrations... this could not possibly be more closely tailored to my entertainment brain
posted by panhopticon at 6:34 PM on January 29, 2020

Wish I'd heard of this I would have waited instead of buying that crappy meme goose game.
posted by lkc at 6:37 PM on January 29, 2020

Hi, I'm so sad, I read the first few sentences and immediately assumed that this was going to be a post about them announcing a sequel. :(
posted by brook horse at 6:49 PM on January 29, 2020

LAME! It takes place in a made-up world where everyone is an animal that wears clothes? Hard pass.

The description got me all excited and hopeful that someone had finally made a game about an attorney who is fighting the good fight, advocating for Bird Rights in the real world.
posted by Anoplura at 7:46 PM on January 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I have this in my Steam library! I've only played about 15 percent of it as this kind of game isn't really my jam, but it wasn't bad. And the aesthetic is very cool.
posted by taterpie at 7:51 PM on January 29, 2020

LAME! It takes place in a made-up world where everyone is an animal that wears clothes? Hard pass.

If you're a furry, it's more like an Augmented Reality filter you willfully apply to the real world.
posted by hippybear at 9:13 PM on January 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

so, do you look at people and see their inner animal? because that sounds really fun
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:56 PM on January 29, 2020

I have my personal overlay, it isn't inclusive of all humans, but there are plenty that I've cast as unknowing furries and "know" their fursona. Of course, I don't, but it's a fun way to live life. Entirely in my imagination, entirely bringing sparkle to my daily life.
posted by hippybear at 10:59 PM on January 29, 2020 [3 favorites]

Love the art in this game!
posted by dreamling at 9:25 AM on January 31, 2020