The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series is highly favored among players, with its unique gameplay inspiring several other developers. Earlier this year, a game called Acquittal Court was released, and although it was temporarily taken down in July due to a DMCA claim, it has successfully returned to the platform and is now garnering a wealth of positive reviews.
Acquittal Court is developed by Cat Dragon Game in China, and this courtroom mystery adventure game lets players step into the shoes of rookie female lawyer Lei Dongxue. It tells the story of her struggles alongside seasoned lawyer Long Qiufeng as they navigate numerous cases across different locations. Through a twist of fate, players will uncover a shocking conspiracy. According to official sources, the game features over a million words of scripts and murder case content, offering significant depth.
The core gameplay is quite similar to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Players must listen to witness testimonies in the Chinese Style courtroom, uncovering contradictions and lies while gathering crucial clues across various scenes. This title is a remastered version of the mobile game This guy is innocent., originally launched by Cat Dragon Game in 2015, featuring improved UI and graphics. Initially a product of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney fan community, it evolved into an independent title, which has also put it at risk of potential copyright disputes—possibly leading to its takedown via DMCA.
After being taken down in July, Acquittal Court made its comeback to the platform two months later. However, the officials indicated that the game content remains consistent with the version before it was suspended. DMCA claims are typically filed by copyright holders, and once the platform receives a request, they must respond swiftly. A common practice is to temporarily set the page to private. As long as a compliant counter-notice is filed, the removed content can be restored, unless the copyright holder pursues legal action. It seems that no further lawsuits have emerged at this time.
Acquittal Court is now available on the PC Steam platform and supports Simplified Chinese. The official team has stated that they will continue to provide updates and address various issues based on user feedback, looking forward to players' participation.
