Ace Attorney 6 release date set for September in Europe and US on Nintendo 3DS eShop

Ace Attorney 6 has been confirmed by Capcom for a European and US release in September 2016, exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS. The sequel to 2013's Dual Destinies has also been given the sparkly new title of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Spirit of Justice for its Western release.

Update: Capcom has confirmed that a final European and US date of 8 September has been set for the next installment in the Ace Attorney series. A free demo featuring "a section from the first courtroom scenario in the game" will also be available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop from 25 August.

Priced at £24.99 ($29.99, €29.99), Spirit of Justice will only be available as a digital download from the 3DS eShop. Capcom accompanied the announcement with a launch trailer (below), but did not specify whether the game will follow in its predecessor's footsteps and make the jump to iOS devices (such as iPhone and iPad) at a later date.

The new moniker for the visual novel-adventure/courtroom-drama reflects the game's promised narrative, as veteran lawyer Phoenix Wright finds himself in the kind of mystical territory that will be familiar to long-term fans.

Set in the divine lands of the Kingdom of Khura'in, Phoenix is tasked with protecting defendants in seemingly pre-determined "séance trials" and takes the fight to a rival prosecutor with a "Spirit Insight" ability that she uses to condemn the accused in bleak, lawyer-less trials.

Based in the home of the Kurain Channelling Technique, our brazen attorney protagonist can thankfully take advantage of the new Séance Sight gameplay mechanic to fight the corrupt system, allowing players to see into the final moments of the victims. If it's anything like the rest of the series, you can also expect to see a Magatama or two, a few mentions of the Fey clan and probably a lot of conversations about burgers.

Capcom is promising a large cast of returning characters, including fellow defence attorneys Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes and their accompanying "Mood Matrix", "Revisualisation" (and presumably Apollo's usual "Perceive") mechanics. The re-introduction and "improvement" of scientific investigation features may clue you in about one of the guest stars, but there are many more fan favourites confirmed to be coming back, as well (seek out the Japanese trailers − no spoilers here).

Verdict still out on The Great Ace Attorney for Europe and US

Japanese would-be-lawyers will be shouting "Objection!" and "Hold it!" slightly earlier than their Western counterparts, as the game is scheduled to launch on 9 June in Japan. Yet, while a few months isn't too long to wait, European and US fans may still be smarting over the lack of localisation for The Great Ace Attorney.

The 3DS spin-off set in Victorian-era Britain was released in July 2015 in Japan under the name Dai Gyakuten Saiban. Despite this, the game has never been scheduled for release in the West and with Spirit of Justice now seemingly the main focus, it may be time to assume that Capcom's judgement for The Great Ace Attorney is final and close the case on the Sherlock Holmes-starring offshoot.

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