I got this game after seeing it being promoted on the Ace Attorney reddit being pitched as inspired by said series. I can definitely see the influences and there is some of the underlying appeal of Ace Attorney in Detective Instinct but I think it's best to approach this game not with the exact same set of expectations.

For one thing, Detective Instinct is about as long as maybe a medium to long case in an Ace Attorney game. About five to six hours long. I don't really like to measure a game's worth in run time, but I think it is important to set expectation for the kind of scope you should expect.

I'd also say this game leans more on the visual novel genre than Ace Attorney does. You're going to be funneled through a more set script with very little room for doing or seeing anything outside the main story and there isn't a whole lot of gameplay outside of talking to characters.

None of this is bad. I just think it's important to understand what kind of experience you're in for and that experience was positive for me. The story told here was entertaining and heart touching. There are some fun and over the top personalities you'll encounter brought to life with a charming anime inspired art style back with catchy tracks that help set the tone and atmosphere. In these ways I can see those Ace Attorney inspirations and comparisons on display.

I'm not the most well versed in visual novels. Outside of Ace Attorney I've only played a few. But I had a good time and recommend this one. It didn't rock my world but once the credits rolled I had that familiar warm feeling I tend to have at the end of an Ace Attorney adventure