Fans of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney have been eagerly awaiting news ever since a Capcom leak insinuated new games would be coming. Capcom just confirmed that The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve will release outside of Japan, localized for a Western audience. The games will be available in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles later this year, and Twitter is already having a field day with one of the game's characters.
The premise of Capcom's Ace Attorney spin-offs is somewhat related to the main entries in the series. Phoenix Wright's ancestor, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, is the star of these two titles. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will see players investigating crime scenes, gathering testimony from witnesses, and spending time in court. These titles have a very English setting, with a large cast of characters that includes England's most famous consulting detective.
Fans on Twitter may have recognized the references in the Great Ace Attorney trailers to Monty Python, but haven't missed the inclusion of one "Herlock Sholmes." Obviously a sly reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes, Capcom's localized character is described as a "most singular great detective." Many fans were quick to point out the apparent reason for the name change. While Sherlock Holmes is mostly in the public domain, there are still certain stories that are copyrighted by Arthur Conan Doyle's estate. In all likelihood, the name was chosen to avoid any possible copyright issues.
However, there were also many Twitter users who found the name Herlock Sholmes hilarious and sent out tweets enjoying the revelation.
While "Herlock Sholmes" may be confusing for some, it is ultimately for the best. The Arthur Conan Doyle estate has been infamous for trying to sue for what they perceive to be copyright infringement, much like they did with the recent Netflix film Enola Holmes. If Ace Attorney's Herlock Sholmes shows any emotion at all, then it will be a good thing he isn't named Sherlock Holmes.
It is great that Western audiences will be able to play new Ace Attorney games, especially on a new console like the Switch. Clearly, fans are already enjoying what the game may have to offer. Hopefully, Twitter's obsession with Capcom's Herlock Sholmes helped give the game a visibility boost at the very least. In only a few months, fans will be able to experience the great legal battles that all Ace Attorney games are known for. No doubt more information about the game will come to players soon enough.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will release for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch on July 27.
