If you’ve been around certain gaming circles, odds are you’ve heard of “Third Case Syndrome” before. Though you may not be aware of exactly what that means. Or where it came from. Well, it’s essentially the video game equivalent of 13 being an unlucky number. A persistent stench of uncertainty and potential danger surrounding a seemingly innocuous item. A belief born mainly out of the very popular game series Ace Attorney and Danganronpa.
“Third Case Syndrome” is the inherent belief that, in a chapter-based mystery game, the third chapter – or trial – will always inherently be the worst one of the bunch. It doesn’t matter if there are four, five, six, or seven chapters. Chapter three will always be the worst one no matter what.
But just how much weight is there behind this superstition? Obviously there’s no way to objectively label something as “the worst” in any given field. It’s not like trying to pick the worst US President between George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Woodrow Wilson. Everyone’s going to have different opinions on it. But let’s break down all the third cases from Ace Attorney and Danganronpa. And see how much validity there is to this claim.
Phoenix Wright
There are a scientifically measured crap load of Ace Attorney games following all different kinds of protagonists across time and space. For the sake of simplicity, I’m only going to be discussing the first three games in the original Ace Attorney trilogy. As it also fits perfectly with Danganronpa‘s three games. So, if there are other Ace Attorney games that suffer from “Third Case Syndrome,” feel free to let me know.
The one true Legal Eagle
For the five people reading this who don’t know: The Ace Attorney trilogy follows California defense attorney Phoenix Wright. In a world where lawyers are basically also detectives, and every trial has to end in – at most – 3 days. Each chapter sees Phoenix and his assistant, spirit medium Maya Fey (mostly), take on a new case and fight to prove their client’s innocence amidst a sea of colorful characters.
So let’s take a look at the third “turnabout” in each game of the original Ace Attorney trilogy, and see just how much weight the “Third Case Syndrome” label has. Beware minor spoilers for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All, & Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations.
Ace Attorney
The third case in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is “Turnabout Samurai.” Where Phoenix and his assistant Maya find themselves investigating the strange murder of an actor from a very popular kid’s TV show. And the only suspect is the actor behind the show’s main character: The Steel Samurai. But is it the worst case in the game? Well, it’s a close call.
The Steel Samurai
Someone could make the argument that the game’s first case is the weakest, since it’s little more than a tutorial. Or that the bonus fifth case is the worst since it’s so long. However, there’s a strong case to be made (no pun intended) that “Turnabout Samurai” is the worst one. The side characters aren’t particularly strong, and things start to feel rushed toward the end.
It doesn’t have the same problem as the first two cases, where you’re immediately shown who the killer is. But the killer becomes obvious almost the second you meet them, and they basically admit to it as soon as you ask. But really, its biggest flaw is that it doesn’t have a purpose like the other cases. Case 1 is the tutorial, Case 2 introduces Maya, and Case 4 is the big conclusion to the story. So, regardless of quality, it is the odd man out.
Justice For All
The third case in Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All is “Turnabout Big Top.” Phoenix and Maya head to the circus to investigate the mysterious death of the Ringmaster in hopes of proving that the star attraction, Maximillion Galactica, is innocent. This is the first case anyone thinks of when “Third Case Syndrome” is brought up.
Even in jail, he doesn’t put a shirt on
There’s no way around it. This case sucks. Justice For All is easily the weakest in the trilogy, and “Turnabout Big Top” does it no favors. It features some of the worst side characters across the entire Ace Attorney series, awful side plots, some incredible leaps in logic, bad writing, and one of the most nonsense explanations you can think of. Though there is a clown who quotes The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. So that’s a feature.
A key part of “Turnabout Big Top” is the love triangle between Max Galactica, the circus ventriloquist Ben, and the ringmaster’s daughter Regina. Aside from it being pointless, it’s also weird. As Max is 21, Ben is 31, and Regina is 16. Screw defending Max from murder, both those guys should be in jail. Everyone and everything feels off in this case, making it even more baffling that it’s the creator’s favorite Ace Attorney case.
Trials & Tribulations
The third case in Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations is “Recipe for Turnabout.” Phoenix and Maya discover that someone impersonated Phoenix and got an innocent woman convicted, so they have to find the truth behind the matter and set things right. This case has its problems, but I wouldn’t jump to call it bad.
Guess spiky hair is all it takes to fool the justice system
As is consistent with the weak cases in this game, most of it comes from the side characters. Though this case also suffers from being painfully obvious. And the fact that almost every other case plays into the grander story of the game. Cases 1, 4, & 5 all tell one story. 2 and 3 are mostly on their own, but the second case is stronger than this one. Even if “Recipe for Turnabout” has an interesting initial setup.
When it comes down to it, “Recipe for Turnabout” is the weakest case in a game full of strong cases. Sort of like how Arkham Origins is widely considered the worst Batman Arkham game. When everything is at a high quality level, something even slightly worse sticks out that much more.
Danganronpa
There are only three games in the Danganronpa series, so I will be going over all of them. Well, there is a 4th game. However, it exists in a completely different genre and doesn’t have trials. So it doesn’t count. If you don’t know what Danganronpa is; picture Ace Attorney on shrooms and aphrodisiacs. You won’t be far off.
I wish court matters were this fun
Each game in the Danganronpa series follows different groups of high school students forced into a “killing game” where they have to kill someone and get away with the murder in order to escape their confines. So each chapter features a different murder with a different motive, and it’s up to the main character and his/her allies (and occasionally his/her enemies) to solve the murder and find the “blackened” through investigations and “class trials.”
So let’s see how much credit there is to the “Third Case Syndrome” allegations while being as vague as possible to avoid major spoilers. That being said, beware minor spoilers for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.
Trigger Happy Havoc
Chapter 3 of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is “A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero!” And a murderous robot seems to claim two lives, so it’s up to Makoto Naegi and the other remaining students to find the missing mech and the truth behind the complicated series of misdirections. And, honestly, I think this is the biggest exception to “Third Case Syndrome” on the list.
She went into the locker room at 3AM and THIS happened!
The first trial is probably my pick for the weakest one. Yes, it’s the tutorial. But the game quite literally spells out the culprit and all the characters have to act like idiots for the next three hours so the investigation and trial can take place. I’d even argue that the fourth trial is worse. The confusion and chaos of the events leading up to the third trial create a very interesting mystery to solve. One that isn’t immediately obvious.
As is the Danganronpa way, the explanation is long-winded and complex. Which could turn some people off to the whole thing and make them write it off as nonsense. But in the heightened reality where these kinds of crazy murder schemes are possible, it’s hardly the most impossible thing that takes place. Sure, the culprit is semi-obvious and the motive is lacking, but it’s far from a bad trial or chapter overall.
Goodbye Despair
The third chapter of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is “Trapped By Ocean Scent.” A small group of students are afflicted with the personality-altering Despair Disease, and require near-constant medical attention by their resident nurse while everyone else quarantines nearby so it doesn’t spread. An apparent self-deletion turns into double trouble real quick, leaving Hajime Hinata to solve the seemingly impossible crime.
They even predicted Zoom calls
Yeah no, this chapter is terrible. It’s similar to “Recipe for Turnabout” in a way. Danganronpa 2 is such a consistently great game, that this one bad trial stands out so much more as a result. You know there’s a problem when, even after the case is solved, players are still questioning if the crime was even possible. That’s not even mentioning the underwhelming motive and the obvious killer.
I do think the crime is just barely possible if the killer was swift with their actions. However, the chapter as a whole is so overwhelmingly disappointing that it ultimately doesn’t matter. The Despair Disease was a very weak setup that ended up playing a very small role, and half the trial is dedicated to forcing the killer to admit to their crime, even long after everyone already knows they did it. It’s really the one big misstep in an otherwise phenomenal game.
Killing Harmony
The third chapter in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is “Transfer Student From Beyond the Grave.” The chapter focuses mainly on the newly formed Ultimate Student Council, which is essentially a cult comprised of half of the remaining students. They attempt to hijack proceedings, so it’s no surprise when one of the members ends up dead as part of an apparent ritual. It’s less of a surprise when a second person dies. Because this is our third 3 rodeo, and double kills are the norm here.
Enjoy this out of context spoiler courtesy of Vadim Braydov
This chapter is terrible despite its promising setup. Much like Danganronpa V3 itself. The problem with this case is that it sets up so many potentially interesting ideas, then goes with the absolute most awful outcome possible. They entertain the idea that the two victims were killed by separate people, which would make one of the murders useless since only one is being investigated. The students receive a Necronomicon to revive one of the students. It doesn’t factor into the killer’s motive at all. Worst of all, the killer ends up being the biggest walking red flag in the series’ history.
The methods with which the murders were carried out make this trial even worse. Absolute laughable nonsense solely to fill the chapter requirement and kill off a few characters. Danganronpa V3 overall has the feeling that the writers barely tried, and that is more evident here than anywhere else. That being said, it’s not my least favorite trial in the game. That distinction goes to the final trial. Which, for my money, is the worst case in the entire series.
Conclusion
Alright, so there may be some validity to the claim after all. Though, honestly, I think there’s a pretty simple explanation for this phenomenon. Both series, Danganronpa more so than Ace Attorney, tell one long overarching story across the game, as well as the individual stories in each chapter. And in both instances, the third chapter ends up being the odd man out. The awkward mid point filler episode between what matters.
In Ace Attorney, “Turnabout Samurai” is the first chapter after all the introductions are done, and the last chapter before the conclusion. So there isn’t much it can do to stand out. In Justice For All, “Turnabout Big Top” is just an inexcusable mess that doesn’t serve the bigger storylines at play at all. And in Trials & Tribulations, “Recipe For Turnabout” is a sharp veer off the main path the game is on to fill the run time.
For all you ’90s kids out there
In all three Danganronpa games, the third chapter exists almost entirely to thin the herd of all the characters the writers feel are no longer needed. To varied degrees of accuracy. They’re all built on themes of misdirection, confusion, and complexity. But with each game growing in absurdity, the lengths they have to go to in the third chapter feel progressively more bizarre and less feasible.
So, while the third chapter in these games can almost always be relied on to be underwhelming, don’t let that fool you into thinking all the other chapters are better. Most cases in Justice For All are forgettable. And legitimately four out of Danganronpa V3‘s six trials are D+ players at best. There are only a few instances where they actually stick out as the out-in-out worst.
