Preview | Pro Philosopher 2 - Ace Attorney Meets Over-The-Top Political Debates

I've always been a sucker for Capcom's Ace Attorney, and since I discovered the original trilogy many years ago, I keep searching for games that could provide similar thrills. Pro Philosopher 2: Governments & Grievances lacks the same investigative aspect, yet I was quickly drawn in by how its "courtroom" battles unfold. A recent Steam Next Fest demo has intrigued me, though I'm not entirely convinced that the game will stick the landing.

Developed by Intelligible Games, Pro Philosopher 2 is a sequel to 2013's educational visual novel, Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher. After inadvertently entering and debating our way through the Intelligible Realm in the first game, we find Ariadne returning to this afterlife that's only inhabited by "great thinkers", to create a world of ideas. Fitting then that instead of proving criminals are lying, what follows is a battle of wits that's got more in common with a university debate club than a criminal docket. 

Pro Philosopher 2’s 20-30 minute demo constructs a scenario divorced from the main game, one that frequently acknowledges this is a demo and breaks the fourth wall. A good sense of humour sets the scene well, and we soon find ourselves debating everyone's favourite subject, politics, with none other than Niccoli Machiavelli himself. Sure, I know it matches his historical look, but I could've mistaken him for a vampire in that outfit. 

I've leaned into this comparison a lot, but I was surprised by how closely it matches Ace Attorney. Debates are presented similarly to cross-examinations, letting you press Machiavelli for further details to unearth contradictions in his argument. I particularly like the idea of using your opponent's own logic against them instead of using random evidence, especially since these are some of history's most prominent philosophers. However, getting it wrong hurts your credibility, and it’s game over once all credibility is lost. Admittedly, I never reached this moment and found this demo pretty easy to beat without ever coming close. 

I appreciate that Pro Philosopher 2 will have been in development for a while, but opting for a politically focused experience feels fitting for the current climate. With major elections occurring across many countries soon and nationalism continuing to rise, Machiavelli's authoritarian beliefs and contempt for his fellow man speak volumes even now. Still, the enjoyable over-the-top humour counteracts this nicely, so it never feels particularly heavy. 

My biggest concern is how far Pro Philosopher 2 will take this premise. Will it spend the entire game watering down these topics, or will it actively challenge us to consider tougher moral quandaries that keep this interesting? Right now, I couldn't say. The Machiavelli debate ended a little too quickly, though this could've simply been made shorter for the sake of this demo, and I'm hoping other debates carry more substance. Regardless, what I've seen so far is fun, and I'm interested in checking out the full release.