Golden Game Barn has released the first episode of its courtroom drama visual novel Regeria Hope for free on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
It’s similar to the Phoenix Wright games in that the action takes place in a court of law, where you call on witnesses, cross-examine evidence, and can jump in with objections when you feel it’s necessary. The main difference from Phoenix Wright is that the lead characters are women rather than men.
“I’m a HUGE fan of the Phoenix Wright series, and I’ve always wanted to make video games,” writes Golden Game Barn. “So I wanted to make this game with a female lead in honor of Phoenix Wright, but I wanted to add my own spin to it. I’m planning to later include more mechanics to differentiate this from Phoenix Wright, but for the first episode, I wanted to make an episode that longtime Phoenix Wright fans would enjoy, while giving them the ability to really affect the story.”
In the first episode of Regeria Hope, you’re defending a husband who is being trialled after his wife was poisoned at their wedding reception. You can interrupt witnesses as they give their statements but you have to be wary of the time limit you’re given to resolve the case.
Jury members that you’ll have to appease will be added in later episodes, as well as other features which, as the developer said, will further differentiate Regeria Hope from Phoenix Wright.
You can download the first episode of Regeria Hope on itch.io for free.
