Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Dual Destinies coming to 3DS in NA and Europe this fall

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Dual Destinies, previously announced as Ace Attorney 5, will be available as a downloadable title for Nintendo 3DS in North America and Europe this fall, Capcom announced today.

Set eight years after his last court appearance, Dual Destinies sets Phoenix, his team at the Wright Anything Agency and his new associate attorney Athena Cykes on a new round of cases. Players must solve the mysteries surrounding a destroyed courtroom and head into court against Gaspen Payne, younger brother of previous games' antagonist Winston Payne.

Players will also use Athena's unique psychoanalysis ability to scrutinize witnesses and use readings of their "Mood Matrix" to determine their emotional state — and whether or not they could be lying.

This is the first Ace Attorney title to debut on the Nintendo 3DS handheld. The 3D feature will be used in the investigation of crime scenes, allowing players a more intimate look as they zoom in and search for hidden evidence.

The title will be available in Japan on July 25.

Update: Capcom confirmed to Polygon the game will be digital only. In a statement sent to Kotaku, a representative explained the company's reasoning for why the game wouldn't be available on store shelves.

"Historically it's been tough to attract long term retail support for Ace Attorney titles," the representative said in a statement. "With the release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Dual Destinies we wanted as many people as possible to be able to enjoy the game for as long as possible. With that in mind we have opted for a digital only release via the Nintendo 3DS eShop.

"We understand that this decision may upset fans who wanted to have a physical version of the title to add to their collection but we believe this direction is the best to take to ensure that fans are able to enjoy the game at their own leisure."