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Pro Philosopher 2: Governments & Grievances. The successor to a flash game called Socrates Jones – this time, it’s political (read that in a stereotypical movie sequel voice). The original was a fantastic jaunt through moral philosophy in a Phoenix Wright-style setting. It was great. So’s the sequel.
I should preface this by saying I can’t stand Phoenix Wright. Don’t get me wrong – the characters are great, the mysteries are…acceptable – most of the time – and I like the concept of poking holes in arguments as a game mechanic. No, I can’t stand Phoenix Wright for two reasons: the puzzles often require moon logic and the concept of a fair trial is so thoroughly buried in the mud that it hurts every time the judge says anything. But I’ve complained about this before, in my Murder by Numbers article. So enough of that.
I say all this because Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher does exactly what I wanted from Phoenix Wright the whole time: have you examine arguments and poke holes in them…with logic! With the sequel arriving not long ago (two days prior, as of writing), I’ve only just had the chance to get my hour in – and I’ll admit I was worried that they wouldn’t be able to recapture the magic of the first game. The conclusion was so definitive (ironically, perhaps) that I couldn’t imagine another game.
Happily, I was wrong. Clearly inspired by recent events, Pro Philosopher 2 is somehow even better at its style of humor and picked a field of philosophy that is excellently delineated from the prior title while still bringing back the philosophical arguments that made the original great. Honestly, I’m just writing this in the hope that someone reads it and gets to play one or two amazing games. So, Tier 1, obviously. Pardon me while I go back to argue with Confucius.