Interactive crime novel at it's finest
People coming to this game expecting a full fledged game would be sorely disappointed. But if you are one that watched the quick look and enjoyed it, the rest of the game for better or worst is pretty much just that. A series of cases where the user analyzes the crime scene and witness statements, while riding a 'linear rails story path' of following evidence/witness inconsistencies, to eventually reach the conclusion. An apt comparison would be a combination of your favorite CBS crime show with an education kids show where the characters ask YOU the viewer for an answer.
What really makes the game is the presentation though. A really pleasant art style for the characters with some wonderful stylized stills of events. The 3D crime scenes look crud in places (the victims tend to look like n64 era folks), but this comes at the benefit of 60 fps silky smooth rotations and zooming which just feels great to navigate with touch. Even the cool little 'word arrows' to visualize a battle between exchange of dialogue is slick. And let's not forget the super kickin' soundtrack which might arguably make the game for me. Honeywood's localization might be hit or miss depending on the audience. He does tend to love to write out accents (which is apparent if you played other games he's localized of recent including Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and some of the DS Dragon Quest games.
Thinking of flaws, like with phoenix wright, some of the questions and deductions may not seem super obvious or even random at times and maybe require you to use trial and error (there is no real in game 'penalty' system, you can just bang your head to the solution). There are nice communities around on gamefaqs and other boards that will offer hints, but I also can't imagine it won't take long before there is a guide available.
Besides that, there isn't much else to say. The cases are mostly stand alone with some elements that tie together to the finale. The total completion time for me without a guide is ~7 hours which is pretty meaty for a game that cost a total of $5.