Similar to previous Ace Attorney games, there are five cases in the game, and to unlock a new case, the previous case needs to be solved. Chronologically, the game takes place after Trials and Tribulations and before Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The five cases are presented out of chronological order in the game, though each describe a series of common events connected to an international smuggling ring and the Great Thief Yatagarasu that seeks to expose the smuggling ring by "stealing the truth" and revealing the evidence to the public.