Valkyria Chronicles is far from perfect, but still a fun and unique game.
GAMEPLAY - This game is a mixture of a third-person shooter, a strategy game, and a turn-based RPG. These elements all mix very well, and it creates a unique gaming experience. The game is a series of operations where you have to accomplish a specific objective with a cast of different types of soldiers. Between missions you can improve your squadron and switch out members, but overall that's all this game consists of. The missions do tend to get pretty challenging very quickly, and the second half of the game does tend to have some pretty cheap flukes that can lose you the level out of the blue. It can get pretty frustrating at times, and other than the occasional skirmish level you can play, the difficulty never really lets up. You have to really be on your game to progress through each level without failing. It's not impossible or anything, but don't expect this game to go easy on you. - 8.5/10
STORY - The story and characters are actually pretty underdeveloped. Welkin and Alicia, the two main characters, are the only characters that are defined well at all, and even then their pasts are pretty shady. Meanwhile the story is pretty straight-forward; underdog country is in a war with a massive empire, but somehow they manage to earn victory after victory. Each level is pretty unique, and works very well considering the situation you're put in, but there's nothing about the story that really makes you feel like you're gaining any ground during the war. It's just battle after battle, and there doesn't seem to be anything significant about what's going on. - 5/10
GRAPHICS - The animation, like the gameplay, is very unique. It's a mixture of anime and sort of a water color scheme. This works very well because it's very aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and it will endure for many years into the future. - 10/10
SOUND - The music and voice-acting are both very well done as well. Nothing is totally flawless, but it all fits the game really well. Overall this game has a great presentation. - 9/10
LENGTH/REPLAY VALUE - This isn't a tremendously long game, but the difficulty combined with the amount of levels should last you awhile. I'm still in the process of beating it, but I could see myself playing through again. There isn't much incentive to, however. It's one of those games where you either want to or you don't. - 7/10
BOTTOM LINE - Valkyria Chronicles does have a lot of room for improvement, but it isn't like any other game out there. If you're a fan of strategy games and turn-based games, I would recommend giving this a try. The game as a whole takes a little getting used to because it's different, but it's totally worth giving a chance. It's both a challenging and fun experience that you don't get with many games coming out these days. - 8/10