While flawed, this game still brings enough new things to the table to make it a worthwhile sequel to a great game.
Valkyria Chronicles II takes place two years after they original game. With the Empire driven back after the first war and Gallia still recovering, a group of rebels have used they opportunity to strike out and begin an "ethnic cleansing" of the Darcsen people within the nation (A minority group planned for a major catastrophe in ancient times). With the army still recovering from loses and the Militia unable to be raised against an internal threat, it falls to the Lanseal Royal Military Academy, a school for training soldiers and officers much like Westpoint Academy in the United States, to help protect the Southern region of Gallia.
While the story premise is good, it falls somewhat short of the incredible story of the first game thanks to the fact that they try to squeeze a school setting and story in with a war story, a combination that doesn't hit quite as much as they'd hoped I think. Combined with this, none of the characters QUITE measure up to Welken or Alicia from the first game. That said, there are a lot MORE characters then the first game.
But that statement deserves a little clarification. Outside of the main characters in Valkyria Chronicles, none of your squad got much characterization. They all looked different, had different abilities, but you never really knew anything about them. In VC2, you learn a bit more about each of your squadmates, their personalities, what makes them unique. And again, while none match up to Welkin or Alicia, there ARE more characters you can get to know and like here.
Combat has also been tweaked, with accuracy increased across the board. This is a HUGE bonus because now it allows me to actually USE snipers and lancers (Anti-tank troops). In the first game the accuracy of your troops was more random, allowing shots at near point blank range or sighted in perfectly to go completely wide or sometimes it seemed near vertical. The hit boxes for both weapons have been greatly tightened and lancers have become a very large part of my force.
That said, the enemy AI is a bit ... special at times I've seen. Enemies will run through three of your squad's overlapping interception fire without stop only to drop dead and send ANOTHER soldier through they exact same path without attacking. I've seen them stand right by sandbag's for cover and not duck behind them when they attack or end a turn. They never use a soldier twice nor do they use all their Command Points. In general, it feels like they're only half paying attention to you during the fight. Of course, when you round a corner and run right into a tank, you still have that moment of "oh hell" as you try and find cover.
The game can and will still make you suffer, but it always feels like they never quite press an advantage when they have it.
Hardware issues force you to fight across smaller maps and with MUCH smaller numbers of both allies and foes then the first game, something that again withdraws a bit from the scale of the first game but on the other hand could be considered to fit a little with fighting a rebel force rather then an entire army. Its something you get use to, but I for one miss taking down the enemy with ten to one odds.
All in all, this is a VERY good game and I feel like a lot of its issues could have been fixed if it hadn't been given the PSP treatment. But if your a fan of the series or of strategy games in general, pick this one up.