This game slips under the radar and delivers a fun strategy game with lots of personality.
Valkyria Chonicles is a new turn-based strategy game by Sega, and it offers a blend of atmosphere and gameplay that hasn't quite exactly been done on home consoles before... anime fans, RPG players and strategy gamers shouldn't pass up on this game.
The game takes place in Europa, a fictional continent somewhat analogous with early 20th century Europe. The game is focused on a militia company of the nation of Gallia (the Switzerland of Europa) as the whole of the continent becomes victim to a large-scale invasion from an empire to the east. The object of the game is to win a series of combat objectives, using the soldiers of Squad 7 against the enemy forces in turn based fashion.
In battle, you are given an overhead view of the action, a zoomed-out view drawn in a washed-out palette, resembling a canvas battle map. Upon choosing a unit to take action, the game zooms down to ground level, and you move the unit in real-time. Each unit has different characteristics, from scouts (with high movement range and visibility) to troopers (slow, heavy machine gunners) to lancers (tough fighters with rocket launcers) and others. A turn is spent moving up to a set allowance, during which you may pause the action once to use one of your unit's weapons. Though the game is turn-based in this way, it has trappings of real-time action games in practice, as units will provide covering fire against moving enemies. Thus, careful movement, positioning and line-of-sight become tremendously important in the 3D battleground. The game has a surprising amount of depth... and it can be rather challenging, as many units have a rock-paper-scissors relationship with one another. A lightly-armored soldier rounding a corner only to be spotted by an enemy trooper will likely be met with a potentially lethal barrage of bullets. To make things even more interesting, units can take cover behind destructable sandbags, boxes and trees, and powerful tanks can be commanded on both sides of the line. As the story further progresses, you'll encounter some truly frightening boss units with terrifying power. Since there's always a chance you might lose a squad member permanently, moving carefully is the order of the day.
Winning battles earns you experience and money, which you can use to buy experience levels for your squad, upgraded equipment, and new chapters and cutscenes in the game's story. You can also purchase new Orders, which are somewhat analogous to CO powers in the Advance Wars series... large-scale unit bonuses that can be invoked in combat. In addition, you can also replay many missions in skirmish mode to earn extra experience and money, which you'll need... the game can be delightfully difficult at times. You'll often find yourself loading a saved game after a nasty surprise throws your squad for a loop.
The game has a great water-colored anime style, and is told from the perspective of one reading an obscure history book on the squad. The plot is a somewhat standard, lighthearted anime affair, with colorful characters and a story that unapologetically transitions from jovial to jarringly serious. This might immediately turn off some gamers, but for others it will only make the experience more endearing. Each character's personality can become a large factor on the battlefield... you'll be a bit saddened if you lose your favorite units in the crossfire.
So, what do I think of it all? I love it! The circumstances of the war in Gallia change with each chapter, as the political web unravels and ancient secrets are uncovered. The strategy action is accessible and satisfying. The game's anime style matches the visuals and music perfectly. Some of the more sappy and frivolous moments in the story can sometimes distract from the seriousness of the conflict, but the game just oozes with personality. The whole experience reminds me of some sort of tabletop wargame, where units will be carefully moved to minimize damage from enemy shells and to get that perfect line of sight for the shot. At the game's beginning, it will seem a bit derivative or dry, but as you get deeper into the missions, the challenge will pick up and you'll be flipping pages as fast as you can to find out what absurd circumstance you have to get your squad out of next.
With promise of DLC and extended playtime granted through new things to do on extra playthoughs, the game is definitely worth the money. While it may not be for everyone, this will be a welcome addition to the right gamer's collection (you know who you are). I think the only thing this game is really missing is some form of multiplayer... it would have been great to swap rounds with someone via hotseat or remote play.
The Verdict:
I was pleasantly surprised by Valkyria Chronicles... and I'm a bit saddened, because I think it might be overlooked this season. In a sea of spinoffs, ports, sequels and derivative titles, this original game looks all the more impressive.
If you're in the market for a strategy/RPG title on PS3, this is your ticket. It's not 100% perfect by any means, but it's a solid game and certainly charming. If you aren't turned off by a lighthearted adventure, anime styling, or turn-based combat, this is a worthwhile addition to your collection.
+Beautiful watercolor anime graphics
+Endearing cast of characters
+Challenging and satisfying
+Unique unit-based strategy blended with real-time movement
+Considerable replay value
-Lighthearted anime style might turn off some gamers
-No multiplayer