A beautiful, yet inconsistent, experience that leaves a lasting impression.
With this in mind, you might ask, why wasn't I able to get into the game right away? Well, simply put, from the very start I found that this SRPG wasn't as much strategic as it was scientific (at least to start off with). By scientific, I mean that success was almost more of a guess and check affair than it was a carefully planned attack. This is because the game throws a ton of surprises at you which I didn't deem to be intuitive at all. This makes the learning curve for this game sort of difficult (more so frustrating) which made it tough to get into.
Once I did decide to pick up this game again however, I did not look back. The characters and story are just as charming as its looks. And despite the fact there will always be some moments where guess and check is necessary, you will eventually learn to think from the unique point of view that you have to use to master this very different SRPG. And when that happens, you will appreciate the game because it is not only fun, but provides you with a great sense of accomplishment when you overcome a difficult mission with your masterful execution of strategy according to its rules.
In the rest of this review I will attempt to briefly summarize the games characteristics by breaking it up into sections. This will allow you to read what interests you and skip over what doesn't. If you'd just like an overview of the game to get an idea what you're getting yourself into, please skip down to the conclusion.
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Gameplay
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**Flow/Presentation**
Valkyria Chronicles is a very unique game with an unique presentation. It progresses in chapters like a book would and literally plays out all the cutscenes and missions via a 'book'. This was a very charming way to tell the story which allows you to go back and replay any part in the story at your discretion (just like reading a book!), but it did come with drawbacks. Between missions there was usually several short cutscenes (yes, there are a ton of them in this game). This constant transition in and out of the menus made the game feel a bit choppy and did hurt the flow of the game, which is already a weak part of SRPGs.
In this 'book' mode you could select several different sections (almost like the appendix of a book) which allowed you to do stuff like managing your party, reading character back story, playing skirmish battles (versions of the story mission you could replay for experience) and more. They obviously put a lot of effort into the content in this game and its presentation, the developers are to be commended.
**Customization**
Another very unique (a word I'm noticing I'm using a lot in this review, but for good reason) concept that was implemented in this game was the leveling system used for characters. Their are five classes in this game: scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers and snipers. This job system is pretty typical, but what is different is that characters don't level up individually, but as a class. So when you level up lancers, all your lancers level up whether they took part in battle or not.
I found the leveling system extremely convenient especially when combined with the unique properties of characters called 'potentials'. Potentials were essentially skills (that can be good or bad) that would activate under the correct circumstances. These potentials would make certain characters better for certain missions due to the environment, your opposition or other factors. So having a leveling system that allowed you just to use the proper characters at the proper time without worrying about experience was nice to say the least. It also meant you didn't have to worry about who finished people off, which was also nice.
Most of the customization in this game arose from choosing your army and managing your equipment. In the beginning of the game you're required to pick out 20 soldiers to fill out your party each with unique traits and more troops were made available to you as the game went on. While not pivotal (since you never really used that many characters, and the main characters were the best), there were no 'generic' characters and it was enjoyable picking a team that matched your personality.
You could upgrade your equipment with money you received from battles, but you always had more than enough money and the upgrades were few (in comparision to other SRPGs). Therefore, upgrading your troops and tanks (I'll get to them in a bit) came off as more of a chore. All in all, there was plenty of customization in this game, but it isn't quite as deep as it appeared to be on the surface.
**Battles**
Valkyria chronicles combines the elements of a shooter with an SRPG. You take turns independently like in most RPGs, but unlike other SRPGs your enemies can and will shoot at you while you're moving. This means you can't make mistakes (due to the real time element) and positioning is importment, so that you can also take advantage of this 'crossfire' element. I liked this system very much, but it is a bit frustrating until you understand how it works.
The battles in Valkyria Chronicles take place in two phases. First, your team goes, then your enemies go. What makes it unique, yet again, is that you get a specific number of turns that you can use at your discretion. This means you can make some characters move multiple times in one phase and others not at all. You can also choose to end your phase with turns still left over, meaning they'll carry over to the next phase (though they do max out at 20 turns). It isn't without its limitations though, as your characters won't be able to move as far on successive turns within the same phase, but it definitely causes you to shift your mindset.
As discussed earlier, there are 5 classes of characters plus tanks. There is sort of a rock paper scissors dynamic to the classes and the battles play out a bit like chess. This entire game is built around the tanks and cleverly eliminating the enemies while protecting and leveraging yours (going back to the chess reference, think of your tank as your king and queen, very important). It is a very brilliant system that I imagine would catch like wildfire if implemented well online (which I hear the portable sequel will attempt to do).
Unfortunately, with the layout of most story missions, battles can be a bit frustrating. Almost every mission is very unique and presents a different challenge. However, as I alluded to in the intro, figuring out what to do can be unintuitive and the mid-battle twists thrown at you can be unpredictable (both things sometimes lead to the frustrating necessity of guess and check tactics). Also, the enemy is unforgivably more accurate than you and can do things like sniping you with rockets from across the entire map (this is sort of offset by this games terrible AI though). Thankfully, you can save and load at any point in battles, which is highly suggested and can alleviate frustrations significantly if used properly.
**Bugs and Glitches**
When you're attacking enemies in this game, if you knock them off a cliff or something they'll just take the damage from your gun and reappear where they are. When characters are in cover or laying in grass defense is greatly increased and headshots don't count even at close range. These aren't really glitches, but they are kind of ridiculous game elements that take from the realism of the game. Also when you get too close to an enemy or object, your aiming camera can get sort of messed up causing you to miss your shot, and in this game one big mistake can swing the flow of battle, so this can be very frustrating.
**Gameplay Summary**
This game is extremely unique in almost all facets which leads to a fresh experience. And while the customization isn't deep, it is fun change of pace. The presentation is a bit choppy at times and the unpredictability of battles and a couple game elements can be frustrating, but this is to be expected when a game is implementing so many new ideas, which I commend.
Grade: B
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Story
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**Plot**
This is supposedly a fictional story that takes place in a fictional world, but the map looks eerily similar to Europe and it has a world war feeling to it. You play the role of Welkin, who is a tank commander for the militia. Welkin just got done studying science at University and is thrust into war to defend the nation of Gallia from the Empire with his ragtag band of militia recruits his to command.
While laughably cliched at times, I found the story of Valkyria Chronicles to be very charming and well executed. The primary focus of the story is on politics and romance (which I particularly enjoyed). Though the game focuses on war, the game remains quite cheery from start to finish and takes very few chances. It is actually quite interesting that a game that took so many risks in the gameplay department played it so safe with its story.
**Characters**
Though there are a ton of unique characters you get to choose from with which to build your army, the game primarily focuses on a select few with regard to the story. I felt this quite wise, given this isn't a terribly lengthy game and it allowed them to develop all the main characters very well. The heroes and villains alike were appropriately likable or hate able, respectively. Every secondary member of your militia has unique voice acting, backstory and character models. This was something that the game producers obviously put a lot of effort into and it didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated (no generic recruits in this game...at least on your side). Wonderful job on this front, bravo.
**Story Summary**
Surprisingly, Valkyria Chronicles played it very safe here, but they executed well on all fronts. The story was epic in nature with memorable moments and well developed characters and it always remained upbeat despite the war setting. This story isn't going to surprise you, but it will certainly entertain you.
Grade: B+
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Graphics
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In a word, breathtaking. This game is like a constantly transforming painting done with pencil strokes and water colors. Definitely one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen across the board. It is interesting to reflect upon actually. As I used to be exited by the fact that newer gen systems could make games appear more 'real', but the most truly beautiful games of this gen are the ones that bring art to life. And that is the best way I can describe the graphics in this game, something you must see to truly appreciate. On top of that, the game always ran smoothly for me.
Grade: A+
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Sound
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The music in Valkyria Chronicles is beautifully orchestrated. The voice acting is wonderful, I was especially impressed with how they provided even all the secondary characters with unique voices, even if it was just a few lines for recruitment and battles. And finally the sound effects were top notch and yet again, unique, following the personality of the game. There is nothing else to say really on this topic, job well done.
Grade: A
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Value
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**Main Story**
This game wasn't extremely long, I didn't pay attention to exactly how long it took, but I did run through it pretty quickly, I'd say in the realm of 25-45 hours would be pretty accurate for most people. There is going to be quite a variation from person to person just depending on your play style.
**Extra Content**
You can replay some of the story battles in what are called skirmish battles and there is a lot of effort put into the backstory of all the characters which you can read through. But for the most part, the value lies in the story itself.
**Replayability**
Though I don't usually replay hardly any games, I'd say for the competitive ones or perfectionists out there that this is relatively high. All of your battles are graded from A-F depending on how fast you completed the battles and there is a new game+ option. Since truly learning this game takes a while I can see why one would want to play it again to master the battles that didn't go so smoothly the first time around.
**Value Summary**
Most the value in this game lies in the relatively lengthy story and its re playability for the purpose of getting perfect scores through new game plus. I personally only got about 30 hours out of it, but I could see a certain type of person putting 2-3 times that amount of time in.
Grade - B
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Conclusion
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Pros
+Breathtaking graphics, art brought to life.
+Innovation all over the place, from its presentation to its battles.
+Unique chess like battles require you to shift your mindset to truly master them.
+Entertaining and polished, though safe, story and with great characters.
+Beautifully orchestrated music, good sound effects and excellent voice acting.
Cons
-Unpredictable and at times unintuitive moments in the battles can lead to a lot of frustration.
-The constant transition in and out of cut scenes and the different menus hurt the flow of the game.
-Lengthy learning curve due to the uniqueness of its battles
-Poor AI.
Final Grade: A-, which equates to a 9.0
In summation, Valkyria Chronicles is an extremely beautiful game with an enjoyable story and unique gameplay that requires a shift in mindset to master. It can be tough to get into this game because of the choppy pace, learning curve and multitude of frustrating moments that can only really be overcome by trial and error. I'm extremely happy that I persevered though and was well rewarded for my efforts.
This game isn't for everyone, for instance, if you enjoy fast paced games and need instant gratification at all times, I'd look elsewhere. However, for SRPG junkies or more patient gamers that can stomach a little frustration, this game comes with my highest recommendation. Valkyria Chronicles is unique and memorable game that I will always cherish, thanks Sega.