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Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) | 
| From: Sega
Category: Video Games
List Price: £49.99
Buy New: £33.79
You Save: £16.20 (32%)
New (5) Used (1) from £33.79
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 532
Platform: Playstation 3
Genre: fantasy-action-games
Rating: To Be Announced
Media: Video Game
Operating System: Playstation 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5060138439535
ASIN: B00197U1G6
Release Date: October 31, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk
Valkyria Chronicles is set in a fictitious continent reminiscent of 1930s Europe - divided in two and ruled by the Empire and the Federation. The Empire has set its sights on invading a small neutral country called Gallia, which is situated in the middle of the two great empires. The game follows a hero named Welkin and his fellow soldiers of the Federation's 7th Platoon as they engage in a series of epic battles. Built upon the new "CANVAS" engine, developed internally by SEGA Game Studios Japan, Valkyria Chronicles' stunning 3D graphics resemble a watercolor painting in motion, taking full advantage of the processing capabilities of the PLAYSTATION 3. The power of the PLAYSTATION 3 also allows the development team to exploit the full potential of this new engine, giving players many different stunning environments to explore. A new type of tactical battle mechanic has been specifically designed for Valkyria Chronicles. Known as "BLiTZ," this gives players freedom to strategically move around the environment and attack enemies using real-time controls, something never before seen in the tactical role-playing game genre. The new "CANVAS" engine technology, the "BLiTZ" battle concept and an epic storyline offers players hours of exciting gameplay.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
Cult Classic in the making January 4, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This game is a real gem and in years to come will be looked back on with the same fondness as Panzer dragoon Saga. The presentation is flawless and consistent with some of the prettiest graphics of this generation. The game has one of the most accessable and well thought out menus systems on a srpg, so as already mentioned if you're new the to genre you will find the game easy to get into. Voice acting is also of a high standard. The battles are tense but rarely frustrating as you can save mid battle and if you do fail its easy to see the holes in your plan. Valkyria Chronicles is a timely reminder of just how inventive Sega can be, and playing this game brings back fond memories of my Dreamcast. BUY THIS GAME NOW!
What a game. January 4, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am personally very cautious when it comes to buying games. Especially when buying games for the PS3. The price is generally high, and as such when you pay alot of money, you want alot back in return.
I downloaded the demo of this on PSN and I loved it. The only thing that worried me was though, it was a bit... easy. However, anyone else who has this worry, fear not. This game is not as easy as the demo.
I have NOT completed this game yet, however I've played enough to be able to decide whether its worth buying or not. So, lets start this...
Graphics - 10/10
I'm playing this game on its full setting (720p) and it looks beautiful. I would have loved to see a 1080i version but, thats just for a comparison. There are no framerate drops and the game looks beautiful throughout. Though I don't need glasses, I have trouble reading small writting on my TV at the best of times (32" Panasonic - Full HD), and thankfully for those with similar problems, thats not a problem here. The font for the subtitles is clear and bold and the text in speech boxes is quite large, so theres no problems reading it. You do unlock (at chapter 2-3, very early on; this is NOT a spoiler) Character profiles, Weapon Profiles and a Glossary early on in the game, which if you have eyes like mine, may require you to lean forward a little bit or to move closer to the TV.
Colour wise the game is beautiful. The drawn manga effect in the shadows looks outstanding. I would go as far to say this is one of the most graphically pleasing games I've ever played. (I also PC game alot with a gaming PC, so I've seen alot of graphically outstanding games). This game is only second to Metal Gear Solid 4, but reconsidering, its really on par with it. There is also a lovely faded edge effect during alot of the combat which really makes the game look outstanding.
Gameplay - 9.5/10
The gameplay in this game is near perfect. Now you'll notice I gave it a 9.5, not a 10. I shall explain this now. To me, to get a 10/10 in gameplay, the controls need to be flawless, and have some truely outstanding schemes. The reason I didn't give this 10 is because there are no truely outstanding schemes. There are no truely amazing or unordinary controls. This is a strategy game though, so I wasnt looking for anything outstanding and new. However saying this the controls are perfect. The camera is easily moved, the movement is flawless. The only minor gripe I have is sometimes I have trouble jumping over sandbags. However this has never been a problem when i'm under fire, so its more likely to be me there. Aiming is made easy for those who arent very good as there is no time limit and no one can shoot you while you aim.
When you first hear this you'd understandably think the pacing of this game is slow; but its not. This game makes you want to move and make you move fast. You cant afford to run around in the open (especially if theres a Shocktrooper or Tank nearby) or you will get killed. All the objectives so far in the game have been turn based. At first your led to beliving you get 20 turns to do all your missions, however you soon get that reduced to 10 for certain missions. (Chapter 4 I believe?) This particular mission is alot harder than the previous missions in the game. Suddenly you realise how much you relied on the generous amount of turns, and I can nearly gaurantee you will need those 10 turns to complete this mission (Or maybe i'm just not a born tacticion?)
Overall - 10/10
The only worry I have for this game is the length. I don't want it to end. I really have no idea how long this game is though so I can't comment on the length sadly. Overall this game is easy to pickup and learn but still hard. There are difficulty options and there's a tonne of replay value in trying to get better ranks on your missions. There's a seperate mode full of Skirmish battles to try out new squad formations and there's plenty of weapon upgrades and tank customising to do.
If you havent played a strategy game before I reccomend this to be your first, and if your a fan of the genre, then this definatly has plenty to offer. With varying difficulty options it really appeals to all skill levels. There are hints through the radio during play such as "Make use of the watchtowers" and when I was low on ammo with my lancer I heard the message of "Lancers, watch your ammo" come through. Its little things like that which really make this game shine.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy this game as much as I am!!
Fantastic game December 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have installed the demo and I loved it from the first moment started playing. I have ordered the original the same day and it is now one of my favorites on the PS3.
I am really looking forward for an expansion.
The PS3s hidden gem December 17, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The best way to explain this game is a strategy 3rd person shooter. Thought the demo was OK but decided to buy it anyway. Im so glad I did. This is now my 2nd favorite game on the PS3(MGS4 being No.1).
Its a shame SEGA hasnt bothered pushing the advertising cuz for me it should've been a contender for GOTY. Clocked about 35 hours so far and still havent finished the main story(let alone all the extras Skirmishes/Reports etc). I've also heard theres DLC in the new year. With most games nowadays usually taking me around 10 to 15hrs to finish or get bored of, this little gem is well worth the money.
Wonderful watercolour graphics
Wonderful appropriate score
Original gameplay mechanic
Endless replay value
See, Sega? Was that so hard? December 16, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Obviously, any new game from Sega is going to be greeted with a certain amount of caution, as the outdated developer continues to churn out awful game after awful game... it's easy to simply want to dismiss any title you see from them this generation(I don't count stuff like Yakuza 2, as it's a pretty old PS2 game in Japan we're only recently getting over here). It's certainly quite a shock to see them pull the rug out from under me with a release like Valkyria Chronicles, which is easily the best Sega game to come out in many, many years.
Telling the story of Welkin Gunther, the gentle son of a renowned war hero who returns home after a long time only to find himself leading a rag tag band of militia troops against a vast imperial army which is threatening to overrun their entire country, Valkyria Chronicles tells a genuinely moving, engrossing and sometimes tragic war story that plays out like an anime series where you control the battles. Yes, this being a Strategy RPG, you will spend most of your time navigating menus or playing the battles, but given just how easy the game is to play and the extremely user friendly manner in which it is designed(Far more so than any SRPG I've ever played), you really won't be too put off by the game's layout. The whole game is told in the form of a 'book' filled with comic book style panels that you select as you flip through the pages, with each panel offering either story scenes, conversations, or battles. The book also offers 'tabs' for things like visitng your HQ or various locations around the capital city that offer various incentives like weapons and upgrades to buy, aditional background story, and 'mock' battles and training for improving your skills.
The strongest aspect of the game though is defeinitely the battles, which are rendered in gorgeous, large scale third person battlefields that you move around freely depending on your soldier's(Or tank's) 'action bar', which drains the more you move around, with different classes of soldier offering differing action bar sizes. During you 'turn', at any point while moving around, your troops can take one 'action, like healing, attacking, repairing and such, with the best strategies coming from the best combinations of soldiers and actions per 'phase'(In which you or your enemy's turns are allocated by anything between 2 moves and 30 moves at a time, allowing for some large scale strategising, given the scale of whichever battle you are in). It sounds a tad complex, but when eased in through the opening tutorials, it feels like second nature quite quickly.
I won't get too far into the nuances of the combat, as it has a fair amount of depth, but needless to say, it does have a very satisfying mix of both turn based straegy unit management and real time run and gun gameplay, which keeps things exciting even during extended skirmishes. Also, as a nice touch, you can save your game any time during your own phase, allowing you replay turns over and over until you achieve the best possible outcome. Takes away from the challenge maybe, but it makes it more manageable.
Also worth noting is the variety offered in the missons. It isn't all 'defeat the enemy' objectives, as there are also battles where you'll face off against enormous, massively oversized war machines that require some inventive thinking to defeat, missions where you'll have to navigate stranded soldiers through the heart of enemy territory unseen, run diversionary raids so you can get a single soldier behind enemy lines and such, it keeps things interesting throughout.
Visually, the game is beautiful, but won't appeal to everyone, as the entire game looks like a living watercolour painting. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it works well with the story. Soundwise it is equally impressive, with a fantastic cast of voice actors on both the English and Japanese settings, and some stirring music that takes in both orchestral pieces and traditional JPOP melodies. It's quite a well presented package.
Add to this numerous play incentives for completion of the game and various tasks, and a number of amusing connections to classic JRPG Skies of Arcadia(Vyse and Aika are in here as playable characters) and you have a truly wonderful little title that keep you engrossed for the 30 odd hours it'll take to run through the story mode at least.
It's never going to be a huge hit or appeal to everyone, but for anime fans, strategy fans, or people just after a great game with a likeable story, this is essential stuff.
More of this Sega, less of Sonic.
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