Valkyria Chronicles
by Sega Of America, Inc.
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List Price: Our Price: $19.93 You Save: $20.06 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Video Games See more product details |
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Video Game Reviews of Valkyria Chronicles
Customer Review: Brilliant, unique strategy gameplay and a cast of deep characters
Summary: 5 Stars
Valkyria Chronicles features some of the best quality yet seen in the current console generation. It is often been cited as one of the PS3's greatest titles to date. Critics have averaged about 9/10 in their rankings. The game is so well-received because of its presentation, its innovative gameplay, and its deep character development (so deep that the game spawned its own anime series).
::Gameplay::
The game plays as a hybrid between the turn-based strategy and third-person shooter genres, with a much higher emphasis on the former than the latter. Each round consists of your turn and then your enemy's turn, during which each of you has the opportunity to move a handful of units and/or perform other special commands. When you move a unit, the game switches to a third-person view, and you're allowed to move that character (beware enemy fire; enemies will attack you as you're moving) and have him/her attack. Attack mode fires up the crosshairs, but at that point, time is frozen such that you have ample opportunity to aim before you press R1 to rain fire upon your foe.
Battles are generally played via the storybook mode (though a Skirmish mode exists with pre-configured battles, which are unfortunately not customizable aside from setting a difficulty level). Storybook mode is divided into chapters, each of which consists of many cutscenes (thankfully not as many as in Xenosaga, but still quite a lot) and a single battle. After each battle, you're awarded experience points and money which you can spend to level-up your characters (character classes specifically, which affect all characters of that class) and weapons/armor. Skirmishes award you experience points and money as well, so you do have the option of "grinding" to power-up your characters should you find battles becoming too difficult.
On that note, I should mention difficulty quick. The game begins VERY easy. It's not until you reach chapters 7 or 8 or so that you can expect to see the Game Over screen.
::Graphics::
The game looks great and runs at 720p, with 480p support also included. Graphics appear similar to the cel-shaded style with which we all became all too familiar a few years ago, but there's something unique and refreshing about Valkyria Chronicles's visual style that I can't quite describe. Anyway, the game looks great. And, for you standard definition users out there, you'll be happy to know that the game's menus and text are fairly large, so you shouldn't have any trouble reading the text like you will in some PS3 games (Grand Theft Auto IV's in-game text messaging system comes to mind).
::Sound/Music::
The music's not bad, and it works. Don't expect a soundtrack on par with that of the Chrono series or Final Fantasy series, but it's decent. Sound effects fit well, and the voice acting is very good.
::Overall::
Valkyria Chronicles is a great game that should be in any PS3 owner's collection. I've heard rumors that the game is out of stock (and I've been unable to find it locally myself, hence my purchase through Amazon), so today's as good a day as ever to order this soon-to-be classic.
Customer Review: I give it a 2.5
Summary: 2 Stars
I wanted to like this game so bad. After playing Fallout and Oblivion (and liking them) I was ready for something with a more classic RPG/SRPG feel to it. The good thing about this game was definitely the graphics. This game is just astonishingly beautiful. I mean it is just breathtaking what they did with this game. Also, the general idea of the gameplay was pretty great as well. I like SRPGs and this take on them was really good I thought. There was a lot of minute strategy to the game which i really appreciated.
The most annoying thing for me though was the story. When I play an RPG of anytype, I expect a great story. This story just had nothing special to it. The characters had development which was a plus, but I fealt like the game was treating me like a manic depressive and they were patting me on the back the whole time. It had a very "Oh things are bad but everything will be OK! ~follow with a quirky grin" feel to it. It's ok at first but mission after mission with relatively nothing interesting happening was too much for me. I put it down after about 10-12 chapters. I didn't like the fact that I had to watch 5-6 cutscenes, maybe more, to play a mission. The loading times were RIDICULOUS..For a 30 second cutscene I would have to sit through a 1-2 minute loading screen.
I mentioned earlier that the general idea of the gameplay was great. However, when you get into the details, this game just fails. When I shoot someone, I don't care how strong they are, it should at least hurt. A lot of times you find yourself unloading on someone and it takes a tenth of their health away. If you throw a grenade at someone, it will kill them, which makes sense. But if you throw a grenade at someone that is laying down in grass, it can land on their head and blow up and it will only marginally hurt them (WTF?). The AI in this game is ridiculous. Your enemies will basically run around in circles with absolutely no strategy until you get close enough to them to shoot. Final Fantasy Tactics on the PS1 had better AI. Some of the levels were ridiculously hard to get an A-rank in and some were a piece of cake with little to no effort.
The characters, well that was a wash IMO. The supporting-main characters I thought were really good. The more mature ones I thought fit their role really well. But the main characters I thought were just...well..lackluster. Like I said, the main character was a perpetual pat-on-the-back which got annoying after a while.
All in all, this game was ok and I wish I could have finished it. But after several missions, with really nothing new presented as far as story or anything else, it just became too much.
Customer Review: One of the best SRPG's to date
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros:
- Very addicting strategic gameplay
- Beautiful artistic visuals
- Memorable characters
- Spectacular presentation
- Lots of variety
Cons:
- No unlockables or additional content
- Many AI issues
Gameplay
Valkyria Chronicles is a strategy RPG like never seen before. Traditionally, strategy RPG's have used geometrical grids in a 2D turn-based environment. Valkyria Chronicles is also turn-based, but functions in a 3D world using combat most similar to a third-person shooter. There are a range of different classes all with their own strengths and weaknesses including Lancers, Scouts, Stormtroopers, Snipers, Engineers and Tanks. Each class accommodates each-other and the abilities involved create tactics that mimic the qualities of chess. Thankfully, unlike other SRPG's, Valkyria Chronicles gives out a ranking at the end of every battle that rewards you for how well you did. This translates into not only experience points but currency as well. The experience points are then used to level up the different classes however you would like and prevents you from feeling like whatever characters you started with you are stuck with. On the other hand, the currency is used for research & development which means new weapons, armor and outfitting for your tanks.
The game progresses through a series of chapters within a book, and each chapter includes at least 1 battle as well as several cutscenes. The story is very lighthearted and the character development is absolutely spectacular. It is a game that is very easy to pick-up and play and the introduction really helps ease even the newest newcomer into the gameplay mechanics and strategies involved. However, the story is very typical and features some personalities that can be annoying, but thankfully the voice acting is excellent.
Controls
Valkyria Chronicles is based on a 3D strategic plane, and the controls really accommodate the gameplay. Once a unit is selected from the tactical map, the camera is brought down to the player's level and you are free to move about. Movement distance is restricted on each turn based on the class of the character, and the movement is very tight and responsive. Once your character is in position for an attack, the press of R1 pauses the map and allows you to line up a shot. At this point the game turns into somewhat of a third-person shooter, which makes the game about as unique as any game in history. The menu also doesn't suffer from lag whatsoever and really helps make the experience smooth and intuitive.
Graphics
One of the most unique features of Valkyria Chronicles is the art style. Valkyria Chroncles features fully 3D cell-shaded graphics like never seen before. The game resembles a beautiful drawing and helps support the light-hearted atmosphere. Each unit, texture and background looks like it has been hand drawn and the presentation is absolutely magnificent. The palette used mimics that of an anime and really proves to be successful in every regard.
Sound
The sound effects of Valkyria Chronicles are very basic but also very fitting. However, the real strength of the audio is in the original soundscore. Valkyria Chronicles quite simply has one of the better RPG music scores of this generation. The theme song is one of the best I've heard and really captures the mood of the game. To accompany that is a terrific voice cast featuring many successful actors and actresses from all over Hollywood. Every sound made by the game is deliberate and captivating.
Lasting Appeal
With a 40 hour campaign mode as well as some extras on the second playthrough, Valkyria Chronicles has plenty of replayability. The first playthrough is well-worth the purchase alone and once you've finished the game, your save file allows you to keep your character levels, and unlocks on your second playthrough. Also, on the second playthrough you're allows access to Hard mode on skirmishes which aren't just harder versions of their former selves, but rather a completely different battle on the same map. The lack of trophies is a serious bummer but with some great DLC on the way, Valkyria Chronicles has plenty of value.
Rating:
Story: 8.5
Gameplay: 9.5
Graphics: 9.0
Controls: 9.5
Sound: 9.0
Replay Value: 8.5
Overall: 9.1
Own, Rent, Avoid:
Own: The overall value of Valkyria Chronicles is very high, and long story mode mixed with the fantastic gameplay makes this a definite must-have.
Last Thoughts:
Valkyria Chronicles is an incredible experience all wrapped up in rich gameplay. With a stunning look, sound and feel, Valkyria Chronicles is a game that will be memorable for many years to come.
Customer Review: A Quite Solid RPG
Summary: 5 Stars
This game is what you would want from an RPG: something not too hard to learn to play with a story line you care about. Yes, we all know war stories are done to death. And yes, we all know war stories from the 1930s era are DEFINITELY done to death! However, this one has a bit of mystery and excitement to it once you encounter one of the namesakes of the game. The game controls and maps are easy to get the hang of, which frees up your brain for actual combat strategy. You also have a multitude of persons to choose from to make your elite squad. Each has it's own personality with strengths and weaknesses, and you'll figure out which you do and don't want to deal with REAL quick!!! To top it off, you actually end up CARING about your squad members, which adds to a wonderfully rich experience.
Overall, largely underrated game that I give two thumbs up. I'm on my way now to play it all over again with my clear game data!
Customer Review: Underrated
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the most underrated games for the ps3 in my opinion. A very interesting take on turn-based RPGs. Great visual style. Only reason I dont give it 5 stars: story is kind of slow and at times it has boring filler story but u can skip it. That flaw does not take away from gameplay though, which is top notch.