At the risk of sounding like a rabid gamer, I have to say it: GET THIS GAME NOW! Well, yes, technically Valkyria Chronicles does not really fit the typical JRPG mold, but it is mind blowing-ly good. This is an intense game with lush, serene graphics, intense enough that after each battle, my hands shakes. And how great is it? Great enough for me to go to work each day looking like a zombie, swearing that I will not stay up late, and then ends up thinking about the game when writing an email to my boss.
Let me rewind a little bit: Valkyria is a game set in an alternate world during WWII, or in that universe’s case EWII. Instead of having Europe and Russia, it’s Europe and the Empire. Instead of the Alliance fighting against the Nazis, it is the Atlantic Federation fighting the Empire for their version of oil – ragnite. Somewhere down the plot line, there are twists involving an ancient race and some heinous secret I bet. Even though this game has been out for some time, but it is not very well-known surprisingly. It is time we change that! Valkyria is such a well crafted strategy JRPG that it will be a shame if it sells poorly and ends up in the bargain bin.
To begin with, Valkyria’s soothing watercolor graphics is a marvel to behold. I can’t tell you how relaxing it is to look at the finely drawn characters and the lush environment after long hours of working in front of a computer…well, relaxing until the battle starts. But rest assured that in no way does the book format and light colours tone down the violence of war. I remember feeling horrified when during the invasion of Bruhl (our heroine’s hometown) and a bunch of innocent refugees were gunned down for no good reason by the damn Empire’s scouts! Maybe that’s why I can never play games like Medal of Honor. War is brutal and ugly and no amount of soft pastel shading can mute its nastiness.
Props must also be given to the guy who decided to lay the whole story out in a book format. By telling the story like the player is reading a history book, it lets the gamer re-watch memorable cutscenes and take a breather between battles. Also, kudos for giving us the option to play it in Japanese or English with subtitles (very important if you are half-deaf like me!). Some gamers, like my husband, prefer to play JRPGs in Japanese. For me, I rather stick to English because I find that Japanese ladies can’t sound tough even if their characters are meant to be uber-intimidating, i.e. Hrist in Valkyrie Profile.
The whole meat of this game is definitely the battles. Let me clarify: I do not play strategy games at all! Very rarely. The last time I play Starcraft, I got my behind handed to me by my friends 99% of the time. Likewise, when I play Warcraft III, I ended up cheating all the way just to see the story! But Valkyria is easy to catch on and turn based, which is most likely why I haven’t been annihilated yet…so far…err…*sweats.* So you have your tank, shocktroopers (SWAT Team), Lancers (Tank Killers), Scouts, Engineers, and Snipers. My favourite class is the sniper: I’m addicted to taking people down from afar while crouching behind a sandbag. Basically, you have a limited amount of turns to move your people from point A to point B depending on their stamina and a main objective to fulfill. Each time you choose to move one of your soldiers, you go from the overhead map to the battlefield. It is a unique turn based battle system dubbed Blitz (Battle of Live Tactical Zones). Trust me, it is less complicated that my description and tons of fun.
The battle system is easy to learn and never boring. Like golf, each battle is different. Even if you replay the same battle, there are so many variables that each battle is unique and never boring. It is even more fun if you decided to play without the guidebook. Even though my husband and I have many disagreements, it is still far more fun to play with him as an advisor than just following the step-by-step instructions given in the strategy guide. In fact, it is a wonderful bonding time. Plus, with my husband’s spot on advice, there is no way the Empire could beat me, mwhaha!
Story and character wise, I am only 10 hours into the game, but I’m having the feeling that I’m only scratching the surface. So far, Valkyria has proven to be a mature and sophisticated game that deals with issues like racial prejudice and the loss of your home. The characters are all very believable and well rounded. For example, one of the main characters, Rosie, is a wonderful person. Tough and willing to fight, friendly and nice at times, she showed her uglier side when she refused to work with someone of a different race. It is refreshing to see a game willing to tackle such a sensitive issue instead of sugar coating it and giving us, gamers, and a team works wonderfully like well-oiled clockwork from the beginning. Of course, having a science geek as the main hero also endeared the game to me.
In short, Valkyria is a strategy JRPG that you must try. It is addictive and a real fun to play. Right now, I can’t wait to go home and get my hands on the PS3. Time for me to save the world! Welkins FTW!
