[Review] Valkyria Chronicles 4 – A Few Good Men

It is quite difficult to describe the genre of the Valkyria Chronicles, as it does something similar to other games to it but yet not quite. While for the most part this is a turn-based strategy RPG, its approach to it is so unique, we wonder why other games have yet to actually emulate it.

After over a decade since the release of the first game, we finally get the fourth installment, where is aptly named Valkyria Chronicles 4. This also marks the return of the series on the a full fledged console, as the second and third game were PSP exclusives.

Despite the 4 in its moniker, this is not a sequel of sorts, as it takes place in parallel with the first Valkyria Chronicles. While it is essentially the same conflict, the war here is being fought on different fronts against the same enemy. This time around, players follow the exploits of Squad E of the Gallian Army, that must fend of the advances of the Eastern Imperial Alliance.

Right off the bat, you are thrown in the middle of chaos with little background explanation, although it does pepper the game with some exposition here and there in order for new players to get a grasp of what is going on. The include codex also does a great job in painting a broader picture of the Second Europan War, which fans of the original may appreciate as well. Regardless, the game is enough to get into without having any prior knowledge of the past games.

The cell-shaded hand-drawn look of the original game has been carried over here. The great thing about this style is that it has not aged a single. The subdued tone brought about by that muted water colour palette fits the tone of the game.

So what about the gameplay itself? The Valkyria Chronicles has always distinguished itself with a system which combines turn-based and real-time mechanics, both working in unison. Battles start traditionally much like games similar to it where you are given an overhead view of the battlefield. You get a layout of the map in general and key information, although you will be going in blind for the most part. Once you have decided on the units you choose to field, you are given a set amount of turns to position them around the map.

Each unit meanwhile has a fixed amount of action points which allow them to traverse the battlefield. For example, scouts, while feeble, are your bread and butter units who will move around the map exposing enemy locations. While they can engage in combat, you will have to make sure that you are facing lone enemies as, they will not survive should they be overwhelmed. Shock troopers with their machine guns will make short work of any enemy unit, but they have low mobility. There is a good mix of units here, and Valkyria Chronicles 4 adds the new grenadier class to the lineup, which opens up an entirely new way of playing the game.

Victory conditions here mostly involved capturing enemy bases, but there are several ways of approaching this. It all boils down to perfect positioning and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your individual units. There is not much room for error here, because as while the AI is not particularly intelligent, they will ruin your day if you make a misstep. If you do not rescue fallen units in time, you lose them forever, so there is that to consider.

You are granted experience points and resources upon successful completion of every mission. Experience points go towards improving your classes, in addition to unlocking new orders and potentials, more on that later. Resources in turn go towards strengthening hardware and researching new ones. There are also unique gear which can only be obtained through completion of certain objectives, such as killing a specific enemy officer. These are completely hidden, so you will keep your eyes peeled for those.

As you only ever have a handful of soldiers at your disposal, Valkyria Chronicles has always placed emphasis on the squad dynamics and interpersonal relationships. New to the fourth game is the addition of squad stories. Using squad members who have an affinity for one another will eventually open up unique mission solely based around them. Not only does this help you connect with your troops, but it also grant them special abilities that you otherwise will not be able to learn.

The best way to describe our experience playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 would be something akin to coming. It pretty much gives fans of the franchise more of the same, while allowing new players to sample what the series represents. There are some creeping issues we wish the developer had addressed, but those are fairly minor and is not in any way a dealbreaker.

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