Product ReviewsValkyria Chronicles (Sony PlayStation 3, 2008)

Great PS3 Game!

A great game that deserved more recognition when it was the first release. I enjoy the art style and to me, it has aged quite well. The story is compelling and even though I'm not usually a strategy game person, but more RPG the combat was easy to pick up and addicting to play. To me it was more RPG with strategy elements. Definitely worth playing. If you can find the original for a decent price, pick it up!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: juststardust2000a

Oh that$ my $hit;)

Good game overall. Nice cell shade graphics. comic book sound effects(biff, bad, POW; seriously) when stuff is going down. Can't jus run through, have to actually put some thought into your moves. Story is good. Very good title for Sega. You have to think, these are the people who made Sonic the hedgehog. .../ World's apart...Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: italia11283

Awesome game w/ RPG elements

I initially purchased this game as a Christmas present for a friend. After watching him play it though, I knew I wanted to play it too. So I got it from him after he finished it. Let me just say from reading descriptions of the game, it only seemed vaguely interesting to me. Also, I have never gotten into what I consider an RPG type of game, beyond maybe something like Civilization.

Having said that, I hope you know what Civilization is because I'm going to compare this game to it a bit. Whereas in Civilization you are ruler of your own country, determining what gets built, send troops off to war, etc.; in Valkyria Chronicles I think of this game more as a being the leader of your troops (based loosely on WWII). You determine which units to use in a battle, which units to use against enemy units for the best match up, and how best to complete the objective of each operation.

There are several different types of militia units used: armored tank, scout, shocktrooper (machine gun), lancer (rocket propelled grenade), sniper, and engineer. Each has their own abilities and limitations. For example, a scout doesn't have the firepower or health level that a shocktrooper has, but they can travel nearly twice as far per turn.

During the game you earn experience points and another type of points (I can't remember what they are called, but I believe they use DCT to identify them, so that is what I'll use.) You earn both types of points by doing different battles & skirmishes. The Experience Points you use to level up each of your unit types (except the tank). You use the DCT points to upgrade your weapons and your tanks. You also use DCT points to unlock new orders that can be given to troops, such as retreat, all defend, etc; and they may be used to purchase additional story line and occassional battles through the reporter screen. You can earn more points by winning the mission in as few turns as possible and by defeating tanks and opposing military leaders.

I think total there are 19 Chapters to the game (I'm only on Chapter 11 now). Typically each chapter includes 1 battle, though some contain more than 1. Some are tougher than others, and you will most definitely be doing them multiple times as you figure out how best to complete the mission. Though please note once you completely finish the battle you can't go back and redo it. You can only redo the skirmishes multiple times to add to your Experience and DCT points.

Graphically, the game is beautiful and exactly what you would expect from a PS3 game. Challenge wise, the game is dead on and will keep you puzzled throughout most battles as what to do next.

I'd say there are 3 things the game developers could have done to make this a better game:
1) Add more types of militia units to the mix
2) Add an online mode to the game that allowed you to randomly square off against other players using boards from the game
3) Provide trophy support to the game. While I'm not that into trophy collecting, I admit it is nice to see that I've gotten some through game play. Also, it would have been really easy for them to do, as they already give you a grade of A to F and award points to you after a battle based upon how quickly you complete a mission.

Hope you found this helpful!Read full review...

Corny characters but great gameplay

I get so sick of the corny characters and predictable storyline in this game, but the gameplay itself is excellent, and that is what keeps me from throwing it in the trash. If you like action/adventure and strategy games, this might be it for you. Just skip the story scenes.

This strategy game is unique to any others in that when a unit is selected among your troops, the camera actually zooms into the battlefield and takes on the perspective of the unit, so you can control the unit as if you're on the battlefield itself.

This game is also like a rpg in that you can upgrade your units to unlock special abilities as well as equip them with better weapons as you progress through the game.

There are also a lot of unlockables (weapons, missions, medals, etc) that encourages the curious to beat the game all over again.

Overall, I'd say this is a good game that's worth buying.Read full review...

A satisfying beautiful game

This game is totally recommended for SRPG gamers. From the graphics, to the story, to the gameplay; you can tell everything was developed with great care. Upon initiating the game, you are treated to some of the best cell shaded graphics Ive seen. The art style (CANVAS) really sets a mood for the game. At the same time, the musical score is right there with the graphics creating an atmosphere with its symphonic tunes. But the main reason this game is so good is that only better than the great graphics and music, is the story and the gameplay. The story is not told in a traditional fashion. Instead it is organized into a book, divided into chapters and episodes, which you can view at anytime you want and as many times as you may need. Inside the book you also find a glossary, character and weapon database, as well as your headquarters and other goodies. The story is a wonderful fantasized version of the time in which europe was at WWII. War has broke between the 2 superpowers of Europa (The empire and the federation) and in the middle of the conflict is a small nation (Gallia). As to defend it, its citizens are dragged into war. At the centre of this is Welkin Gunther and his squad, this young group of soldiers will be key to the salvation of their country. The story is shockfull of unlockable side stories and the characters each are unique and pretty deep, which is emphasized even more by some wonderful voice acting, I am particular surprised at how great the english dub is, since usually it tends to be rather weak compared to the japanese original voice over. Finally the gameplay is Valkyria's best aspect. Its strategy heavy and with hectic action. You take control of your different units (5 types along with a tank unit) from an overhead map view, in which your units are represented by icons. You use command points to move your units (ground units use 1 and tanks use 2). You are given a set amount at the beginning of each turn and unused ones carry over to the next turn. Once you select a unit, you go into a 3rd person view of your unit and are allowed to move freely through the battlefield and perform an action, like attack or heal or throw grenades or some special action. You can move around your character as long as you have action points which are represented by a depleting bar. You can move the same unit again by using another command point on it but you get a action point handicap as to moderate the abuse of this feature. Besides battling with units, you can use cover or interact with some objects on the field. There are also orders which you can issue using command points to enhance or support your units in some way. Battles can be very varied, they can vary from a typical skirmish in which you gotta take on all the opposing forces, or take their base camp, or defeat a boss like unit, or save someone whos been kidnapped or go on a stealth mission. Some missions might seem impossible at first and use up all the turns (max 20) and still fail, but after 2 tries you have a complete strategy which wins the battle for you in the first turns. This is typical in this game. Theres a great sense of satisfaction in completing a mission quickly using well planned strategies. All in all this game is wonderful, its one of the best SRPG games Ive played in a long time, its innovative without sacrificing the strategy aspect. Its wonderful to behold and listen and fantastic to play. I consider it to be a 10 out of 10 and a must have for PS3.Read full review...

Great concepts, graphics, and story but unpolished.

Love the game, but some aspects just feel like they could have been done better. Not so much glitchy as unclean. Wish there was a little more variety to the missions, as most are just move as fast as you can to capture a base or kill an enemy. Grades given out after missions are solely based on turns to complete, not kills, death of teammates or efficiency w/ player positioning.Due to the great amount of bonus EXP given out for better grades results in missions being rushed, and it doesn't really allow players to use their own strategy. Would be AMAZING if there were a multi-player mode, whether it be online or same console turn based. Still a good game if you can pick it up at a discount. Classes and individual players special attributes make it a very innovative strategy game. 9/10Read full review...

Valkyria Chronicles is an RTS RPG unlike any other!

Valkyria Chronicles is a very innovative game. It successfully merges many different gameplay genres together to create something truly unique and memorable. The player uses command points to move different units. The units are selected in the 2D overhead view. The game than transforms into a 3D view allowing the player to take control of the unit in real time. The player can move the unit and aim for an attack much like in 3rd person action games. Aiming for enemy heads will result in greater damage dealt to them, also sneaking behind enemies negates counterattacks. In later levels armored vehicles are introduced, these further enhance the strategy element in the game. The game encourages the player to achieve victory as quickly and efficiently as possible because the experience bonuses are awarded for quickness. There are five unit classes in the game, the experience that you earn can be used to level up an entire unit class. All the units within a certain class get the benefits from the level up. This shifts the focus of the game from leveling up individuals to defeating the enemy using strategy.

Pros: Nice comic book visuals and art style. Fun and innovative gameplay. Plenty of different ways to customize your squad, including buying new upgrades for tanks. Equip different weapons for your units. The game has a well written story with good voice acting. The game consists of 18 chapters and has bonus skermish battles, so it has plenty of gameplay to keep you entertained for 40+ hours. The game can also be played again with your squad from previous play through.

Cons: The artificial intelligence in the game is questionable. The enemy units run around or waist turns without getting much done. Near the end you are forced to fight in some unfair battles, the clash with super powered foes can cause frustration. V. Chronicles has no multiplayer mode which is a darn shame.

Overall this Real Time Strategy Action RPG is unlike any other that I have ever played. That alone says just how unique this game is. I hope that the Valkyria Chronicles will become a franchise with many sequels because of its many innovations.Read full review...

Great story + Great characters = Great Game

I've been wanting this game for a while since it first came out but never picked it up. After reading a lot of great reviews and getting hearing good things from friends who had it, I finally decided to pick it up.

I love the art style of the game. It constantly looks like a a drawing coming to life as you play and helps lend a very unique look to the game. The voice acting is also very well done which makes the characters feel like more people than just random persons on screen. Game play is a hybrid of real time strategy and turn based actions which makes for a one of a kind experience.

The game also has a good length to it with extra DLC that adds extra missions and a new difficulty to extend the game even further. Once you've beaten it you can even replay levels to get a better ranking! My only complaint is the game doesn't have trophies via the Playstation Network, but that's just a personal thing.

Overall very happy with the game and at a price of around $20 is hard to beat. If you're a fan of games like Fire Emblem or enjoy planning out your moves to achieve victory, this game is for you.Read full review...

Valkyria Chronicles

Decided to buy it because of the hype surrounding the game despite the fact that it's been so hard to find.

The game is exactly what I expected, which is a turn-based strategy game that attempts to really get you involved in the character development of your (extremely large) cast of characters.

I recommend that you play the demo before purchasing the game because its slow-moving nature may frustrate those expecting more of an action game.

As it is, I love having to choose which type of unit (scout, tank-killers, engineers, snipers, etc.) and having to play to their strengths while also feeling the pressure to complete each level quickly in order to gain the most experience and resources as rewards at the end of the battle.

Probably the most frustrating element for me is that you are not allowed to replay a battle upon completing it. I understand that this is done in order to allow for story continuity (and the fact that it would complicate things if one of our characters had died in the battle), but if I feel that I can do a better job on a level, I would like to be able to do it immediately. Either way, it was an artistic decision and I understand where they were coming from.

All in all, if you're into strategy games then I highly recommend it.Read full review...

Buy Valkyrie

It’s a great game for the ps3 console!! Graphics are good and not much lag issues. Good action. I enjoyed the game, so I’m going to recommend it!!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: micbru_1606