Valkyria Chronicles 4
Rise of the valkyries
Valkyria Chronicles was underrated
when it first launched on PS3 almost
a decade ago, depicting a fictional
version of Europe during WWII with
a sweeping story that was both
charming and compassionate about
its subject matter. A tragedy, then, that the PSP sequels
never released outside of Japan, while the latest spin-off,
Revolution, changed everything for the worse.
So it’s a welcome relief that for its forthcoming
instalment Sega has followed Activision’s cue and gone
back to WWII – if WWII was an anime. Not only does it
bring back the brilliant BLiTZ (Battle of Live Tactical
Zones) battle system, a fusion of turn-based strategy
and third-person shooter, but the story also takes place
in the same time frame as the original game, as we
follow Armored Ranger Battalion Squad E in their fight
against the Imperial army during the bleakest and most
bitter of winters.
This more grounded return to the series’ roots is
another reason why Sega will be bringing Valkyria
Chronicles 4 to the West. The game is apparently 90%
complete, with a PS4 release set for March in Japan, but
while we wait for localisation, a remaster for Xbox One
and Switch players to catch up on the series for the first
time would be a no-brainer.