What a game what a game what a GAME!

I played the first Valkyria Chronicles in 2016 without ending it because of highschool exams at that time. Nonetheless, I never forget it: Alicia was my desktop wallpaper for years and I considered this game the pinacle of the genre waaaaaaaaay ahead of Xcom for instance.

I bought this game before my switch and fell instantly in love with it. I mean, there's a shiba with a cap on the box, how could I resist? I started it on august 2022 and finished it, 70+ hours later, the 1st march of 2024.

Where do I start? I'm kidding, the only thing that matters is gameplay. It is... Tasteful. Extatic. Carefully crafted. Polished. Subtle.
The game's a TPS-Tactical-RPG. You control a squad during an alternative WWII leading its way through axis troops using two weapons: guns and minds. At the beginning of your round your given action points. You can spend one to control one of your squad member. If you do so, the game stop being turn based to become real-time based until your character has done an action (disarming a bomb, firing its rifle, launching a grenade, healing its wounds...) and/or is exhausted.

This. This smart, subtle game design tweaks, in which actions aren't solely random based (as they are in most Tactical games) but are also skill based (you have to aim before shooting, carefully watch for your step to not be seen/ to not walk on a mine...) is -there I say it- one of the best idea of game design I have ever seen in my life. It brings a ton of dynamism to the fights, as well as a massive amount of tactical depth. For instance, moving your sniper to the top of a building makes a lot more sense than it does in Xcom, because in Valkyria, doing so actually CHANGES the perspective from which your soldier sees the enemies, which means it changes the actions your soldier can do (aiming for the head instead of the belly, aiming for a contextualized action like shooting an explosive barrel, retreating because you discover 5 more enemies that were hidden before...)

So, this is the basis of the franchise. It was fun in 2006, believe me it is still fun nowaday. So what's new gameplay-wise? Well, aside from new characters (I'll speak about that below), the main novelty is... Mortars! Yay! Litteraly a brand new dimension: now, placing your soldiers under roofs is crucial. Interceptions, which are automatic counterattacks of soldiers during real time phases, are totally changed: you don't want to go through a field covered by mortars. Mortars can also attack tanks, neutralizing their tracks and dealing them moderate to major damages. Eventually, mortars redefine the role of snipers, that are now either more short-range semi-shocktrooper capable of picking key units, either very long range pickers very useful to counter enemy mortars.

This is tasty. But that's not all. Because you know, sega can be generous. Now, every class (there are 6 of them) can equip three different weapons slightly modifying the specialty of the soldier. In addition, mid game, you receive a brand new side weapon for each class that redefine the way they're played. Scouts become semi long range soldier capable of destroying covers with their grenade launcher. Shoctroopers gain the ability to clean very large areas thanks to flame throwers. Anti-tank units can become less specialized in anti-tank job and much more deadly for infantry troops.

Did I talk about tanks? I didn't talk about tanks. Some units are tanks. Tanks are armoured: They're essenstial to protect your unit and charge strong enemi units. Unfortunatley, they're large: there are areas they canno't reach, and you must watch for anti tank mines as they are deadly for your tracks and healthpoints. This 4th episode adds 2 mores tanks to the game. One of them is capable of transporting troop, which is again the best idea they could have had. It redefines your game plan between small squads: the scout squad going forward in a light armoured tank and the big guns following as fast as they can.

A lead and promotion system is included. you can define which caracter of your squad is a leader, and then you can use leaders to move several units in a single move. This again is very pleasant and subtle.

All this wonderful gameplay is deserved by top-tier level design. Objectives are varied. Maps are great. They're re-used a ton of times in very clever ways. The pace is MAMA WAHOU I LIKE IT. Really, this is a wonderful action experience...

...Deserved by a wonderful RPG experience! Each of your soldier is actually someone. That is great storywise (I'll get to it better), but that's also great gameplay-wise. Because people are people. They aren't perfect. Some people are distracted for instance. That mean they can loose their ammo on the battlefield. Some other people are racist. That means if you put them at the immediate proximity of darcsen (the quivalent of real life jewish people), they'll be debuffed. Some people like to tchi-tchat, which lower their precision.

But of course people also have qualities. Being daredevil is quality on the battlefield: it allows you to play with your life in the worst circustances. Being sadistic, or full of hatred toward the enemy can also be a wonderful quality (I think you begin to see why this game is also perfect narratively-wise). The consequence of all of it is that my favourite soldier is a nazi. This is morally interesting. I love you Viola. Yeah, i love you too Vancey. Yeah, I love you too Lily. I love you all.

All these gameplay traits are served by wonderful chara-design, which lead to a wonderful progression system. Honnestly, it is one of if not the best chara design I have seen in... There again certainly my entire life. It is Kojima-tiers. For instance, a sniper is bold. Being bold reflects light: I know it, I'm bold myself depsite being 25. This character has a debuff in discretion because of its chara design. It is as clever as funny. A girl wears an iron mask and helmet. Consequences: she barely cannot see. Consequences bis: she is immuned to critical hits on headshots. A french girl is -what else- a professionnal swordwoman. It increases its damage in close quarter combat, but decreases its precision overall. My personnal favorite "little story between the gameplay" is the following one. A female character has the following trait: Unintentional flirt. What does it do? It lowers its avoidance when she crouches. Translation: she has a very nice butt. Let's be honnest, it is funny and smart.

As stated before, this also features a wonderful progression system. If you play enough with your favourite soldier, he'll rank up. Once he reaches the grade of caporal, you unlock his "squad story". A squad story is a dedicated story and level, aside the main quest, that explores a part of the character's background aswell as the friends he teams with. Of course, everything is very well written, using characters personalities to establish interesting situation varied by their tone and objectives. Once you've beat the situation, characters learn from their defaults and mistakes. As a consequences, their affinities with other squad member change, as well as their traits. For instance, a japan undercover spy that cannot hold its secret anymore (and is addicted to men's pheromons but that's another sotry) is much more relaxed once its secret is discovered: its debuffs change for buffs. Another example is a constantly drunk shocktrooper that remembers she's actually a former elite soldier, which unlock its inner potential in combat (instead of simply getting in a etyl comat in the middle of a fight lmao)

The main story and main character are great. I think they're a little bit, but just a little bit under Valkyria Chronicles 1 characters (I mean, there was a massive sergent weighting 200kg who was fond of vegetables in the 1st game), which actually means they're above pretty much any game in the industry. Story wise, I think it's a little bit under the 1st game aswell, which showed harsh things such as concentration camps in a very japanese way of talking about war (which mean a way of talking about war as it really is: a catastrophe), but it nonetheless is very appealing. It namely deals with the military AND civilian use of nuclear technology in a way I'll never forget. There are very smart twists in the human relations, as well as a full development of the world. Antagonists are, imho, very human, which makes them waaaay more terrifying and interesting. I really want to talk more on this, but this imply spoiling so I won't : go play this game, we'll talk later.

Did I mention both graphics and sounds are 10/10? They are.

There are virutaly no reason why you should'nt play this game if your just a bit into videogames, japanese games and/or tactical RPGs. As for myself, I consider it the pincale of the genre. It is a masterpiece beyond the materpieces. It has earned the temporary spot on my favourite games list on backloggd, taking the place of Katamari Damacy (which you should play aswell).

Have a nice day, and play Valkyria