Valkyria Chronicles Pre-Launch Event at the Playstation Store

On September 26th, Sega hosted a Pre-Launch event for its upcoming game, Valkyria Chronicles at the Metreon’s Playstation store in San Francisco. Attending was the game’s producer Ryutaro Nanoka, who was signing autographs and taking pictures. Every Playstation 3 console was loaded up with a demo of the game and the public was free to try it out.

Sega was also kind enough to give out raffle tickets which allowed those attending to have a chance to win a soundtrack of the game, some figurines of the in-game characters, an autographed poster and the grand prize: a Playstation 3 Console. Sadly, I did not win anything. However, I was handed 6 SEGA stickers from various employees so I only went home as a partial loser.

The game is a strange mix of Real-Time Strategy and First-Person Shooter. Though it might sound unappealing at first, like a Fried Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich, sometimes the most unusual combinations can be the most delicious. Like most strategy games, there are two armies, each consisting of various units. Each side gets a turn to move their units and attack. The player is given a certain number of Control Points to use to move their units. Different units take different amounts of control points (for instance, the tank unit costs two while an infantry unit costs only one). Once a unit is selected, they have a limited amount of Action Points to get into position and attack. Unlike in traditional turned-based strategy games, when it is your turn, the enemy will still shoot at you(and luckily, vice versa). So it is ill-advised to run up to a tank and try to hit it with a grenade. I tried this and died immediately. Positioning your units correctly can result in the enemy being trapped under a barrage of gunfire from multiple allies, even when it is not your turn. You must be careful not to run out of action points in the middle of the battlefield or else you’ll be easy pickings. Crouching behind sandbags or walls is an effective way to keep your units safe in between turns. Though it is possible to use the same unit multiple times in a turn, it comes at a cost of a significantly lowered Action Point meter, so choosing various units is to your advantage. The shooting aspect of it is extremely simplified, with auto-aim features for those who might not be experienced FPS heads. In the two maps that I played, multiple classes were featured:

• Tank: Wow. This thing is a beast. Seemed overpowered. Not only is it hard to kill, but its options of mortar, machine gun and anti-armor shells make it have great options against any opponent.
• Infantry: Though this unit has the least destructive power with only a rifle and some grenades, they also sport the most Action Points, giving them the most mobility.
• Lancer:The game’s anti-tank specialists. Their weapons, though lance-like in appearance, work more like rocket launchers. Great against tanks, not so great against infantry who can dodge the explosive projectiles.
• Assault: Sporting a machine gun, these units can deal some hefty damage at the cost of lower mobility.
• Engineer: Extremely useful for repairing your tanks.
• Sniper:Low mobility, but their long range rifles can easily decimate any enemy soldiers who aren’t covered.

Valkyria Chronicles sports over 50 characters, with multiple characters for each for each unit type. To add some individualism, each unit has unique “Potential” skills that set them apart from their comrades. These vary from a character being a “Nature Lover” so that they have better stats in the forest, or an older character having a “Bad Back” causing them to suffer if they crouch for cover too often.

The visuals for the game are similarly multifaceted in their look. Although the graphics themselves might not be on par with Metal Gear Solid 4, the stylized look and feel to the world is well executed. The cel-shaded characters are placed upon a storyboard/concept art backgrounds. The characters themselves definitely have an anime-esque feel to them due to hair and eye styles, yet they are dressed in drab outfits and the world itself is full of muted colors. Combine this with comic book style sound effects that display with every shot or explosion and the resulting battles look too cool for school.

Oh god, I have missed you.

Sega has also thrown in surprise cameos from its acclaimed 2000 RPG Skies of Arcadia. I was able to see Fina in the demo, who played the role of a medic that evacuated fallen soldiers in the field of battle. A Sega representative notified me that Vyse and Aika would be available as playable characters later in the game. I’m still waiting for my Skies sequel, but this ought to hold me over until that day comes.

The game’s demo will be available for all to try on Playstation Network come October 9th. The full version will available to buy on November 11th.