Random Why does no one talk about Valkyria Chronicles?

[RomaniMajorasMask]

Valkyria Chronicles was a hit game when it made it to the PS3! Amazing, hyper-stylized graphics that managed to make a 3D anime game look GOOD, amazing turn-based combat that does a good job at rewarding careful positioning and risk-taking, and a story that's captivating front to back. The voice acting to! For 2008, it was phenomenal.

But outside of old YT videos and forums dedicated to the game, you just never hear about it. And any chatter about Valkyria Chronicles 2 is DEAD, and god-knows it ain't getting a remaster. Poor PSP.
I think it's an amazing experience and I wish more people knew about it.

 

[OmegaPunch's icon OmegaPunch OmegaPunch]

That's what I'm saying!
The series is severely underrated and deserves more love!
What if they, for example, make another game that focuses on other wars? Or maybe previous ones?

 

[middler]

I think its because the series line is broken which makes it hard for non japanese players to truly enjoy. We got one and 4 which are debatably the best of them but only those of us that either emulate or read japanese can play the other games. It doesn't help that 2 and 3 are also trapped on the PSP.

 

[Muklas]

I've played both 2 and 3, 2 felt janky and 3 was actually pretty alright, though the game letting you have access to multiple Valks makes scout rushing still pretty easy

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

That's what I'm saying!
The series is severely underrated and deserves more love!
What if they, for example, make another game that focuses on other wars? Or maybe previous ones?

I think if they gave us 2 and 3 in a bundle on Steam, people COULD really fall in love.
2 is my favorite of them all. Focusing on more tight areas, a harder emphasis on fighting rather than scout rushing, and allowing side-content for all the recruitable characters. Beautiful!
Sure. I see some people might be a little upset over the swap from anime WW2 to anime military high school, but it's still so good!

I think all this series is great! I just wish it had more exposure!

Edit: Also, the idea of focusing on other wars IS a pretty cool idea! I ain't a history buff, but Valkyria Chronicles might make me one yet.

 

[OmegaPunch's icon OmegaPunch OmegaPunch]

I think if they gave us 2 and 3 in a bundle on Steam, people COULD really fall in love.
2 is my favorite of them all. Focusing on more tight areas, a harder emphasis on fighting rather than scout rushing, and allowing side-content for all the recruitable characters. Beautiful!
Sure. I see some people might be a little upset over the swap from anime WW2 to anime military high school, but it's still so good!

I think all this series is great! I just wish it had more exposure!

Wait, 2 is my favorite as well!
It's the first game in the series I've ever played!

 

[freebie#47]

I own all 4 games plus the Revolutions game. Also fun fact that Shining games on the psp used the same engine. I absolutely love these games.

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

Wait, 2 is my favorite as well!
It's the first game in the series I've ever played!

If I saw you, I might just kiss you.
Keep having good opinions. Valkyria Chronicles fans 4 lyfe.

 

[RustySK]

This reminds that I still haven't started 4 yet, despite having bought it ages ago. I really ought to get around to that game.

I really like the series! But yeah, its disjointed release structure is probably the primary reason it kind of lost its place in the limelight.
1 was great and received super positively, 2 was not only a console to portable shift, but also just... an odd game in general (glad to see people here enjoy it - my only real problem with it was always the school setting, but its gameplay is absolutely great!) and then we never even got 3 before they suddenly dropped 4.

For the average consumer that's just plain confusing. I definitely hope we get more of it some day.

Post automatically merged: Mar 18, 2025

I own all 4 games plus the Revolutions game. Also fun fact that Shining games on the psp used the same engine. I absolutely love these games.

Oh shit, I totally forgot Revolutions was a thing! Was that game any good?

 

[OmegaPunch's icon OmegaPunch OmegaPunch]

If I saw you, I might just kiss you.
Keep having good opinions. Valkyria Chronicles fans 4 lyfe.

Definitely!

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

This reminds that I still haven't started 4 yet, despite having bought it ages ago. I really ought to get around to that game.

I really like the series! But yeah, its disjointed release structure is probably the primary reason it kind of lost its place in the limelight.
1 was great and received super positively, 2 was not only a console to portable shift, but also just... an odd game in general (glad to see people here enjoy it - my only real problem with it was always the school setting, but its gameplay is absolutely great!) and then we never even got 3 before they suddenly dropped 4.

For the average consumer that's just plain confusing. I definitely hope we get more of it some day.

Post automatically merged: Mar 18, 2025

Oh shit, I totally forgot Revolutions was a thing! Was that game any good?

Yeah- in all honesty, thinking about it, Valkyria Chronicles swapped way too much from 1 to 2. Setting, tone, CONSOLE. I can't even blame ya, or anyone for that matter, for not liking the shift.

As for Revolutions, I tried it, and it was a completely different game gameplay wise. They brought back Selveria, and that shows me they didn't have enough faith in the game, and felt the need to odd "hot anime woman" to retain interest. Which is frankly.... SAD.

 

[moonbits]

Great game, bought it on launch. I still have my copy; bought it again on PC and then again on Switch. It was lighting in a bottle. Didn't like 2, 3 was great but didn't like the compromises; Didn't play 4 though I have it.

 

[ATenderLad]

Well, we just had a thread on the topic yesterday, so....welcome home, I guess!

 

[RustySK]

Yeah- in all honesty, thinking about it, Valkyria Chronicles swapped way too much from 1 to 2. Setting, tone, CONSOLE. I can't even blame ya, or anyone for that matter, for not liking the shift.

As for Revolutions, I tried it, and it was a completely different game gameplay wise. They brought back Selveria, and that shows me they didn't have enough faith in the game, and felt the need to odd "hot anime woman" to retain interest. Which is frankly.... SAD.

I think in theory the different setting could have worked even for me, but yeah, as you said - all of those changes just compounded upon one another. The tone is probably the biggest factor for me.

I really liked how the protagonist of the first game was pretty much just a dude with nothing particularly special about him - that, in combination with the oddly down-to-earth tone of the first game made it feel very real and sincere to me (even in spite of Selvaria and so on).
The switch from that to the second game was just jarring.

Looked up some Revolutions gameplay real quick - reminds me far more of Legend of Heroes than Valkyria Chronicles. Wonder what the backstory of that shift in style was.

 

[moonbits]

I think in theory the different setting could have worked even for me, but yeah, as you said - all of those changes just compounded upon one another. The tone is probably the biggest factor for me.

I really liked how the protagonist of the first game was pretty much a dude with nothing particularly special about him - that, in combination with the oddly down-to-earth tone of the first game made it feel very real and sincere to me (in spite of Selvaria and so on).
The switch from that to the second game was just jarring.

Looked up some Revolutions gameplay real quick - what an odd game that seems to be! Reminds me more of Legend of Heroes than Valkyria Chronicles. Wonder what the backstory of that shift in style was.

I wouldn't say that. Welkin has a love for life, biology and his background made him a likable and fitting protagonist to command a small army.

 

[RustySK]

I wouldn't say that. Welkin has a love for life, biology and his background made him a likable and fitting protagonist to command a small army.

Oh absolutely! A swell guy all around! I meant that more in the sense that he wasn't a fated chosen one, or the secret child of the enemy emperor or what have you.

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

Oh absolutely! A swell guy all around! I meant that more in the sense that he wasn't a fated chosen one, or the secret child of the enemy emperor or what have you.

Oh, okay! You're saying more-so on the level of he isn't SPECIAL-special.
Yeah! The protag being "just some dude" is one of my favorite things in games. I fell in love with Welkin off the rip. His nerdiness has such charm, and lines like "you remind me of a beetle," are sapped to my brain like a parasite.

 

[moonbits]

Oh absolutely! A swell guy all around! I meant that more in the sense that he wasn't a fated chosen one, or the secret child of the enemy emperor or what have you.

Absolutely agreed.

Spoiler

Alicia being the special character was more fitting and enjoyable as a twist.

 

[RanmyakuIchi's icon RanmyakuIchi RanmyakuIchi]

I enjoyed the first one well enough, I still need to get around to the others. I have them all, they just got lost in the infinite void that is my games backlog.

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

Playing the PSP versions of it. Enjoying it so far.

https://ᏟDᏒ.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Senjou_no_Valkyria_3_Extra_Edition_JPN_PSP-Coverart.jpg
Any new tips on it though ?

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

Playing the PSP versions of it. Enjoying it so far.

https://ᏟDᏒ.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Senjou_no_Valkyria_3_Extra_Edition_JPN_PSP-Coverart.jpg

You're doing yourself a favor!

Make sure you use Lotte in two. She's my favorite!
.. or don't!
OR DO BECAUSE SHE'S AWESOME-!

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

You're doing yourself a favor!

Make sure you use Lotte in two. She's my favorite!
.. or don't!
OR DO BECAUSE SHE'S AWESOME-!

 

[LoneTroglodyte]

Now you're speaking my language. I had to sell my entire PS4 collection a few years ago, but I kept my Valkyria Chronicles 4 and Cyberpunk 2077 collector's edition goodies.

 

[UnDubious]

I agree, switching to PSP killed the series' burgeoning momentum in the West, like Dragon Quest IX did after DQVIII. Going handheld for mainline series entries is basically a demotion, and that's probably why they switched to the military academy thing - a less ambitious, more generic otaku/young audience setting. But maybe that switch made sense business-wise, because this was a bad time period for console gaming in Japan in general while the DS & PSP were killing it. But IMO Valkyria is the second most interesting/important series Sega created post-Dreamcast along with Yakuza.

 

[Gabrinius]

I like all the four main games, i really like the gameplay of it. did not have the chance to play revolution much as it doesn't run well in emulator (the game will become unplayable after the first mission).


i personally like 1 and 3, which i think is the best one. sadly, as you mentioned before, only people who emulate or have an PSP that can run pirated games can play this one in understandable languages.

2 is...well, i simply can't like the characters, Avan and his "horribly shonem anime lines" really annoy me.
4 have a little of that problem too, but well... not as much.

I remember 2 having some sort of multiplayer (PSP was able to connect to another near PSP), but never got to know what it was about. Does someone knows about it? Co-op? Versus?

Well, about the franchise as a whole, certainly a (unfortunately) hidden gem...maybe one of the best.
and sadly, a victim of the horrible decisions of Sega that make so many good gems keep forever buried.