I must confess that I’ve been looking forward to Valkyria Chronicles since Howlett first showed me the trailer some months ago. A few weeks before its release he told me, “It looks this game was made for you”. It was true; a military themed strategy RPG with cute anime girls with guns was something I just couldn’t miss. It gave me that feeling that I have every once and a while, that someone in the big media machine is watching me. It’s happened before, when something that from my life shows up in an Internet comic or an ad runs on the radio for a clothing store that I just went to. Usually it’s rather unnerving but this time, I’m glad they did.

Developed by Sega, Valkyria Chronicles is a turn-based action/strategy RPG with real-time action elements. Players follow the exploits of 22 year-old Welkin Gunther as he and his fellow militiamen fight to defend their tiny country from a warmongering superpower. The game’s setting is an interesting reinterpretation of World War II, only stylized in a way only the Japanese can. Welkin’s country of Gallia is situated between The Empire in the east and The Federation in the west, two nations perpetually at war. When hostilities between the two erupt into the Second Europan War (that’s right I said Europan), The Empire invades a neutral Gallia for its rich resources and because they’re just evil like that.

You begin to realize that this is no ordinary WWII inspired game when you see soldiers with medieval helmets and lance-shaped bazookas. In general the visual style is an interesting mix of various European influences juxtaposed by uniquely Japanese character designs. While not as technically sophisticated as some other titles, the graphics are top notch as far as strategy RPGs are concerned. The characters themselves are beautifully rendered with a lot of attention paid to details in their uniforms and weapons. Equally striking are the various environments you’ll encounter including deserts, forests and besieged cities. Undoubtedly though, the game’s greatest visual achievement is the use of the new CANVAS graphics engine. At first, the CANVAS system may not seem all that impressive but the effect it creates is subtle yet evocative. Shadows and colours appear as if shaded in with a colour pencil giving a hand drawn look. Unfortunately, it is not always very noticeable, mostly during cut scenes, but when it is the results are remarkable. For example, when moving through a smoke screen, the image fades from full colour and detail to rough outlines and shading in black pencil (to simulate the smoke obscuring your vision) and then back again.

The hand-drawn effect CANVAS creates complements the story well as it is told through the narrative of a book. The story is divided into chapters each containing several episodes that are either cut scenes, dialogue sequences with animated headshots or missions. The missions are where all of the action (and actual gameplay) takes place. Each one is a self-contained map with one or more objectives. Battle begins with an overhead view of the entire battlefield but once you select one of your units the BLiTZ battle system takes over. The camera pans down to ground level for a third person view of the selected unit. From this view you can freely move your unit around the 3-D environment but moving consumes Action Points and the amount each unit gets is dependant on their class. Once you have a bad guy with range of your weapon you can enter targeting mode and move your aiming reticule much like a third-person shooter. Press the X button and they’ll unload a clip at the poor guy. If they’re still standing they’ll shoot back. Then you can use any AP you have left and end that action. The camera pans back up and you do it all over again with another unit until you run out of Command Points. It all sound pretty mundane except for the fact that while you’re moving your unit around enemies will repeatedly shoot at you, in real time, if you enter the range of their weapons. They’ll only stop when you end that action or enter targeting mode which means you’ll get all the time you need to line up headshots, which are surprisingly satisfying. The reverse is true during the computer AI’s turn; your guys will shoot at enemies as they approach. It may sound simple but the BLiTZ system really does make the action more intense as you dodge bullets running from cover to cover just to get that perfect shot. It’s something I’ve never experienced before in a turned-based strategy RPG and it’s really a lot of fun.

Supporting the battle mechanics are the RPG elements of the game. Early on in the game, you are asked to form a squad of 20 soldiers made up of the main characters and units from a pool of up to around 50 unlockable recruits. Each recruit is has a unique name, appearance, personality and set of voiced dialogue. They’ll also be one five infantry classes: scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers and snipers. Each class has their particular role in combat, especially in the latter part of the game when the differences are most pronounced. Every character has a set of potentials that are occasionally activated in battle under the right circumstances. These range from buffs like “Country Bred”, which increases accuracy when standing on dirt, to debuffs like “Aichmophobia” (fear of pointed objects), which lowers defense near lancers. Recruits can be swapped in and out of your squad at any time outside of missions. You won’t have to worry about leveling them up either as they receive experience and level up as a class not individually. Although there’s not much variety in weapons, they can be upgraded and new secondary weapons unlocked for some classes.

In general, the game fares well in the sound department with an orchestrated soundtrack, and great ambient noises like gunfire and radio chatter. The game is fully voiced in both English and Japanese, a huge bonus for Japanophiles or purists alike. That being said the English VOs are pretty good for the primary characters but significantly less so for supporting characters.

So what I’m really trying to say is…
Valkyria Chronicles is a great looking game and the CANVAS engine gives it a unique look. The BLiTZ system is rather innovative and adds an element of real time action that makes this game unlike any other turn-based strategy game. Getting to dodge bullets and actually aim your shots adds an additional layer of interactivity. Most importantly though, it strikes a good balance between turn based and action elements in a package that’s fun to play. There’s also a fair amount of replayability after you beat the game. You can restart using your clear game data unlocking a couple new features and with class levels and weapon upgrades intact. This game is a can’t miss for those hardcore fans of Japanese strategy/RPGs. While Sega’s breaking new ground, blending action elements with strategy, there still enough substance to keep you satisfied plus the original Japanese dubbing. Those new or curious to the genre would be well advised to pick it up. The gameplay is complex enough without being overwhelming and you might find the BLiTZ system more fun than the traditional offerings.

Valkyria Chronicles was provided courtesy of Sega America and retails $59.99 CND. Game completed in 44 hours.