I have to again give thanks to Project X Zone. I've immersed myself in several games this past summer due to the variety of characters from that game in particular. I've gotten my hands on several different RPGs and a hack/slash/adventure game series. I'll write reviews on those games once I finish them or get the chance to review the ones I already finished. Today's post is about a game I've played almost two months ago and enjoyed overall. This game is a strategy/tactical game loosely based on World War 2 in Europe called Valkyria Chronicles.Gameplay: You are in charge of a squad of about twenty people and two tanks. One of the tanks is your commander, once lost, you lose the game. Moving your units is pretty straight forward, just pick one and move him or her to whatever location. You do have a limit on the distance you can travel which will decrease if you move the same unit again. Action wise you can only do one action per pick such as
heal, use a grenade, fire rifle, etc. If you want to do another action you have to pick the same unit again. The object of the missions is to capture the enemy base camp and/or complete mission specific tasks such as eliminate all enemies, activate a switch, evacuate people, defend a gate, etc. These missions are turn based where you move first and your opponent moves after. Once you use all your command points- currency to use units: one to use a foot soldier, two for tanks, and one-two for using special orders- or end turn the enemy moves and vice-verse. The orders are used to help either strengthen, heal, or raise stats of your units. Speaking of strengthening you can upgrade your units/tanks by upgrading weapons, leveling them up with experience, and replaying missions to earn extra money and experience. The gameplay can become quite challenging if you don't take time to build up your squad. By all means do it whenever you have a lot of money and experience.
Story: Set during 1930's Europa, two superpowers the Eastern Imperial Alliance and Atlantic Federation start a war against each other. The small nation of Gallia, situated between these two factions, get involved once the Imperials attack them for Gallia's abundance in a fuel source called ragnite. The Imperials also have a special weapon aside from their technologically superior army, a descendant of Valkyria. An ancient race with powers strong enough to wipe out a civilization. As leader of Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia, your task is to lead your troops, push back the enemy, and defend your homeland.
Lieutenant Welkin Gunther: Son of a famous general and leader of Squad 7.
Alicia Melchiott: Your subordinate and love interest who supports your efforts.
Isara: Adopted sister and engineer of your tank, "The Edelweiss."
Maximilian: Commander-in-chief of Imperial Alliance and suffers from an ego complex.
General Selvaria Bles: Descendant of Valkyria and one of three Imperial generals.
Review: Again it was thanks to Project X Zone that led me to this game. I had a broad idea of what to expect but I got pulled in with the lovable characters, gameplay, and interesting story. The gameplay was also fun. I never really played a strategy/tactical RPG in that kind of manner. I really enjoyed the characters and story which left me wanting to possibly look into the sequels. I would get into it but I don't want to spoil it for everyone. You'll have to try the game yourself.
The only downside is that you have to play constantly if you want to get some of the best stuff and leveling your squad to its maximum potential. The gameplay can get boring if you replay missions over and over again. Unfortunately that's what happens when you play the same game again and again.
Pros:
- Great Story
- Lovable Characters
- Fun gameplay
Cons:
- Repetitive gameplay can get boring.
Overall I'm giving this game a rating of 4 to 5 stars. I personally enjoyed it but I'm sure there are fans of Advanced Wars and other such tactical RPG games that could be a little better. I may look into the sequels but they're available only on the playstation portable. Who knows but for now I'll probably review the games I haven't yet.
