Valkyria Chronicles 4

A tale of war, bigotry, friendship, and the human condition Valkyria Chronicles manages to combine a captivating story with a unique combat system!

The original Valkyria Chronicles made a big splash on PS3 with its brilliant mix of strategy and action, a fascinating story and characters, and a gorgeous sketchbook art style. Since then, however, the franchise has hit stumbling blocks with the second entry on PSP not gaining as much traction, a third game never even making it to the west, and the spinoff Valkyria Revolution having a very lukewarm reaction from fans and critics alike. Now, 10 years later, Valkyria Chronicles 4 brings a grand return to the series’ roots, and boy what a return it is. A fantastic story, well-developed character...

As a story and as a turn-based strategy, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is another amazing entry in a beloved franchise.

By improving upon previous features and not changing what wasn’t broken, Valkyria Chronicles 4 feels like a true sequel that fans have been waiting for.

Sega explores the art of war in this beautiful strategy sequel.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 rights the ship after Valkyria Revolution almost sank it. Fans of strategy RPGs should definitely try the demo out and see if the game is right for them.

In the arms of an artillery-firing angel.

Battles start with an overhead map view. From here you position and deploy your troops, drawn from a constantly topped up pool of new recruits. Select a soldier and the view swoops down to ground level, giving you full control of the character in question. You're free to move them around in real-time, though each step uses up some of their finite Action Points.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a game of extremes. Its romantic attitude towards soldiers clashes with a desire to tell a tale of mass violence and corpse-laden battlefields. It is as intimate as it is loud, and each moment captivates even if the parts are often greater than the whole.

Though it suffers from some relatively minor pacing issues, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a sublime strategy experience that fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on. The engaging, character-driven plot, third-person action, deep customization options, and high replayability make this one an easy recommendation, although pacing issues and cumbersome menu management may make it a little more intimidating to newcomers to the genre. We're also undecided about where it fits in the franchise hall of fame; the original game perhaps just shades it. All the same, we’d recommend you give Valkyria Chronic...

Ultimately, despite being the fourth game in its series, Valkyria Chronicles 4 really is the sequel Valkyria Chronicles needed, and I have to say that I’m pleased that war has never looked more pleasant.

What remains, even still, is a sense of contradictory emotions. I do love Valkyria Chronicles 4 for many reasons. Its characters are more endearing than any I had encountered in the series thus far and its systems and mechanics are still as engaging as ever. However, there is still plenty going against even its most positive attributes. Unable, or simply refusing, to acknowledge its own identity as a product of anti-fascist ideals, I can’t help but find its story underwhelming. More concerned with its own past than its future, I also can’t help but find its systems simply more of the same. Tha...