Review: Valkyria Chronicles Remastered

In case the word “remastered” in the title didn’t give it away, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is a jazzed up version of a game released way back in 2008. You should be familiar with this concept by now; the only real question for remasters like this is if we need each as they come to light. I missed Valkyria Chronicles the first time so I didn’t know what to expect. After half an hour, I was hooked. This is a definitely remaster worth checking out.

Valkyria Chronicles is a third-person, turn-based strategy title with a hefty helping of JRPG-style offerings to even things out. If you’ve ever played Advance Wars or Fire Emblem, you’ll have an idea of what to expect. Valkyria Chronicles brings that style of game into the third dimension the same way Ocarina of Time did for the Zelda series. It may not be as groundbreaking but its certainly brings a few new elements to the genre. It’s the next logical step for this style of game — something I always wanted as a kid. More control means you aren’t limited to certain squares on the map like some bastardised chess board. An extra dimension allows snipers to hide way up in towers so you can get the drop on unsuspecting enemies.

Unfortunately, its story is presented in the form of a book that’s completed as the game progresses. It feels quite dated; while there is a story related payoff for it late in the game, it’s still a little jarring by today’s standards. The presentation is once again the culprit for my only other real gripe: its weird letterboxing. I understand its a style choice to partially omit the extremes of the screen but its so distracting. It looks like an anime version of Winnie the Pooh… with guns. Eventually I stopped seeing it so much but it never really stopped bothering me.

It wont take long for you to bump into the crazy difficulty curve. This game gets hard and just keeps getting harder. Its nice to have it be challenging because it make the reward feel that much sweeter but there’s little warning and no way to control it. Its not enough to make you want to stop playing but it does change Valkyria Chronicles from a game you can play for hours on end to a game best played in short bursts. Luckily books and games presented as books are divided into chapters, wink.

Each new battle brings something different and adds it to the ever growing list of things you’ll need to juggle. By the end of the game the stakes have been raised to an outrageous level and you have a ridiculous arsenal of tricks to combat your enemies. The game play starts strongly and slowly improves throughout and the story supports it flawlessly.

The game follows two main characters: Welkin (no that’s not a typo) and Alicia as the pair fight for their freedom and their country. This is basically a slightly altered version of World War II. The cel-shaded anime style may not seem like the right choice for such heavy subject matter but that’s the brilliant thing about it. From the get go you’re lulled into a cutesy world and constantly thrown curve balls.

Valkyria Chronicles certainly doesn’t pull its punches with its reference material yet it somehow manages to blend it with whimsical fantasy. I know it sounds like it won’t work, but it’s fantastic. It’s like it setts the tone wrong intentionally just to surprise you. It lowers your expectations then easily blows them away.

I found myself taking plenty of breaks while playing and I stumbled upon an anime adaptation of the game. It was just different enough to keep me interested and used the characters I was already invested in and expanded their personalities. I wouldn’t say its a necessity but it increased my interest in the game and answered some of the questions I have for the setting.

Other than my initial dislike of the presentation decisions, this game is really hard to fault. It does everything it sets out to do exceptionally well and does it while looking great. I don’t mean it looks great for an 8 year old game either –this is a pretty game and always has been. Cel-shading isn’t that easy to get right either and Valkyria Chronicles managed to be one of the best examples of it a few years into the last gen cycle.

Its replay value is the cherry on top. After getting swept away in a crazy ending that ticked all my boxes I kept playing for a few hours. My new obsession was trying to get the best rank on each map and boy it’s addictive. Ploughing through the early levels with all your powers and knowledge is also plenty of fun.

I started playing Valkyria Chronicles Remastered with no expectations and walked away amazed. Early on I thought it was just a strategy game but the narrative is clearly worthy of its own anime series. If you’re even slightly interested in Valkyria Chronicles, I recommended it completely. It may strike you as strange at first but stick it out and enjoy the journey, it’s worth the time.

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered was reviewed using a promotional code on PS4, as provided by the publisher.

Review: Valkyria Chronicles Remastered

The good Looks wonderful. Fantastic story. Addictive gameplay.	The bad Dated presentation. Difficulty may scare some players off.

Want to know more about our scoring scale?