The U.S. is going to get its first Valkyria Chronicles game since 2010, even if it is a bit of a departure for the series.
Sony announced today on its PlayStation Blog that Valkyria Revolution, known in Japan as Valkyria Azure Revolution, is coming to Europe and the Americas in the spring. This will give fans of Japanese role-playing games something to look forward to on both the PlayStation 4 and, especially, the nigh-forgotten Vita portable (as a digital download).
Valkyria Revolution changes the gameplay from its predecessors, trading turn-based battles for real-time combat. Hmmm, a Japanese role-playing series that switched from turn-based fighting to real-time …. where have we heard that before? Valkyria Revolution also takes place in alternate timeline from the other games.
Sega’s Valkyria series started with Valkyria Chronicles, a turn-based strategy game with a Japanese take on the World War II aesthetic that came out for the PlayStation 3 in 2008. It saw two sequels come out for the portable PSP. Valkyria Revolution’s journey beyond Japan was never a sure thing, since Valkyria Chronicles III for the PSP never saw a release outside of the publisher’s home country.
However, Valkyria Chronicles performance on Steam when was it released on that PC digital store in 2014 surprised Sega. At one point, it was the third best-selling game on the platform, behind only Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Sega’s own Football Manager 2014. Valkyria Chronicles also received a new remastered release on the PlayStation 4 this May.
“Valkyria Revolution shows how a single spark can ignite the inferno of war,” Sony details on the PlayStation Blog. “Five lifelong friends consumed by personal revenge plunge an entire continent into a terrible war, sacrificing the lives of countless innocents for a cause based on twisted half-truths and outright lies. This Circle of Five use their combined political and military influence to motivate their small, economically blockaded homeland to rise up as a powerful resistance against imperialist oppressors.”
Valkyria Revolution is still about tactics, as you can customize the AI of your friends and upgrade your weapon through a skill tree.