Senjou No Valkyria/Valkyria Chronicles Review

Valkyrie of the Battlefield puts you in the role of Welkin Gunther, a unit commander in the Gallian Military. Gallia is a small duchy located about where Holland is in the real world. In this games fictionalized version of 1930s Europe, its surrounded by the East European Imperial Alliance and the Atlantic Federation. At the start of the game, Welkin is returning home from university when the Empire invades in order to secure a source of the strategically important Ragnite ore. You command Welkin's unit throughout the ensuing conflict. The design team behind this game includes members who worked on both Skies of Arcadia/Eternal Arcadia, and Sakura Taisen, so expectations are pretty high going into this.

Graphics: The graphics in this game are simply stunning. Cel shading and filter effects make the game look as though it is a watercolor come alive, and the anime style characters are all well designed. The various cutscenes are also all well blocked.

Sound: The musical score is subtle, but beautifully done. The voice acting, at least in the Japanese version, is all very high quality. The sound effects also fit well, and most are accompanied by onomatopoeia such as "ダーン" when a gun fires.

Gameplay: Gameplay consists of two main parts: an overhead map where you can see the position of units and select them, and a third person shooter style section where you move the unit until you run out of action points. At the beginning of each turn, you are given a certain number of command points, and the turn ends when they are used up. Between battles you can level up or purchase various upgrades for your units. This works well overall, though it may not appeal to those who prefer faster paced games.

Overall: This game shouldn't be missed by anyone the slightest bit interested in the genre. Combining beautiful artwork with great sound and fun gameplay, games like this don't come around that often.