Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Review
Valkyria Chronicles has come a long way since its humble beginnings back on the PlayStation 3. Since its release in 2008 developer Sega has spawned two handheld sequels, a browser game - and more recently a PC port of the original last year. Now with a renewed interest in the series, the game has made its way on over to the PlayStation 4 and with it the hope of a reignited future now built on the back of this HD remaster and the upcoming Valkyria: Azure Revolution.
Similar to the PC port, Valkyria Chronicles on PS4 has seen significant visual upgrades over its PS3 counterpart. Coming in at 1080p and 60 frames per second, Sega’s Canvas Engine has been upped to a greater degree of detail here. Despite the game’s age, now it certainly shines in the visual department.
The core of the game remains the same as always: a blend of turn-based strategy RPG and shooter with the player given freedom over squad members on the battlefield. Strategy and unit management come in to play as top priorities that keeps you on your toes from battle to battle. One wrong move can easily land you in hot water and as a result Valkyria Chronicles really pushes the player to take things slow and plan out attacks.
Turn based elements come into play with your field units. Each squad member can move positions using Action Points with one action enabled per turn. It’s important to pay attention to your class types depending on the situation too. You’ll need all the help you can get against some of the larger enemy types – and later on, boss fights. Certainly, even prepared the game isn’t exactly easy.
The story elements in Valkyria Chronicles hold up quite well. Water color cutscenes paint the story of an alternate World War II and the war between Gallia and the East European Imperial Alliance as the two struggle over a precious natural resource called Ragnite. Various chapters detail the main scenario and its main characters Welkin and Alicia as well as a massive supporting cast who all have a role to play in holding back the coming invasion.
Aside from the visual and performance upgrades, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered comes housed with all of the original PS3 version downloadable contents and – for the first time – PlayStation Network trophies. They’re actually pretty challenging so prepare to put in a lot of work if you want that Platinum.
Outside of that though, there really isn’t anything particularly new compared to the PC or PS3 release. As far as remasters go, Valkyria Chronicles is well done and holds true to the game’s original vision with respect to elements like art style and presentation. For long-time fans looking for another go and newcomers alike, it’s still a wonderful experience from start to finish for a smart $30. Let’s just hope this isn’t the last we see of it.
For more on Valkyria Chronicles, check out our review of the original as well as our full impressions of the PC version here.