Valkyria Chronicles 4 Announced for PS4/Xbox One/Switch, set to release in 2018
UPDATE: We have added details from the Japanese reveal news that were not listed in the English press release.
Last week we got wind that SEGA was working on a new Valkyria series project. At the time we didn't know exactly what type of game we were going to be seeing next for the series, but today it has been revealed that Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be releasing next year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The title, a return to the series' Strategy RPG roots, will focus around a "coming of age" story for Squad E, as they face their own challenges during the same timeframe of events as the original Valkyria Chronicles.
Besides additions to the battle system such as downed units having a chance to use a "Last Stand" action before death, and a new "Grenadier" class as well as new battleship support options, SEGA touts that VC4's maps will be larger-scale than ever before. Additionally, both the series' signature watercolor artstyle as well as composer Hitoshi Sakimoto are returning for the project.
The title release on PlayStation 4 in Japan on March 21st, 2018 with a Nintendo Switch release coming later in the Summer. The western release - including the western exclusive Xbox One version - will be releasing sometime next year.
Find screenshots, details from Japanese news, and the English press release from SEGA below:
Characters
- Claude Wallace (JP voice actor: Ryosuke Kanemoto)
Commander of Squad E in the Edinburgh Army's 101st Division, 1st Battle Brigade, 32nd Armored Ranger Batallion. A Tank Commander with the rank First Lieutenant. Although he's a serious and hot-blooded man, he takes good care of his squad members. - Riley Miller (JP voice actress: Nao Toyama)
The Technological Second Lieutenant who is assigned as a Grenadier in the Heavy Weapons Support Company of Edinburgh Army's 32nd Armored Ranger Batallion. She is cheerful, positive, and unafraid of failures as she forces herself to keep on doing things. - Raz (JP voice actor: Kazuya Nakai)
A squad leader in Squad E with Assault Troop as his class. He does not have a surname as he comes from the persecuted Darcsen race. - Kai Schuler (JP voice actress: Maaya Sakamoto)
A squad leader in Squad E. She is a genius Sniper who is also known as the One-Shot Killer.
Grenadier is a new class that makes its first appearance in Valkyria Chronicles series, as represented by Riley Miller and her Heavy Weapons Support Company. Grenadiers will launch grenades up high, allowing not only long-range attacks but also launching shells that can pass through high obstacles such as walls. If the player can predict enemy positions, they can even tactically launch attacks on enemies that have not been spotted as well.
Other than the composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, SEGA has also confirmed that the character designer Raita Honjo (also known as RAITA) is coming back as well. Meanwhile, the producer is confirmed to be Kei Mikami. You may have also heard a Japanese song playing in the reveal trailer; that is the theme song for Valkyria Chronicles 4, Light Up My Life, which is sung by the popular Japanese singer Mai Kuraki.
Purchasing the game early will give players access to an additional DLC mission Early Special Operation which stars Edy Nelson, a popular character in the first Valkyria Chronicles. Clearing this mission will unlock her as a playable character in the main game.
The Japanese PS4 release of Valkyria Chronicles 4 will also have a limited edition called the 10th Anniversary Memorial Pack, which has the following contents:
- Japanese PS4 version copy of Valkyria Chronicles 4
- 10th Anniversary Illustration Book with 72 B5-sized pages of illustrations spanning the whole Valkyria Chronicles series from 1 to 4 and the cover newly drawn by RAITA
- 10th Anniversary Soundtrack CD with select BGMs from Valkyria Chronicles 1 to 4
- DLC code to unlock additional story Joint Battlefront with Squad 7 - Clearing this story will unlock Gallia's Squad 7 core members from the first Valkyria Chronicles - Welkin in his Edelweiss tank, Alicia, Largo, Rosie, and Isara - as playable characters in the main game.
The official English press release can be read right below.
It is the year 1935 EC...
The continent of Europa is engulfed in the flames of the Second Europan War between the Atlantic Federation and the Autocratic Eastern Imperial Alliance. Although the Federation struggles valiantly against the Empire's forces, the relentless imperial military machine threatens to consume them. With victory slipping away, the Federation executes Operation Northern Cross: a last-ditch attempt to capture the imperial capital and end the war.
Commander Claude Wallace and his loyal childhood friends in Squad E are sent to fight for the desperate operation's success, but they will have to endure harsh bone-chilling elements, waves of imperial soldiers, and the terrifying Valkyria... and unravel a grave truth that will shake them to the core.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Features:
- A Coming-of-Age Story in a Time of War - Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place in the same timeframe as the original Valkyria Chronicles, but focuses on a whole new cast of main characters. Players will take command of the eager, young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war--but will the bonds of Squad E's friendships survive the frozen battlefield?
- The Next Generation "BLiTZ" Battle System - The part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time 3rd person shooter "BLiTZ" battle system returns to the field. New features include an explosive new class called the Grenadier, numerous offensive/defensive battleship support options, chances for a unit to have a "Last Stand" action before death, and more. Plus, fight the imperial threat with more units on larger-scale maps than ever before.
- CANVAS Aesthetics - The series' signature hand-drawn visual style is back and overhauled for the newest generation. Inspired by watercolor compositions, the CANVAS Graphics Engine blends visual elements of reality and imagination to create an expressive world filled with colorful emotions. Watch the journey of Squad E unfold like an interactive painting!
- The Return of a Legendary Composer - The illustrious Hitoshi Sakimoto, original composer of the Valkyria Chronicles series and countless other emotional epics, returns to provide a sweeping orchestral soundtrack for the game.