Valkyria Chronicles 3 Megathread

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Feb 16, 2009
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As if that teaser site from a couple of weeks back wasn't a big enough hint, there's pretty much no mistaking it now. Valkyria Chronicles is getting a sequel, and it's going to be shown later this week.

We know this because of some shoddy (possibly intentionally so) web design at Sega's Japanese official site. Like most Japanese publishers, Sega has a special page devoted to the Tokyo Game Show. The special page has a stage section listing stage shows for the event.

This is where the trouble begins. Visit the page now, and you'll see a bunch of "Coming Soon" sections. Some gamers figured out that you could open the image of the schedule in a separate window, switch the "gif" with a "jpg," and you'd get all those Coming Soons fileld in with... "Valkyria Chronicles 3: Voice Actor Announcement and Game Presentation."

Sega has already removed the jpg file so you won't be able to see the change for yourself. But trust us -- it was there earlier today.

In Japan, Valkyria Chronicles is known as "Senjo no Valkyria" -- literally Valkyria of the Battlefield. The new game is written on the stage chart as Senjo no Valkyria 3, which is why we're writing it Valkyria Chronicles 3.

Unfortunately, the schedule did not provide a clue about the platform. Continue your PS3/PSP/3DS debates until the game's unveiling point on the 16th (or possibly sooner -- Japan always has those darn magazine leaks.)
 
Valkyria Chronicles 3 Confirmed For TGS 2010

Well, so much for that surprise announcement. Sega
has accidentally revealed that they'll be unveiling Valkyria Chronicles III at this week's Tokyo Game Show

RPG Land noticed that Sega had accidentally posted their TGS schedule online (they've since pulled it). The schedule mentions Valkyria Chronicles 3. However, it doesn't note any other details.

If nothing else, we'll probably find out what platform(s) the game will be appearing on. The first VC was a PS3 exclusive while the second was exclusive to the PSP.

cinemablend.com/games/Valkyria-Chronicles-3-Confirmed-For-TGS-2010-26941.html
 
TGS announcement: VC3 on PSP!

Valkyria Chronicles came to the PlayStation 3 from nowhere in 2008 and has since become one of my favorite new series of this generation. The strategy/RPG gameplay is addictive and deep, the cel-shaded art style is gorgeous, and the sweeping storyline is, well, sweeping. I couldn't get enough of the original game, and I held my breath for a sequel.

But when SEGA announced that the follow-up to Valkyria Chronicles would be for the PSP I was disappointed, complaining to IGN PlayStation Executive Editor Greg Miller that I didn't want a portable version of my new obsession. I wanted a proper sequel, something substantial. He politely called me an idiot, and assured me I'd enjoy it. He was absolutely right.

I packed Valkyria Chronicles 2 on my trip to Japan for the Tokyo Game Show, and I've put it down only to eat yakiniku. It takes the best ideas from Valkyria Chronicles, distills them into portable form and takes a completely new approach to the storyline (light and young rather than heavy and dark). Once I had Valkyria in my pocket, I never wanted it to go back to the console. Once again, SEGA has granted my wish.

The publisher announced a third installment here at TGS this week, which instantly made SEGA one of my first stops when the show opened. Dubbed Valkyria Chronicles 3: Unrecorded Chronicles, the second PSP installment retains the portability of the second game while reaching back to the vibe and artistic approach of the original.



The version of Valkyria 3 at the Tokyo Game Show was almost completely in Japanese. But with some methodical poking around I was able to stumble my way through a brief demo of the game at SEGA's TGS booth. I was immediately struck by the solemnity of the presentation, as opposed to the whimsical and lighthearted introductory feel of Valkyria Chronicles 2. From the somber, swelling music to the deeper, richer colors, Valkyria Chronicles strikes a darker tone than its immediate predecessor.

There's a deliberately rougher approach to the art here, and the characters are "painted" in broader, rougher strokes. The art style gives a sense of chaos and immediacy to the presentation, a completely different vibe than the previous game. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand the opening cutscene or ensuing dialogue, but it's clear that Randgriz is in danger and that our heroes are the last hope for its independent survival.

Once the mission began, I noticed a few small but interesting changes from Valkyria 2. First, the battlefield is livelier than it was before. During the mission, jagged comic-book-like dialogue bubbles occasionally sprouted from characters' positions, making the fighters come to life, even as little blue icons on a map. In general, the game seems to be communicating better on the battlefield. When a character goes down, her map icon will show a small "Help" message in a bubble. And if someone's health is low, you'll see a tiny "HP" bubble next to his name -- small touches that make the experience more interactive. After all, you will be spending a lot of time staring at a map in Valkyria. Why not make it more interesting?

The brief demo didn't show any new unit types, but each character -- and even the tank -- looked sharper and more detailed than in Valkyria 2. The new lancer character model looks especially cool, which made me momentarily sad that I let one of them die in battle while assaulting a particularly nasty gun turret (sorry, bro).

Aside from those changes, most of the battle looked and felt familiar to Valkyria 2, with one notable exception. In the Valkyria 3, under the Command Point gauge, there is a new space for something called Special Powers. In the demo, I only had access to three SP points, and I tested them out in battle. Choosing a unit on the map and choosing the SP menu item allows you to access that person's Special Power. When I activated a Special Power on a female character, a cutscene launched and showed her transform into a Valkyria. Once on the battlefield, she was invincible and quite deadly.

The brief (and mostly lost-in-translation) demo didn't tell me tons about exactly what to expect from Valkyria Chronicles 3, but it definitely got me excited to see where SEGA is going with its portable strategy-RPG sequel. The art, the music, the character designs and new additions already have me itching to see more.
 
VC3 will feature cameo characters

Valkyria Chronicles 3 takes place during the same timeline as the original Valkyria Chronicles. This time you’ll see the war from the eyes of The Nameless, a squad of soldiers with dark backgrounds.


You’ll also see characters from other Valkyria Chronicles games. Kurt and Imuka will team up with Squad 7, Welkin and Alicia’s unit from Valkyria Chronicles. Homer’s big sister is part of the Nameless, so I suppose there’s a chance for him and Edy make an appearance in Valkyria Chronicles 3.

Students enrolled in Royal Lanseal Academy will appear in Valkyria Chronicles 3 too, but they’ll be younger since the events in Valkryia Chronicles II take place two years in the future.

Valkyria Chronicles 3 comes out on January 27, 2011 in Japan.
 
Preview/TGS impressions

Valkyria Chronicles 3 may not mark the franchise's return to the PS3, but it does take the series into darker, more adult-themed territory. Gone are the school setting and happy-go-lucky characters. In their place are the "Nameless" -- a collective of criminals and social deviants serving the military in a side-story that takes place concurrently with the original's tale. Not only have the characters and story matured, but the presentation has as well. An updated UI and a more complex color palette make Valkyria Chronicles 3 look closer to the PS3 game.

It's hard to pinpoint a single reason, but I walked away from the TGS demo impressed by how much better this sequel looked. It could be that the graphics have simply improved in the franchise's second outing on the PSP. The environment felt larger, and a bit more detailed, and other elements helped give the impression of a better looking game. The UI looks a bit sleeker, with helpful status icons appearing on the command map, highlighting characters with low HP, for example. Character portraits take much bigger prominence on the screen during the gameplay sequences and the manga-inspired cutscenes. The rich red hues and expressive portraits offer a visual "pop" that its predecessor lacked.

The gameplay in the TGS demo, for better or for worse, plays identically to VC2. There were no new classes to be discovered in the demo, nor were there any new enemy types. There doesn't seem to be an obvious "new" feature to VC3, unlike the multiple maps that were featured in VC2's TGS demo. Perhaps the demo is meant for those who are already familiar with the game's mechanics? The demo was a bit more challenging than last year's, featuring a large tank that had to be boarded and destroyed. Equipped with two turrets, it was effective in knocking out a few of my soldiers (oops!).

While it's a bit disappointing that the TGS demo didn't highlight any new gameplay mechanics, the overall experience was still satisfying. The improved graphics and presentation may suffice in appeasing fans. Considering the lengthy wait for the game at TGS, it seems as though Valkyria fandom is only getting stronger.
 
Demo details

Did you play Valkyria Chronicles 3 at the Tokyo Game Show last month? You'll still want to download the upcoming demo, as it's totally different!

Famitsu has first details on the demo this week. The demo will continue the story from the TGS version, telling what happened after that demo's missions. Players will be able to sample two missions. One has you recapture a mountain base. The other will be detailed later.

Also coming later is the actual date of availability.

Play through the demo, and you may find some special bonuses waiting for you when the final version of the game hits early next year.
 
Collector's edition detailed

Sega is preparing a Valkyria Chronicles 3 collector’s edition, which includes an Emblem 422 cup. Not a mug, but a stainless collapsible cup.

Other items in the package include a telephone card attached to a mini-poster, a Valkyria Chronicles 3 Nameless x Calamity Raven visual clear poster, and the PSP game for 8,479 yen ($100).

Reserve Valkyria Chronicles 3, the limited edition or regular game, and you’ll get Gallia Secret Document file 422. This booklet tells the story of Kurt’s first battle (chapter zero), has a glimpse of Gallia in 1935, and a code to unlock Alias from Valkyria Chronicles 2 as a playable character.

siliconera.com/2010/11/29/ill-drink-to-segas-valkyria-chronicles-3-dx-pack/