Valkyria Chronicles preview

Set in a continent divided by war, Valkyria Chronicles takes its visual influence from the military era of the 1940s. Think of period rich in artistic propaganda, the feared Red Army and focus on bulky weaponry and youre pretty much there. Of course those will long memories will be reminiscing of Wild Arms series that delved into such a visual style. Gamestyle prefers to recall Ring of Red, an early PlayStation 2 title that took such an influence down the Mecha route to great effect. A title that even today, remains a worthwhile addition to your collection.Ignoring our flashbacks for a moment, Valkryia Chronicles follows the wartime adventures of Welkin Gunther, as he faces up to the invading Empire forces alongside fellow soldiers in the Federations 7th Platoon. Skirmishes are set within the borders of Gallia, a neighbouring independent state that has been trying to keep out of the crossfire until now. The Empire forces are formidable and it takes the appearance of the legendary Valkyria (long thought to be extinct) to address the imbalance.Not content with merely creating another RPG experience, Sega has pursued the combination of strategy, backed by an epic storyline and over a hundred customisable characters. And what release nowadays wouldnt be complete without some snazzy title for the graphics engine or battle system? Valkyria Chronicles offers a double whammy by providing two buzz words, namely CANVAS (engine) and BliTZ (tactical battle system). So the most important question is how do these enhance the overall experience?Visually the graphics are distinctive, fluid, crystal clear and clearly match the artistic endevour shown by the designers. It is refreashing to take that step beyond simply directing battlefield tactics from the safety of your own headquarters or overhead viewpoint. Instead here you actually zoom into each character and become responsible for their actions. Such a move brings a clearer understanding of whats happening during the confrontation, including opprtunities not obvious to command. This ability to quickly react and seize the iniatitive opens up new avenues of game play. Another key consideration is the landscape, which in previous strategy titles was merely reflected by increased defensive points for occupying higher ground. This relegation is no more, as it now plays an important part as you seek cover and new strategic positions. All of the action is governed by a control system that is not overly complicated, while the game itself avoids having to rely on a series of menus and statistics.Valkyria Chronicles is one of those releases doomed to be overshadowed by Dead Space, Fallout 3 and other high profile titles being launched in the coming weeks. Potentially however it could be just as good as any AAA title in 2008.