Valkyria Chronicles

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,904 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Valkyria Chronicles Game Cover
Valkyria Chronicles is the JRPG experience that PlayStation 3 owners have been waiting for.
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In Valkyria Chronicles, a turn-based strategy RPG, you lead Squad 7, a group of Gallian militia fighters, to defend your homeland against the invasion of the Empire during a great war. The Empire has discovered the existence of the Valkyrur, an ancient race with special powers, and you must find a way to counter their secret weapon to save Gallia. This version of the game includes all previously released DLC and features 1080p True HD graphics.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,904 reviews
story2,261 positive mentions
grinding145 negative mentions
  • Unique blend of turn-based strategy and real-time action, providing an engaging gameplay experience.
  • Beautiful watercolor art style that has aged well and enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • Compelling story with well-developed characters that evoke emotional responses from players.
  • Frustrating ranking system that rewards speed over tactical gameplay, often leading to cheese strategies.
  • Clunky controls, especially for tank movement, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Lack of quality of life features such as autosave and the ability to restart missions, making it tedious to replay difficult levels.
  • story6,213 mentions

    The story of "Valkyria Chronicles" is a blend of engaging character arcs and a narrative inspired by World War II, exploring themes of war, racism, and camaraderie. While some players appreciate its emotional depth and charming presentation, others criticize it for being predictable and filled with anime clichés. Overall, the storytelling is well-executed, with a unique storybook format that enhances the experience, making it a memorable journey for those who enjoy character-driven narratives.

    • “The story takes place in a fictional Europe during the early years of WWII, with comprehensive and detailed background, character details, and worldview information supplemented in the game.”
    • “The plot focuses on anti-war themes, featuring a moderate length, easy-to-understand narrative style, and full voice acting that perfectly coordinates with the tactical part of the game, making it a surprisingly comfortable experience.”
    • “The story is engaging and emotional, exploring themes of war, love, and loss, with a unique delivery that keeps players invested in the characters and their struggles.”
    • “Not recommended, due to poor story, characters are not interesting, and the combat is badly implemented.”
    • “The typical Japanese plot construction itself is inevitably narrow and superficial, lacking profound depth, and the descriptions of conflicts and the portrayal of villains are extremely stereotyped and sloppy; the ending of the story also feels too hasty.”
    • “The story is pretty terrible, filled with boring one-dimensional characters, predictable plot twists, and needless sacrifices.”
  • gameplay2,509 mentions

    The gameplay of Valkyria Chronicles is widely praised for its unique blend of turn-based strategy and real-time action, offering a refreshing take on tactical combat. Players appreciate the depth of mechanics, character development, and the strategic elements that require careful planning and execution, although some criticize the game's balance and reliance on certain exploits. While the story and art style are also highlighted, the gameplay remains the standout feature, providing an engaging and enjoyable experience despite some minor flaws.

    • “The gameplay is a unique blend of tactical shooter and RPG.”
    • “Valkyria Chronicles combines real-time action with turn-based strategy and RPG mechanics in a very satisfying and unique way.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and engaging without feeling unfair, the characters are well designed and work well with both the story and the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is very frustrating for a turn-based game; the real-time firing of the enemy combined with the slow animation of the characters leads to unwanted situations, indicating that the gameplay was not fully thought through.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are inconsistent and unreliable, resulting in a reliance on luck and trial and error rather than actual strategy.”
    • “The gameplay is a mix of turn-based and real-time where you position your soldiers then aim their weapons, and while you are doing anything but aiming, enemies can shoot you and vice versa.”
  • graphics1,532 mentions

    The graphics of "Valkyria Chronicles" are widely praised for their unique watercolor art style, which combines cel-shading with a hand-drawn aesthetic, allowing the visuals to age gracefully since its original release in 2008. While the in-game graphics are noted to hold up well, some players criticize the cutscenes for their lower resolution and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the game's artistic presentation is considered a standout feature, enhancing the storytelling and gameplay experience.

    • “This version is a nice upgrade over the PS3 original, with 4K resolution and 60fps framerate (just for in-game graphics, not for cutscenes) and if you play it on Steam Deck you can also play it in 60fps (so it's the best handheld version of the game too).”
    • “The game uses a stylized watercolor art style and thanks to it, holds up incredibly well due to not being constrained to look ultra-realistic.”
    • “The graphics hold up really well for a game originally released in 2008.”
    • “The cutscenes are unwatchable due to extreme aliasing and pathetically low resolution, regardless of graphics configuration. The art style, despite being extremely generic and of abysmal quality, is this thing's apparent main selling point.”
    • “The graphics are quite pretty for a console port of its generation, but the cutscenes are bottlenecked at 720p regardless of graphics settings.”
    • “The graphics are dated and could be improved, and while the artwork and graphics are very simple, they are, in my opinion, still beautiful.”
  • music530 mentions

    The music in "Valkyria Chronicles" has received a mixed reception, with many praising its orchestral score composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, which effectively enhances the game's emotional and narrative depth. While some players find the soundtrack memorable and fitting for various scenes, others feel it can be repetitive and lacks standout tracks. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong complement to the game's unique art style and storytelling, contributing to an immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack complements the game's tone perfectly, immersing players in the world of Valkyria Chronicles.”
    • “The music is stunning, with a romantic, tense, and sweeping score that really underscores the game’s every moment.”
    • “Valkyria Chronicles is an exceptional and unique turn-based tactical RPG with an engaging story, interesting characters you'll grow to care about, a soundtrack perfectly fitting the game's mood, and a beautiful pencil-drawn sketchbook art style unlike any other game I have played.”
    • “The music is generic and sleepy, the gun sounds are muted and soft, and combat mostly involves aiming at static targets and watching your unit shoot a volley.”
    • “The music isn't too memorable for me.”
    • “The music is okay, but gets repetitive quickly.”
  • emotional217 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players reporting that it made them cry and feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles. The story is described as both heartwarming and heartbreaking, effectively blending themes of love, loss, and the horrors of war, which resonate strongly with players. While some critiques mention moments of cliché or forced emotionality, the overall narrative and character development create a compelling emotional journey that leaves a lasting impact.

    • “Their personal journeys, challenges, and growth form the emotional backbone of the game, ensuring players are invested not just in the war, but in the destinies of these characters.”
    • “The story is touching with both well-written protagonists and antagonists that reflect racism, destruction of war, and the reason for fighting.”
    • “This game is touching and I haven't even managed to finish it yet.”
    • “The game has a lot of issues including a boring story and characters, crashes, and bugs.”
    • “After six whole chapters with boring storytelling, there is 1 'action' phase.”
    • “After this long period of actual playing (less than 2 minutes for you), the boring story starts again for several chapters...”
  • grinding153 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the necessity of replaying missions for experience and resources. While some enjoy the strategic elements and find grinding to be a fun way to engage with the combat, others criticize the slow pacing, unskippable cutscenes, and cumbersome menu navigation that exacerbate the grind. Overall, while grinding can enhance character progression, it often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game due to its repetitive nature and the time-consuming mechanics involved.

    • “It is not tedious to build them up, since all unlocks and purchases are universally applied to each character within the class.”
    • “Fun tactical gameplay - no grinding!”
    • “Despite this, the game requires little to no grinding, which is a plus in my book.”
    • “Grinding is never fun, but it's even worse in this game.”
    • “The missions just become slogs that require you to either chew through infinitely respawning enemies or grind skirmishes in order to get experience and money to use cheese tactics.”
    • “The final 3 missions are particularly noteworthy in just how tedious they become, one of which is literally nothing more than 'sit in one spot and shoot for about ten turns.'”
  • replayability110 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising the variety of strategies and tactics available, as well as the inclusion of skirmish missions and a ranking system that encourages multiple playthroughs. However, others feel that the linear nature of the campaign and predictable AI limit the overall replay value, making it less appealing after the initial experience. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replayability, such as new game plus modes and challenges, many players express concerns about the game's long-term engagement potential.

    • “The game has great replayability.”
    • “There are skirmish missions and a ranking system for each level, which adds to its replay value.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and varies from level to level, the story tugs on the heartstrings, and there is plenty of replayability.”
    • “Still, I have no desire to replay this game because I feel like once a player learns the maps and the mechanics, there's not much reason to replay this game while other strategy games have so much more replay value.”
    • “Without much randomization or any multiplayer components, the game is also fairly lacking in replayability.”
    • “The ai will always make the same choices on every turn in every mission, which really cuts down on the replayability.”
  • character development104 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its depth and emotional resonance, particularly for major characters. While some noted that certain aspects felt predictable or lacking for side characters, the overall storytelling and character arcs are considered strong, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. The character designs are also well-received, enhancing the immersive experience of the narrative.

    • “The story and character development will make you fall in love with the various main characters and their stories and personalities.”
    • “Character development is really nice, with all ~55 squad members having cute, amusing, and interesting backstories, personalities, and relationships with other characters - all of which is discovered through utilizing each soldier.”
    • “Seeing the characters with their flaws and prejudices fight together and ultimately learn to appreciate and respect one another in a non-cheesy way is a sign of great character development and is one of the shining features of the game.”
    • “There's a sense there's not enough material, like portions of character development are missing.”
    • “Most are just weak attempts at character development that drive home how bad the writing is.”
    • “I guess someone that likes stereotypical anime storylines would enjoy it, but the way the story went, the 'character development' and 'plot twist' were so predictable and some of the 'climax moments' only caused me to cringe rather than feel emotion and attachment to the character.”
  • optimization96 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received positive feedback, with many players noting that it runs smoothly on a variety of systems, including lower-end machines, achieving stable frame rates and minimal performance issues. While some users pointed out minor control and balancing issues, the port is generally praised for its solid performance and well-implemented graphics, making it a standout example of a successful console-to-PC transition.

    • “The first thing that I need to mention in this review is to congratulate Sega for making such a well-optimized PC port.”
    • “Great game and runs at a smooth 60 fps 1080p on max settings on my HP notebook; it is a decently powered laptop but this game seems very well optimized and should theoretically run smoothly on lower-end machines as well.”
    • “The graphics are timeless due to the exclusive canvas engine developed for this game, and it is a fantastically optimized port to boot.”
    • “At its worst, the game becomes an optimization puzzle, with the player trying to figure out the perfect solution to get the perfect score.”
    • “For some hard-to-grasp reasons, someone thought it was a great idea that the grading should be based only on speed, not on casualties or mission performance.”
    • “Had high hopes and had been wanting it for years, only to find out it's a poorly optimized, poorly ported game that has really bad design choices and physics.”
  • humor94 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky characters, hilarious ragdoll physics, and absurd situations that often blend comedy with the serious backdrop of war. Players appreciate the eccentricities of characters and the amusing dialogue, which can lead to laugh-out-loud moments, even amidst darker themes. However, some find the humor occasionally undermines the gravity of the narrative, creating a dissonance between comedic elements and the serious context of the story.

    • “From the snipers who are allergic to metal to scouts with a penchant for desert vegetation, these individual eccentricities bring both humor and depth to the gaming experience.”
    • “Hilarious ragdoll physics.”
    • “This is a wonderfully charming, hilariously exploitable game that I easily recommend.”
  • stability82 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly related to tank controls and graphical issues. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly overall and that the glitches do not significantly detract from the gameplay experience, others experienced game-breaking bugs that hindered their enjoyment. Overall, the PC version appears to be more prone to issues compared to console versions, leading to a consensus that while the game is enjoyable, it is marred by stability problems that need addressing.

    • “The port is solid, it runs great and the graphics benefit from being fairly stylized so they don't come off as dated as they might otherwise.”
    • “It's also a surprisingly solid port, looks great and runs great and at a bargain price.”
    • “Technically, the game runs great on PC.”
    • “The game is very buggy, especially when it comes to pathing and driving tanks (which is a huge part of gameplay).”
    • “In my case, every time I connect or disconnect Bluetooth headphones, try to use alt + tab, or any program interrupts the game on its own, the game freezes and you have to restart your computer.”
    • “What a piece of buggy crap, can't even play with the stupid menu switching up and down non-stop, another fail port, last console port I'll ever buy on Steam.”
  • atmosphere41 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique cel-shaded watercolor art style, immersive worldbuilding, and effective music that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the combination of engaging narrative, well-crafted characters, and a captivating aesthetic creates a magical and intense atmosphere, though some mention that certain gameplay elements can disrupt this immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that complements the game's themes and mechanics, making it a memorable experience.

    • “The music helps the atmosphere and works along other elements to fit perfectly to an interesting experience.”
    • “The unique combat system, engaging narrative, and immersive atmosphere really make this game stand out.”
    • “All this, taken together, creates a magical atmosphere and immersion.”
    • “Unfortunately, because of the game atmosphere and general theme of such genre at the time, there would be no bangers that could become a fine addition to your collection.”
    • “Dialogs are just out of place and break any dramatic atmosphere the game could build up.”
    • “After a certain point, levels become nearly impossible to complete without some strange and arbitrary movements, attacks, and unit placements, that really take away from the atmosphere of the combat and the game itself.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling misled by dishonest advertising that suggests a more engaging experience than what is delivered. Many believe that the game prioritizes profit over quality, resulting in a frustrating gameplay experience that fails to justify its cost.

    • “What is this cash grab anyways?”
    • “In reality, what they are doing with dishonest advertising has mulcted thousands of customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars...”
    • “It feels like a cash grab by Sega rather than something they spent any time on.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

86% average critic score

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Play time

35hMedian play time
31hAverage play time
30hMain story
59hCompletionist
10-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs

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