VC was revived by strong Western sales so... maybe there's hope yet.
The Western release will also have an additional platform (XBO).
It's a good thing Sega prioritized bringing it to the system where the first game was a surprise hit and sold nearly a million, bringing the franchise back to relevancy.
Your preferences are not everyone else's preferences.
Is it not coming to PC?
No announcement of a PC version yet.
Well that's just silly.
MINE!
The PC port was done by SEGA Europe and they already waved a goalpost when they were asked for a PC port. It might just not release at the same time as the other platforms (which is still stupid beyond comprehension considering that the Steam sales for VC 1 were like more than all others combined)
edited 1st Apr '18 6:51:08 PM by Kiefen
"Yet" was the operative word.
Just finished the (main) story of VC 4; I don't know how much epilogue content there is, and I'm not sure I can access the DLC with this save, so that may have to wait a bit after it comes out. For now, I'm gonna try to write up a post summarizing my thoughts; I'll do my best to spoil tag any story specifics. Expect it in an hour or so, maybe?
It's been fun.
Right, as promised, here's my general summary of thoughts about Valkyria Chronicles 4. There will be spoilers for the game's plot; I'll try to spoil tag any details, but please exercise caution if you're worried all the same.
TL;DR: An enjoyable, if flawed, experience that felt like the natural progression of Valkyria Chronicles 1 in many ways.
- Gameplay: Plays almost exactly like VC1, control scheme and all. Changes introduced are minimal, and are summed up almost entirely in the Mortar/Grenadier class.
- Pros:
- All the pros of VC1 - if you liked the control/combat system in VC1, you'll like it here.
- Mortars add a new dimension to combat and can prove invaluable in clearing advances, countering other mortars, and forestalling enemy tanks.
- I noticed almost zero enemies with status affliction weapons, which was a huge scourge for the latter half of VC1.
- Direct Command allows for Leader units to replenish their AP and bring along up to two other units on their turn. Incredibly useful for positioning slow units like Lancers and Mortars. A great quality-of-life change.
- Side stories about groups of units allow them to take center stage, while also changing a bad potential entirely or alleviating its demerits, or awakening a new potential.
- Cons:
- The newness of Mortars is sometimes evident in accuracy issues and other learning curve problems - for instance, the control scheme is not clear that you can raise the firing viewpoint to get a better view of your target arc, and there were a few instances where the curve arc didn't indicate that a round would hit an obstacle overhead. Several times the 'Hits to Kill' indicator lied to me (really a function of shot spread like any other weapon), but somehow more infuriating.
- This is a half/half. Tanks now cost only 1 CP to use (pro), which pushes Lancers aside somewhat (con) and encourages the old tactic of spamming anti-armor shells with an Engineer behind your radiator (con).
- Additional tactical options like Ship Orders are of limited utility, and in most cases are forgettable.
- Scout Rushing is still the most viable tactic for S-ranks, as well as for making a select few maps bearable to complete.
- Related to above, there are fewer 'puzzle' maps (like the wall-destroying desert duel in VC1) and more 'gimmick' maps that require you to learn by dying unless you are very lucky with unit placement. Some maps change the rules of what does and doesn't do damage without indication, such as tank shots suddenly not affecting the boss tank in Chapter 14.
- Likewise, there are more maps with Ace-type bosses who are infuriating to hit or otherwise deal with without Undodgeable Shot (and Scout rifles do nothing).
- Pros:
- Story: Spoilers ahead! In general, a stronger story than VC1, with more thematic cohesion and a stronger message.
- Pros:
- Almost all the squad characters are likeable, if not super deep; characterization is about the same depth as in VC1.
- The story characters are all characterized strongly, even main character Claude, who initially comes off as something of a wet-blanket Welkin clone.
- The nuclear analogue of Valkyrias is maintained and expanded upon, and handled much more smoothly. Unlike VC1, E Company sees their duty through and defeats the final boss without relying on the power that the story explicitly says is bad. There are some very tense scenes regarding the morality of setting off a Valkyria nuke in a population center and the nature of sacrifice.
- Most members of the Enemy Team are morally grey at worst, with the exception of Belgar, who I call Fantasy Mengele for a reason. Things end up in a friendly rivals situation with Voltz and Climaria, which is a dynamic I quite like, and Nikola gets revenge for herself and Chiara on Belgar, even if she doesn't see it that way.
- There are some genuinely tense moments near the end that had me on the edge of my seat. These also showed greater depth of characterization than most of the scenes in VC1 had need to.
- Representation returns with a feminine-presenting, possibly trans Scout named Rozetta, and with the implied romance, or at least clear attraction, between Crystal and Minerva.
- The Centurion is just awesome. That is all.
- Cons:
- The subplot with Rina and Forse communicating is handled oddly; it's a stressful subplot in the middle of some stressful maps that do not invite good feelings for the player. There are undoubtedly those who think that Rina should be executed, no matter her later heroism, for the role she played.
- Several instances of 'smug villain rides away laughing after getting a faceful of machine-gun fire and flopping around like a dumbass'. Related to the above point; this does not invite good feelings toward the characters.
- The romance subplots between Laz and Rina and Voltz and Climaria are nice, but could have used more development. Likewise, Claude and Reily get lots of teasing, but nothing on the level of Welkin and Alicia's happy ending. Perhaps fitting with the overall more somber and reflective tone of the game.
- Angelica is cute, but also a clear case of Morality Pet/cuteness addition. It works, yes, but it's pretty obvious, as is her role in the ship and the mission, which it takes the characters a bit too much time to suss out.
- Could go either way, but the mention of multiple Valkyrias could cheapen the impact of Selvaria vs Alicia in VC1. Can't say how this applies with the other games in the series, though.
- Pros:
Overall, I liked it quite a lot. There's epilogue content that unlocks as well, and I'm looking forward to the DLC, even if I have to replay to certain points in the story to unlock it.
edited 2nd Apr '18 6:28:48 AM by RedSavant
It's been fun.
In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.
VC 3 already did that. Within the forces of tiny Gallia, no less. VC 2 also had one but that one plays afterwards.
Overall, sounds good though.
Yeah, I figured since there's a Valkyria pretty conspicuously in the marketing for VC3.
Other than that, yeah. The Aesop issue Balmung raised is neatly averted; though Valkyria engines are instrumental to the success of Operation Cygnus, E Company has no knowledge of it until later, and reject using the Valkyria Bomb.
It's been fun.
In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.
You mentioned that side characters take center stage in side stories. Do they also feature in group discussions or plot scenes? When replaying 1 after 3, it really showed that only the essential characters ever featured in the story in 1. In 3 all the characters got integrated much better which gave it a real feeling of a Band of Brothers.
Not so much in the main story, though they do show up in cutscenes. There is one flashback to the Company's time in training that integrates the squad characters, though.
It's been fun.
It hurts me inside when I see a review praise VC 4 for not taking anything from the PSP titles, then complain about it containing issues that the first game had... that the PSP titles fixed.
I'm not saying that about what Red Savant just said in their summary on the game, this was a thought I came up with, and decided to drop in on this thread purely to post it. There's one youtube review that's been bugging me where they complained about scout rushing, when VC 2 made scout rushing far less potent.
edited 3rd Apr '18 4:47:25 AM by Ekimmak
If everyone were normal, the world would be a dull place. Like reality television.
Yeah, I haven't played 2 or 3 (yet), but that's definitely the feeling I'm getting. Hell, they even added in a new feature to make scout rushing even easier (two, if you count Direct Command for Minerva).
It's been fun.
Here's the thing. I will not defend the story, or the graphics, or that they have limited deployments in VC 2. I know that those are bad.
I just feel that there were enough Qo L and gameplay improvements that made the game an equal to the original Valkyria Chronicles, and people don't give it the credit it deserves. They made the missions about more than just a speedy solution, they got rid of the one-frame scenes that you have for every action by replacing them with voice clips, they nerfed Scouts.
I've sunk more than triple the amount of hours into VC 2 than I have the original, because I like it that much more.
edited 3rd Apr '18 4:56:37 AM by Ekimmak
If everyone were normal, the world would be a dull place. Like reality television.
In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.
So, we're at the first Naggiar Plains mission now, with the trench warfare that is one of my favorite ones (barely edging out Marberry Shore) from a flavor perspective. Something about clearing trenches with shocktroopers just feels inherently *right*. Can't wait until we get to the Valkyria part. I suspect waifu and I are going to be doing a good deal of sporking.
Waifu also likes taking Noce because she prefers Alicia/Noce over Alicia/Welkin, mainly because she doesn't really care for any of the game's attempts to sell any romantic relationship, so whatever the game is in favor of, she is against. Currently they're both running the ZM Kar 9 and 8.
I didn't mind "puzzle" type maps like the Barious Desert. I find that for the most part it's good about cluing you in about what's about to happen. Even with Selvaria's appearance, the game tells you first that she will appear, and then that she's too tough to take out alone. The only problems are that you have no idea where she's going to show up (my first playthrough I had snipers and scouts on the ledge, which is exactly where she spawns...then again, it does tell you that she's coming from the east, so I suppose that's fair), and that it's not immediately apparent which walls are the ones that need to be knocked down as well as that the point isn't to demolish the walls by bringing their health to 0. Well, that and lancers being not as good as grenades for killing the vents, as well as the glow of the vents interfering with the view of the grenade throw arcs.
Similarly, pulling off a Normandy landing just feels satisfying, from the smoke rounds to cover the initial landing to killing bunkers with flamethrowers like that one scene from Saving Private Ryan to using a mix of all units for different spots on the map, even if the map more or less points to exactly one "correct" way to do it, it's one that I don't mind.
The issue really is the Dromedarious map that just continuously spawns enemies out of nowhere. Or the Edy shocktrooper map, which I only cleared by getting lucky with instances where you can kill two dudes in a row. Things that you can't really be expected to skill your way out of, although I am wondering whether I was meant to take advantage of allied fire to take out that first cluster of shocks.
In any case, playing this game makes me wish there was some alternate version of VC but in a fantasy Second Sino-Japanese War setting.
edited 3rd Apr '18 10:24:28 AM by PRC4Eva
^If it's snow battles you're looking for, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a bit more on the Winter War side of things. Not the right combatants or time period, but.
It's been fun.
Not really snow maps, although snow can be cool I suppose, just the feel of defending my homeland against foreign invasion with none of the normal moral hang-ups because the baddies are really that bad.
I've been meaning to ask, does VC 4 have varied environmental effects, or is it just night or not night?
If everyone were normal, the world would be a dull place. Like reality television.
They're pretty limited overall; I recall Night, Fog, Snow, Blizzard, and Witch's Blizzard. Most translate to lowered visibility or whiteout conditions; Snow lowers the number of turns it takes for units to die when wounded, but I think only until you get winter gear in the story progression (never tested it, obviously).
It's been fun.
So at least they have that.
In VC 2, snow would lower between turn natural regeneration, and blizzard was a combination of that, night, and reduced turns to save units.
If everyone were normal, the world would be a dull place. Like reality television.
Valkyria Chronicles 4’s Initial Sales in Japan Defined “Unsatisfactory” by Media Create
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