This article was originally published in Italian on Thegamesmachine.it in 2016.
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is yet another re-release coming to PlayStation 4. Contrary to what you might expect, those who have already read the preview can simply scroll down to the summary of the review, where they’ll find an assessment that’s perhaps a bit harsher than anticipated.
Let’s cut to the chase: Valkyria Chronicles is an excellent example of how JRPG tactics games can evolve without being tethered to isometric views or the constraints of handheld console production values (looking at you, Fire Emblem Fates!). Its unique blend of tactical-strategic elements and real-time action remains functional, fresh, and engaging even today, despite borrowing ideas from numerous pre-existing games. This holds true even when the narrative struggles to feel entirely believable. While SEGA’s title may not provide seasoned players with deeply memorable characters who stand out as iconic heroes of a challenging war, it does boast a solid cast of well-designed, well-characterized protagonists, a few exceptional supporting characters (Vyse and Aika from Skies of Arcadia are still ready to deploy!), and, above all, a gameplay structure of considerable depth. It’s layered just enough to delight genre enthusiasts.
The BLiTZ system, which combines real-time movement across the map with the methodical turn-based structure of a JRPG, has nothing to envy in the latest Fire Emblem entry for the Nintendo 3DS or Yasumi Matsuno’s brilliant Tactics Ogre. Moreover, it appeals to a younger audience eager to step into the shoes of a military strategist without enduring countless text boxes and low-resolution sprites with barely animated movements. Five classes to manage and upgrade freely, varied missions (some of which, admittedly, are rather frustrating), side objectives, and unique perks tied to soldiers’ personalities and relationships on the battlefield are just a glimpse of the grandeur and excellence of a title that, mechanically, stands as one of the most brilliant innovations in Japanese gaming of the last decade.
However, while Valkyria Chronicles remains a great piece of tactical JRPG design, this remastered version doesn’t quite deserve the same level of praise. The value of the remastering effort is almost trivial, making it all too easy to forget you’re playing a PS3 classic with enhanced resolution and 60fps. Here’s why: beyond the improved technical quality, the visual impact is essentially the same, partly due to the extensive use of pre-rendered video sequences taken directly from the PS3 version (and thus natively 720p), and partly due to a barely noticeable upgrade to textures.
SEGA’s choice of art style, featuring inspired cel-shading that gives environments and characters a watercolor-like quality—like watching a moving illustration—is undeniably charming. While the environments blend together in a marriage of creative influences and manga-inspired aesthetics, hardware performance enthusiasts will be glad to know that the final result closely matches the PC edition of the game, which is available at far more affordable prices than SEGA’s console version. No news on the content front, either: the game remains essentially the same, including all the DLC. No big deal, though—next year will bring us the (spiritual?) sequel, and only then will we likely see how Sonic’s developers plan to evolve their rediscovered strategic saga. For now, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered boasts excellent artistic direction, a remarkable aesthetic, and, most notably, an outstanding soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto. Sakimoto is no stranger to framing PlayStation’s more “artsy” titles, such as Odin Sphere, Vagrant Story, Dragon’s Crown, and the legendary Final Fantasy Tactics, with his music.
What arrives on PlayStation 4 is merely a port of the already celebrated PC edition, released several months ago, whose success is the sole reason we’re still talking about improbable Valkyries and pastoral guerrilla warfare. Nothing more—not even a demo for the new installment. Truly a shame. My advice? If possible, go for the cheaper Steam edition, which can easily be found for just a few euros. It’s essentially identical to the console version, aside from support for 4K resolutions and the possibility of downsampling.
