Valkyria Chronicles - A Fluent Review

Originally Posted by Fluent
Has anyone else actually watched my review? Comments/suggestions/thoughts on it?

An a personal note i like to have some technical comments (framerate, pc controls, etc.).

Regarding the save system, I was raised on console games so save points don't bother me that much if they are frequent enough and they make sense (not save points for the sake of save points).

The game runs very smoothly, but I'm playing on a pretty beefy rig. I haven't had anything less than a constant 60 FPS the entire time, and that's with every bell and whistle I can possibly turn on. Not so much as a hiccup.

The PC controls are fine. Pretty easy to grasp and there isn't a whole lot to the control system, in fact. It's just very simple and works as intended. The only oddity I can even think of is having to press Return to skip the opening cinematic (the usual Esc or mouse click don't seem to work). Oh, and you will probably press Esc a few times to bring up the menu in Book Mode, when it's the 'F' key that does it.

Originally Posted by Fluent
Has anyone else actually watched my review? Comments/suggestions/thoughts on it?

Gonna ask for forgiveness before adding my criticism

When you are talking about the gameplay mechanics or how the camera works, present some in-game footage. Start a battle and show how the camera works, the controls, the map and so on.

Also, you mentioned the politics, but nothing about how the game approaches stuff like discrimination (Isara - Rosie relationship) or the sexual minorities (Jann is an openly gay character and it's quite well presented - also my favorite lancer).

Also is best to explain how the rank system works and how killing an enemy ace might bring you certain benefits. Present both sides of the conflict (it's a late review, so heavy spoilers are allowed, but in an early reviews you can't put too many spoilers) and some of the conflict's background.

Some cinematics might make it more attractive.

Those are my impressions to the first viewing of your VC review. If it seems too harsh, again, forgive me.

@joxer - GreenManGaming ran ads one month before launch. And they also had a nice pre-launch discount. I used the discount and a coupon and i got it at 50% discount from GMG. Some sites also tried to advertise the launch. But from Sega…no advertising, as usual.

Originally Posted by joxer
I'm still unsure why rarely anyone mentioned "Okay, I'm persuaded, I bought VC!".

Well, I was persuaded by HiddenX already, when he played the game a couple of months ago. He was also quite smitten as I recall. I tried XCOM first, though.

Careful with trusting him.
Don't forget he still felt for Season Pass: The Game just because it has the best graphics you can find today.


On PC, of course. I don't think graphics would persuade anyone on this site into Order 1886.

Originally Posted by joxer
Careful with trusting him.
Don't forget he still felt for Season Pass: The Game just because it has the best graphics you can find today.

Spoiler

FC4

On PC, of course. I don't think graphics would persuade anyone on this site into Order 1886.

Despite your seemingly strong feelings about the subject. I bet you secretly caved and bought tw3 with season pass.

No, sorry.
I preordered the game the very first day it was available. Didn't know that there will be season pass, otherwise I wouldn't preorder the game at all.
While I won't cancel my preorder, Season Pass they can go sell to their mother, I'm not buying that stuff.
Technically and by description it appears to be expansion preorder, but if it was that, I doubt they'd call it season pass so people can know it's not the same scam business Ubi and others do. Yet, they did. And just because of that, they can shove off.
Said before and lemme repeat again. The game, any game, not just TW sequel, can be a modern Mona Lisa masterpiece - if it contains season pass I'll buy it only when the complete edition is made and sold for max 10 bucks. If it doesn't contain any scam, I'll pay the full price, no questions asked. Simple as that.

Let's keep this thread about the amazing game called Valkyria Chronicles.

I'm summoning this thread again because I just finished the game and wanted to share my thoughts.

The presentation of the game is fantastic, the interface and narration as a book works really well, the canvas effect in-game looks really good and the soundtrack is excellent (even if it is very similar to other Sakimoto projects like FFT).
Although the background is plentiful and complex (something like WWII with a bit of steampunk and some nordic mythology) I found the story, writing and characters very bad. It was like watching a bad anime with all its painful tropes (the power of love and friendship wins over everything else… and the beach scene, seriously!).
But the gameplay is excellent: the mix of Tactical RPG and TPS works nicely and almost every map has different objectives. The progression and managing of the squad is also very well done and overall very addictive. The only small complaints I got is the balance of the classes (I found 2-3 scouts could clear everything by themselves in half the maps) and the XP/Gold tied only to the number of turns you take to finish a map (I prefer overall scores with deaths, damage, and stuff like that. I think it would balance the classes also).

Anyway thanks for the suggestion guys! It's a shame the other games in the series are not on PC.

Posted in pricewatch but have to repeat here too.
For one more day, it's just 5 bucks on Humble Bundle:
https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p…les_storefront

This game is not the usual consoles grindy checkpoints garbage (you won't grind2win and can save on every turn), it requires some thinking and strategizing to play through it and controls are ported so good you won't believe it's actually a console title.
There is at least one thing it brings to the table I haven't seen in any other game ever. For example achievements are not worthless like in every other game. There are 20 of those and almost every one grants you a better weapon or more!
I just don't know why it took them so long to port it on a platfom where it belongs.

People, buy the game, play it if you haven't already.
While not a masterpiece, it's unique experience and a rare example of a proper port which makes it a musthave title.

Finished it a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it, but mostly for the first half of the game. After that I kept playing because I wanted the full story, which is also a good thing I suppose. ☺ I would have felt bad if I left them in the middle of the war. I must say the game also deserves an extra credit for the excellent ending where nothing was left unresolved. I might even have shed a tear or two, but I'm a sentimental wuzz.

Originally Posted by tomasp3n
Finished it a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it, but mostly for the first half of the game. After that I kept playing because I wanted the full story, which is also a good thing I suppose. ☺ I would have felt bad if I left them in the middle of the war. I must say the game also deserves an extra credit for the excellent ending where nothing was left unresolved. I might even have shed a tear or two, but I'm a sentimental wuzz.

Selvaria and Jaeger, dammit….No matter how i look at them, just can't see them as villains. VC1 did a great job in making you care about the characters in a very personal way. And that was only equaled in VC3 (which i really hope to be ported on PC, too).

Goddammit Sega, do the right thing and bring your good stuff on PC….

As Joxer mentioned, VC 1 gets a lot in sales lately, and 5 dollars/euros is a very good price tag for a game that offers a lot of enjoyment. So if you don't have it by now, grab it. You won't regret it.

I thought the majority of the characters were pretty silly, or at least the way they acted most of the time. Some of the combat scenarios were fun, but I was glad when it was over.

I played this on a console of mine, but I forget which one.

Another potentially great game marred heavily by terrible aesthetics and style.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I thought the majority of the characters were pretty silly, or at least the way they acted most of the time. Some of the combat scenarios were fun, but I was glad when it was over.

Of course characters are silly, that's what they are supposed to be within this style!
You're missing the point of that design. You, of course, may like or hate it. But they're exactly as expected.

It's not characters I had a problem with, I liked them actually. The problematic part for me is actually the "seen it already" story. As usual, things get warmed till the point of love triange and then one of three characters - dies. Classic cliche not because they plain can't make a proper "thriller" but because of censorship.
However, it's far better they offed that one character and used their death fo later story parts than the completely retarded turning point that basically never happens in The Last Remnant.

And while you've been glad it's over, I was not. I want more.
No, not more of this particular game. But more of this almost perfect port stuff.