Valkyria Chronicles

Good to very good Strategy game in noble Japano-RPG optics. Those who have not yet played Japanese RPGs (Final Fantasy should be mentioned here, but there are hundreds more) will be surprised at the beginning that real existing Figures and Locations are being wormn-out in slightly altered Form: Europe instead of Europe with something else Form, real existing Cities in completely wrong Places, Parts of real History in distorted Form (Time: 1935), Fantasy States. The evil Soldiers of the Empire bear German or German-style names, but in the Course of the Game they also only turn out to be people who would most like to be with their Family. Add to That the very young characters common To Japanese Games: Members of their own Militia aged 15-22 are not Uncommon in this War. Plus, a large Dose of Pathos is added, and a great Deal of Feeling at all. At first Glance, the Graphics look like usual anime fare, but gain strength due to the grandiose lovingly executed animation. The Facial expressions of the Characters are expressive, the (English) Voiceover is very well executed and fits very well with the Characters. This applies to both combat gameplay and Cutscenes, which should be called Story films here. They take up almost as much Space as the actual Gameplay, and they are executed in game Graphics, along with and on. You can see the experienced Hand of Square Enix here. Add To that simple but beautifully drawn Overview Maps of each battlefield where you plan your Strategy and select Units. These are then guided through the Landscape in a Shoulder Perspective. The Control has been transferred from the Console to the PC in some need of getting used to. Important Buttons next to WASD are F and Space. And the Control of the Tanks is not really convincing with Mouse and Keyboard, but can be learned. Throughout the Game, additional Features are unlocked that have considerable Significance for Gameplay. The most important of this is probably the research department at the Headquarters. Each of the maybe 30 Characters that can be selected for the "Squad 7" has its own Strengths and Weaknesses, which you will gradually discover. The 5 different Classes they are assigned to (Scout, Stormtrooper, Lancer = Anti-Arrange, Engineer and Sniper) are well balanced. In each Level, it is important to find the right Mix of these Classes in order to achieve victory as quickly as possible. The Levels are varied, even if they start similarly at first. In the Course of the Game, however, you soon can't get on With proven Tactics and have to adapt them to Topography and Location. In total, more than 25 Battles are likely to be fought in the 20 Chapters. Depending on how quickly you manage them, you get different Experiences and Money that you can put into the Development of your own Troupe. Grinden is possible, but not necessary-a big Plus for me. Finally, This Game was recommended by LeFloid in one of his Videos and was on the Steam wish list for a long time, but I took it down from it. When it was on Offer now for €5, I struck anyway and didn't regret it. I would have happily spent €20 on it, too. Eventually, it took about 50 Hours to play through the Game. I think That's a very decent Length of Play. In addition, the Game offers the Possibility to play the whole game more challenging with the unlocked Weapons and Experience levels. At some Moments in the Game I really had Pipi in my Eyes and more than once I said to myself, "How horny is that!" Recommendation: Buy!