Valkyria Chronicles 4 announced for every console

[Ertrick36]

1 minute ago, vanguard333 said:

Do I need to know the story of the previous games to understand the story in this game? 

Absolutely not.  Technically, it's not really a sequel; it takes place in the same time frame as the first and third games (the second game taking place later down the line), but in a different setting.

I'd say what you should know is that you should play it however you want.  Don't listen to what other people say about how you should play unless you're absolutely stuck.  Also, VC4 on Switch is the lowest quality version, but that just means some scenes will feature less soldiers, graphics are a bit downgraded, and loading times are a little longer.

VC is an action-strategy game.  There's a mix of XCOM-esque strategy and action segments where you try to move your unit as quickly as you can to the desired position and have them perform an action (shooting, throwing a grenade, healing, repairing, etc.).  There's some RPG elements, and there are six classes that do very different things (scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers, snipers, and grenadiers).  And in VC4 in particular, there are squad missions that show side stories for all the more "minor" characters, so everyone gets a little characterization.

[vanguard333]

1 minute ago, Ertrick36 said:

Absolutely not.  Technically, it's not really a sequel; it takes place in the same time frame as the first and third games (the second game taking place later down the line), but in a different setting.

Thanks; that's good to know. 

1 minute ago, Ertrick36 said:

I'd say what you should know is that you should play it however you want.  Don't listen to what other people say about how you should play unless you're absolutely stuck.  Also, VC4 on Switch is the lowest quality version, but that just means some scenes will feature less soldiers, graphics are a bit downgraded, and loading times are a little longer.

I usually try to avoid spoilers and what people say about what to do until after I've done a playthrough of the game. I call it the Souls Rule of video games. 

Interesting about the Switch version. I have a PS4 and I lack a Switch, but I'm planning to get one. This and Ys VIII are two games where I'm trying to decide if I should wait until I get a Switch or not. 

4 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

VC is an action-strategy game.  There's a mix of XCOM-esque strategy and action segments where you try to move your unit as quickly as you can to the desired position and have them perform an action (shooting, throwing a grenade, healing, repairing, etc.).  There's some RPG elements, and there are six classes that do very different things (scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers, snipers, and grenadiers).  And in VC4 in particular, there are squad missions that show side stories for all the more "minor" characters, so everyone gets a little characterization.

I have no idea what XCOM means. Cool that everyone gets a little characterization.

Is this real-time strategy or turn-based strategy?

Is this a big army kind of strategy game, or is this closer to Fire Emblem? (i.e. is this more strategy or tactical)

[Ertrick36]

1 minute ago, vanguard333 said:

Interesting about the Switch version. I have a PS4 and I lack a Switch, but I'm planning to get one. This and Ys VIII are two games where I'm trying to decide if I should wait until I get a Switch or not. 

I'd say unless you want to play this game on the go (or otherwise away from your TV/monitor), you should just get it on PS4.

3 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

I have no idea what XCOM means.

XCOM is a turn-based strategy shooter where you have to build an army/research company to combat aliens.  Sort of grid-based like FE, but different rules.  VC isn't grid-based, but the fact that it's a strategy game and a shooter means that XCOM is probably the game it most closely resembles.

5 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

Is this real-time strategy or turn-based strategy?

It's... a little of both.

Hard to explain without actually showing some gameplay.  When you're in Command Mode (the mode for selecting a unit and/or issuing orders), time is basically frozen.  In Action Mode (which you switch to when you select a unit in Command Mode), some enemies will shoot at you as you move depending on where you are, but no one besides the unit you're controlling moves unless you use Direct Order on a lead unit to get two other units to move with them.

You do take turns, though instead of selecting every unit in a turn like in FE, you have these things called "Command Points" which represent the number of orders you can issue or units you can select before the enemy gets a turn.  And there are "Action Points", which is VC's equivalent of a movement stat.  I just struggle to not call it real-time because there is some form of real-time element in the form of enemy interception fire.  You can't, say, rush an Engineer into a place guarded by, like, ten turrets.  But for the most part, it's basically turn-based with slight real-time elements.

11 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

Is this a big army kind of strategy game, or is this closer to Fire Emblem? (i.e. is this more strategy or tactical)

Definitely more tactical.  I imagine you're thinking of stuff like Starcraft and Rome: Total War when you're talking about strategy, and it's hardly anything like those games.

You have a set amount of individual units (at most ten), one or two of whom are tank drivers, and you move them all individually around the map to either rout the enemy, defend camps, or capture the enemy camps, among other things.

[vanguard333]

18 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

I'd say unless you want to play this game on the go (or otherwise away from your TV/monitor), you should just get it on PS4.

XCOM is a turn-based strategy shooter where you have to build an army/research company to combat aliens.  Sort of grid-based like FE, but different rules.  VC isn't grid-based, but the fact that it's a strategy game and a shooter means that XCOM is probably the game it most closely resembles.

It's... a little of both.

Hard to explain without actually showing some gameplay.  When you're in Command Mode (the mode for selecting a unit and/or issuing orders), time is basically frozen.  In Action Mode (which you switch to when you select a unit in Command Mode), some enemies will shoot at you as you move depending on where you are, but no one besides the unit you're controlling moves unless you use Direct Order on a lead unit to get two other units to move with them.

You do take turns, though instead of selecting every unit in a turn like in FE, you have these things called "Command Points" which represent the number of orders you can issue or units you can select before the enemy gets a turn.  And there are "Action Points", which is VC's equivalent of a movement stat.  I just struggle to not call it real-time because there is some form of real-time element in the form of enemy interception fire.  You can't, say, rush an Engineer into a place guarded by, like, ten turrets.  But for the most part, it's basically turn-based with slight real-time elements.

Definitely more tactical.  I imagine you're thinking of stuff like Starcraft and Rome: Total War when you're talking about strategy, and it's hardly anything like those games.

You have a set amount of individual units (at most ten), one or two of whom are tank drivers, and you move them all individually around the map to either rout the enemy, defend camps, or capture the enemy camps, among other things.

Sounds fantastic; I think I'll definitely give this game a try. 

[Shiki]

Finally picked up this game. I've reached Chapter 14 so far and very much pleased with it.

Spoiler

This game is quite a bit more challenging than the original. You have a lot more deadzones here and they tend to overlap so you can't just pop a defensive boost on your Scouts and rush the map. But that isn't even the requirement for all maps, there are a lot more unique objectives like actual defending camps, shooting down bombs or "boss fights".
This and several quirks on some maps encourage you to have a diverse roster instead of just having 1 specialist for each class and then Scouts for everything else. This is even true after you get a lot of nifty tools like the APC, the direct command option and ship commands.
Special mentions so far go to Chapter 6 because getting A-rank there took a lot of effort.

This, however, only applies to the main story maps. The skirmishes are very easy and I have to find one where I don't get a 2 turn clear (with killing the aces of course). I don't know if this gets better but so far there are not really challenging.
Squad stories are overall a mixed bag with some being ridicilously easy depending when you unlock them. For example I unlocked the one for Fleuret, Mabel and Rebecca after Chapter 13 and it was a joke because none of the enemies were Elites. Apparently it could have been unlocked very early on but if you don't know about that the challenge is pretty much gone.
I think I did everyone's besides one for Aladdin and Neige though I don't know who the 3rd character is going to be. Alas I will find it once I get Aladdin to his Corporal rank.

I have one complaint about the gameplay though; why is Minerva this broken? Seriously whose idea was it to give her twice the base stats of a regular Scouts and then give her ridicilous potentials (you know, Double Movement or her personals). I'm pretty sure you can do VC1 cheese strats with her as she is that ridicilous.

 

Edited October 12, 2018 by The Priest

[qwernst]

Beat the game a while ago, and enjoyed it. It gave me inspiration to make a video shitpost for VC1 and VC4.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by qwernst