Valkyria Chronicles II
| Valkyria Chronicles II | |
|---|---|
| File:VC2 Japan cover.jpg Japanese cover of Valkyria Chronicles 2 | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Composer(s) | Hitoshi Sakimoto |
| Series | Valkyria Chronicles |
| Engine | Proprietary "CANVAS" engine |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Valkyria Chronicles 2, known in Japan as Template:Nihongo title is an upcoming video game for the PlayStation Portable. It is the sequel to the PlayStation 3 title Valkyria Chronicles by Sega. The game was released on January 21, 2010 in Japan, with a North American release scheduled for summer of the same year.
Story
Set two years after the events of Valkyria Chronicles, the story revolves around a civil war within the small Europan nation of Gallia. A rebel group made up of dissatisfied aristocrats and like-minded soldiers and citizens calling themselves the Gallian Revolutionary Army rises up in arms in order to wage an ethnic cleansing campaign against Gallians of Darcsen descent.[3] However, with the intense fight against the Empire having left Gallia's regular army in an exhausted state, there is initially little to stop the insurrection from gaining momentum. Laws preventing the formation of a national militia to fight fellow Gallians force the government to deploy military academy cadets to the front lines in order to combat and defeat the GRA forces.
Among the students sent out on the field is 17-year-old Avan Hardins, a young man who enrolled in Lanseal Military Academy after the death of his older brother, Leon.[4]
Gameplay
Many gameplay concepts in Valkyria Chronicles 2 are carried over from the original. The BLiTZ system is used during combat scenarios, splitting the action between an overhead Command Mode and third-person Action Mode. By selecting allied units during Command Mode, using Command Points in the process, said units can move and perform actions until their Action Points run out. When the player has exhausted their available Command Points, or volunteers to pass control without using all of them, the Player Phase ends and the Enemy Phase begins. This progresses back and forth until the battle's victory conditions are achieved or the player is defeated. Valkyria Chronicles 2 uses a system of multiple area maps connected by enemy encampments.[5] When an enemy camp is captured by the player's forces, subsequent areas are made available, using the camp as a way-point to call in reinforcements and proceed.
Also similar to the original, the characters available for use by the player each occupy a specific class. New to Valkyria Chronicles 2 are new class types and the ability of units to change their class based on a branching tree of upgrades.[6][7] All five original classes from Valkyria Chronicles reappear, some with slight modification. Scouts, Shocktroopers, Engineers,[8] and anti-tank Lancers act as the base units that lead to more powerful and specialized promotions. Snipers, rather than act as a starting class, are a part of the Scout's upgrade potential. The final base class is brand new to the series. The Armored Soldier class can disarm mines and carry large shields into battle that can deflect rifle and machine gun fire.[9] Armored soldiers do not carry a firearm, instead wielding a hammer to strike enemies with melee attacks. From these five base unit classes, individual units can use experience earned from completing missions to move into more advanced forms. Advantages garnered from upgrading class range from new weapon types to increased effectiveness against tanks to special abilities. Like the original game's Squad 7, the player has access to a tank. Like the infantry classes, the tank in VC2 has an increased amount of customization potential, being able to increase its firepower and armor, or be stripped down into a simple armored car.
The themes being used for the game include school and war as the students try to juggle their responsibilities as military academy students and as soldiers.[10] It is believed that the themes are based on the success of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.[11][12]
Development
It was reported on Famitsu's July issue that a Valkyria Chronicles game was to be developed for the PlayStation Portable.[13] On July 17, 2009, the official Valkyria Chronicles 2 website was launched to the public with the developer's blog and pictures of the game.[14][15]
In a blog post on the official website, executive producer Shuntaro Tanaka has revealed that the game will keep the BLiTZ system with wireless ad-hoc to be implemented.[16][17] In addition, Tanaka said that the game's development for the PSP was done "to allow a broader spectrum of users to discover and enjoy what makes Valkyria special." with the possibility of the game being seen in consoles in the near future.[18]
The staff in the development of the game were pulled from the Valkyria Chronicles staff, mainly chief producer Shuntaro Tanaka, character designer Raita Honjo and composer Hitoshi Sakimoto with Take Ozawa being posted as the game's director[19] with previous work done on Valkyria Chronicles as its main planner.[20] Shinji Motoyama is the game's producer, having done production work with the Sega-made Bleach games, as well as Nightshade and Blood Will Tell.[20]
Sega revealed at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show that the popular J-Pop duo Chemistry will perform the game's opening theme, titled "Our Story".[21]
Release
An extensive amount of special material was produced by the Valkyria Chronicles 2 staff as bonus items for those players who pre-order the game.[22] First is a reel of bonus footage titled "Valkyria Chronicles 1936: Gallian Front Memoirs." Narrated by Cordelia gi Randgriz, the video summarizes the events of the first game, as well as happenings in the time gap between the two. Similarly, "Gallian Journal 1936" presents background information in the form of a news magazine, with such articles as an interview with the game's antagonist. A limited-edition game soundtrack will also be included. Those who pre-order will also have information with which to unlock Selvaria Bles as a playable character within the game.[23][24]
Further hidden characters were also made available including Welkin and Alicia (the protagonists from the first game), Ramal Valt from the anime, and Mintz and Julius from the Valkyria Chronicles: Wish Your Smile manga.[25] However, Welkin, Alicia, and Ramal are available as a DVD bonus from Volume 6's release in Japan while Mintz and Julius are available after using a special password.[26] It was further announced that Isara, Maximillian, Selvaria and Faldio are hidden characters, despite the resulting incongruence with the first game's plot.[27]
A playable demo of the game was made available on the Japanese PlayStation Store on November 2, 2009, with an online download of the same demo following on the 5th.[28]
References
- ^ "Information". Sega. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ Ryan Clements (2009-09-16). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Confirmed for U.S. Launch". IGN. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ^ Kevin Gifford (2009-07-15). "Valkyria Chronicles Sequel Announced for PSP". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ John Shepard (2009-07-17). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Website Opens". PSX Extreme. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "Valkyria Chronicles 2 - TGS Trailer Vol.3". Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ "戦場のヴァルキュリア２ 突撃取材・その３" (in Japanese). Sega. 2009-07-31. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ Spencer (2009-08-07). "A Glimpse Of Valkyria Chronicles 2's Branching Class System". Siliconera.
- ^ "Valkyria Chronicles 2 - Infantry: Engineer" (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ "Valkyria Chronicles 2 - Infantry: Armored Soldier" (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ Keane Ng (2009-07-15). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Coming to PSP". The Escapist. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Announced". Nukoda. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Spencer (2009-07-14). "Valkyria Chronicles PSP Sequel Takes A Tip From Persona". Siliconera. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Valkyria Chronicles 2 officially announced". 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Jem Alexander (2007-07-17). "Official Valkyria Chronicles 2 site launches". Joystiq. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Kris Pigna (2009-07-18). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Website Opens with New Screens". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Spencer (2009-07-17). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Has Ad-Hoc Play". Siliconera. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "戦場のヴァルキュリア２ 突撃取材・その１" (in Japanese). Sega. 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Peter Haas (2009-07-16). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Announced For PSP". Blend Games. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "開発スタッフ" (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ a b Anoop Gantayat (2009-07-14). "Sega Formally Unveils Valkyria Chronicles 2". Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ "Sega Reveals New Valkyria Chronicles 2 Info". 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ "Official Site: Information" (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ "『戦ヴァル2』予約特典でセルベリアが使用可能に!! 体験版も配信" (in Japanese). 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "Official Blog: Revolutionary Army Trembles!" (in Japanese). Sega. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ^ Spencer (2009-11-11). "Look Who's In Valkyria Chronicles 2". Siliconera. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ Chun. "「戦場のヴァルキュリア2」に前作の主人公やヒロインが登場することが明らかに！ ゲストキャラが手に入るキャンペーン情報が公開" (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ Spencer (2010-01-07). "Valkyria Chronicles 2 Has Even More Valkyria Chronicles Cameos". Siliconera. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
- ^ "Playable Demo Download" (in Japanese). Sega. 2009-11-5. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
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