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Sega's upcoming Valkyria Chronicles has everything a PS3 fan could want: not only is is pretty, it sports a unique artstyle, innovative gameplay ... and it's exclusive to PS3. We stopped by the Sega booth at E3 and was treated to a fun experience that will attract strategy and shooting fans alike.
The fundamentals of battle have us excited. Players must take out a swarm of enemy soldiers, and to do so they must be incredibly resourceful. Each turn grants players the ability to move characters around a map and attack enemies. Players must use each character's unique abilities wisely, as they only have a limited amount of turns to use before the enemies attack. For example, player may want to use a scout to move ahead forward and scout out enemy positions. Unlike other SRPGs, players have direct control over the characters they select; players will move the characters using the analog stick and must quickly find appropriate cover. Positioning is key: players will want to not only get a vantage over enemies, but they'll want to be in a position where return fire will not affect them.
Gallery: Valkyria Chronicles
Having direct control over each of the character's actions adds a nice active feel to typically slow-paced genre. Running as a sniper, finding cover and then getting a headshot on an enemy seems like the opposite of what SRPG games should provide. However, don't expect to play this like Gears of War. Strategy is still crucial, and players will quickly learn that rushing headfirst into battle may not end with the best results. Characters, even story characters, don't have a lot of health -- losing story characters will lead to an unfortunate Game Over. The various classes all feel different, and the inclusion of tanks adds another layer of depth we can appreciate.
Numbers still play a big role in the game as well, although that might not be immediately apparant. Not only will players want to keep an eye on their HP, they'll want to look at their accuracy and the deadliness of their attacks. A heavily armored enemy may take quite a great deal of gunfire, but a properly thrown grenade can take one of them out. Thinking about your location in a level and the weaponry in-hand is key to each level's success.
Valkyria Chronicles really has a lot to offer both the shooter and RPG fan. Unlike other SRPG games, this one comes as fairly intuitive, thanks to its shooter elements. However, don't expect to simply breeze through the campaign. Players are constantly being ranked in their performance, and they'll want to try and beat each mission as effectively as possible. In fact, we're told that the best players will be able to conquer each level with just one offensive sequence -- how that's possible is beyond us. Valkyria Chronicles is due Fall 2008.
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