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Valkyria Chronicles |OT| Beautiful art meets genre-redefining gameplay

Rainy Dog said:
Great work Durante. Still can't believe Sega are putting this out when they are, but the demo swept aside any silly ideas I had about postponing a purchase until next year. Gorgeous art and a thoroughly refreshing looking RPG from Japan for once.

I thought Sega was crazy for announcing a late October/early November date as well, but the word of mouth on this game seems shockingly strong. Amazon is running a $10 giftcard promotion for it, which is also running with games like Far Cry 2, Fable 2, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance. Those aren't under the radar releases by any means, which is a hopeful sign that the buzz on Valkyria is high. I also think the demo has helped this game out perhaps more then anything. Almost nothing but strong impressions from people who have played it, and it's a game that's hard to appreciate without experiencing for yourself how the mix of srpg and action works. Add this up with some relatively high review scores and I think Sega might just do pretty well on this game.
 

Baha

Member
Can't wait for this game, I've been waiting ever since it was announced for NA earlier this year. Definitely one of the reasons I got a ps3 for.
 

Durante

Member
Gryphter said:
looks like a thread title was finally decided on.
For a moment I was tempted to go with
"Valkyria Chronicles - Official Thread - More ideas than the last 10 years of SRPGs combined"
in light of the recent stupidity but I thought better of it :lol

Katana_Strikes said:
Great thread. Loves the quotes part. Nice touch!
Thanks, I think it's the most important part that's why I put it on top. You can get all the other information by browsing wikipedia, the official site, or review aggregators, but the GAF impressions are unique.


Anyway, does anyone know what the team at SEGA that made this game has been up to since? (If the answer is "disbanded I don't want to know :p) I guess it's still too early for anything to leak out if they're working on a new title.
 

Shins

Banned
I've been casually following this since I saw it on a 1UP Show a few months ago. I'm not a big SRPG fan, and there's already a few things releasing this holiday taking priority, but I look forward to checking this out next year when new releases slow back down.
 

ibu

Member
This is going to be the game I purchase day one for this fall. Without a doubt the demo was great and gave me a gamer chubby, I was that excited after playing it.

May even get two copies to help sales.
 

Dante

Member
Lovely thread, The demo sold me on Day 1, I had always thought I'd pick this up sometime next year, but I must have played that demo like 10 times :)
 

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
LBP demo disappointed me, so this is pretty much the Great White Hope for PS3 for me.
Cameos from the SOA characters
pretty much sealed the deal.
 

Brashnir

Member
love the look of the game, but I'm not so sure the gameplay style is for me. hopefully it'll get a pricedrop after the busy season so I can pick it up during a lull.
 

Leam

Member
Already preordered, shame i wont be able to get it day one since sega seems to have forgotten about spain, it's nowhere to be seen in the release lists here. i'll have to wait
until play.com delivers it :(
 

Nekobo

Member
Volcynika said:
I'm not really sure. I checked Amazon, and the only thing they're offering now is $10 off a future video game purchase if you pre-order it there.

Oye, I'm undecided on where to buy this...save $10 for a future game or get a snazzy artbook...
 

RpgN

Junior Member
Great job with the thread, Durante!

I will probably get the game 4 days after launch to get 15% discount. Though I would rather not to.
 

jsrv

Member
Just got through the tutorial and skirmish demo

Wow, that was leagues better than what I expected out of the trailers

Final Fantasy Tactics music :D
 

John Harker

Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Can you link in some really good gameplay videos to the OP?

This game looks interesting, but I know absolutely nothing about how to play it.
 
This game is decidedly Day One for me. Unfortunately, I've got too many other games on my plate right now (*ahem* Order of Ecclesia *ahem*).

I might shuffle a few of my other game purchases into holiday season or wishlist xmas gift, just to buy this game first, play it later. This is a game that I'm more than willing to support.

It's interesting how the gameplay trailers seemed kind of lacking compared to actually playing the demo. It's a completely different experience.

John Harker said:
Can you link in some really good gameplay videos to the OP?

This game looks interesting, but I know absolutely nothing about how to play it.

Honestly, I would just download the demo from the UK store. All the gameplay videos I've seen so far are incredibly underwhelming compared to actually playing the game.

The art style is interesting, but there's something a bit "unpolished" about it. It's a distracting negative when watching the videos, but forgivable and endearingly fitting while playing the game.
 

el Diablo

Banned
Absolutely approve of this thread, if it wasn't for Persona 4 this would be my most anticipated title of the winter holiday. Damn you Europe for actually getting something i want to play before we do in the US :lol

By the way what was the downloadable content that was available in JP and do we have any news when we'll be seeing it?

John Harker said:
Can you link in some really good gameplay videos to the OP?

This game looks interesting, but I know absolutely nothing about how to play it.

Gameplay videos don't really explain things well since the gameplay runs so quickly for an SRPG, you're really better off downloading the demo off the US or EU store to get a true sense of it.
 

CAVE343

Member
I also have to say that the OP looks really good. I'm so happy that this one hits early in pal land for a change
 
Amazing OP, one of the best ever. The layout is classy shit my friend. I REALLY want this game but the only games I can afford in November are Gears and Lich King. I will be getting this soon though.


Edit - One thing I can see myself doing though is canceling my Fallout 3 pre-order and going with this shit right here.
 

Durante

Member
radiantdreamer said:
Honestly, I would just download the demo from the UK store. All the gameplay videos I've seen so far are incredibly underwhelming compared to actually playing the game.
I very much agree with this. That's why I pointed out the demo in the OP instead of videos.

Dr. Acid Avatar said:
Edit - One thing I can see myself doing though is canceling my Fallout 3 pre-order and going with this shit right here.
Interestingly, that's what a friend of mine that was here until a moment ago just decided to do. I'm not making this up :lol
 
rykomatsu said:
Well, sketches in general do lack a bit of polish :p

No, it's not that... I have no problem with the sketchy texture. What I mean is there is a severe lack of shading/shadows in their lighting. Everything looks quite flat, and in a way, appears to suffer from "Wii Graphics Syndrome".

To illustrate what I mean, here are two images of the same shot.

The first one is the original:
VC_original.jpg


This second image is me painting shadows (multiply layer) and highlights (color dodge layer) into it to give it more depth:
VC_tweaked.jpg


I could have done a better job, but you get the point. The second image has way more definition, less flat, and to me, looks way more "polished" for a PS3 title. I mean, look at that tank! It's actually sitting on the ground now, and you can see the turret's cannons! I'm sure that with their current engine, harsher shadows are definitely possible.
 

~Kinggi~

Banned
Dont know much about this game. But my ps3 is collecting dust and it needs a new game. Ill wait for reviews to see if its worth it. It looks interesting.
 

Quixzlizx

Member
radiantdreamer said:
No, it's not that... I have no problem with the sketchy texture. What I mean is there is a severe lack of shading/shadows in their lighting. Everything looks quite flat, and in a way, appears to suffer from "Wii Graphics Syndrome".

I could have done a better job, but you get the point. The second image has way more definition, less flat, and to me, looks way more "polished" for a PS3 title. I mean, look at that tank! It's actually sitting on the ground now, and you can see the turret's cannons! I'm sure that with their current engine, harsher shadows are definitely possible.

The story is happening
while someone is flipping through a book
. It's supposed to look flat.
 

Yazuka

Member
Hcoregamer00 said:
I have no idea, but I bet it is probably an anime dubbing studio.
Yeah, that's what I think too. I would just like to know which.
Well I guess I'll have to wait untill the game is released and check back then.
Sadly my economy won't allow me to get this right away, have to wait untill the middle of December or something. :'(
 

Volcynika

Member
Hcoregamer00 said:
Massive fail, if you go with a selvaria picture, go with the best one.

That's better, but the one that was posted is more amusing, if only for her chest having to be held up :lol
 

Yazuka

Member
Here are two more Selvaria pics. I ripped them from the official website a few months ago.
Damn she is lovely. <3

Selvaria01.png

Selvaria02.png
 

SamBishop

Banned
I think I'm about 15 or so hours into VC and I'm utterly smitten. This is the first next-gen JRPG that I've really been able to sink my teeth into, and it's fucking fantastic. Between this and Yakuza, SEGA is starting to win me back.
 

mintylurb

Member
Volcynika said:
That's better, but the one that was posted is more amusing, if only for her chest having to be held up :lol
Kyoufu!! Where are you~~

kyoufu02.jpg


Seriously, so many good games out now and coming out soon. I'll probably pick this one up next year or when it hits $20.
 
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