Sega Announces Valkyria: Azure Revolution for PlayStation 4

Earlier this fall, Sega registered a number of trademarks related to their mostly dormant Valkyria Chronicles series, leaving fans to speculate about a new entry. Well, this week's Famitsu brought two surprises for the faithful: Valkyria: Azure Revolution, a new game in the franchise, and a console remaster of the original Valkyria Chronicles, which is coming on February 10 and will ship with a demo of Azure Revolution.

Gemetsu's Sal Romano provides more details translated from the Famitsu story. Unlike previous Valkyria games, which were tactical RPGs that let players directly control units one at a time, Azure Revolution will be a real-time action RPG. Screenshots from Famitsu show a group of protagonists fighting against a large group of enemies wearing the same sort of industrial-engineer-meets-medieval-knight armor that was used in the first few games. There's also some sort of giant spider mech. So, you know, historically accurate.

According to details provided to Famitsu by game director Takeshi Ozawa and chief producer Youichi Simosato, Azure Revolution will kick off of a whole new set of "Valkyria" games, separate from the original games in the Chronicles series. But like the original game, Azure Revolution will still follow a conflict between a small country and its much larger, more industrial neighbor:

With the discovery of the azure mineral Ragnite, the powerful Rus Empire achieved rapid industrial development and expanded its territory. Jutland, a small country, is economically blockaded by the large country, and advocating “independence and freedom from colonial rule,” strikes the empire army’s base.

Throughout the short interview, the two developers try to walk the line between assuring old fans that they'll still find elements of past Valkyria games here and excitedly revealing details about the new direction that Valkyria is headed.

All of this comes after last fall's surprise PC release of the first Valkyria Chronicles, which introduced the series to a new audience. At the time, that felt like it was Sega testing the waters for future Valkyria games, so I'm curious if we'll see Azure Revolution on PC eventually too.

In any case, as a long time Valkyria Chronicles fan, I'm stoked to see a new game in the franchise--even a dramatically different one. But if I'm being really honest, what I really want to see is a translation and Western release of Valkyria Chronicles 3. Please? One day?

Yes please. Would love to see more of this series.

IT'S TIME

(Also hurrah for fan translations!)

They're getting rid of the series staple combat for something that, on the surface, seems more generic. Hopefully when the demo footage comes in February, it'll be more than what's expected.

Not sure about this new game but I'd definitely re-buy a PS4 version of the original. I don't have a PS3 anymore.

Jutland?! Anyway, I hope they're faster with the PC port this time around.

A remaster and new entry for my mostest favoritest game of all time? Okay.

Oh shit a new valk...

real-time action RPG

NOPE

The PC port that showed up earlier this year in Steam breathed a second life in the original Valkyria Chronicles. It was bizarre seeing people I know playing this game in 2015, let alone, them actually liking it. I'd wager that rekindled interest has made SEGA take notice than they would otherwise. Knowing SEGA's business strategies within the past 2 years, I'm surprised they're spending the resources cultivating a new installment. Here I am: still clamoring for PSNova, but I suppose they won't bother unless it gets attention like Valkyria did.

I'm super happy this series lives on, though with everything after the first game, and this new game being a genre shift, I'm fairly skeptical. Still, I'm intrigued.

Even if it's a radically different spin-off, I'm still gonna happy dance!

Also, I hope for an English release of Valkyria Chronicles 3 as well.

I really hope they can right the ship (or tank) because this series really got worse which each iteration.

Oh good, let's genericize the one unique element that caused the game to develop such a fervent cult-following in the first place.

Ok, so if they make it real-time but allow you to pause gameplay, issue commands, freely control all squad members, and create some sort of gambit system, it could be the most amazing thing ever.

More likely it will just be a bad-ARPG/bad-Shooter hybrid.

Also don't give me VC1 again, I own that twice. Give me VC3 already.

I'm going to echo some of my fellow fans on this one. They are removing the unique combat system for a Real time one? Why? In what way does that help the franchise? There were tweaks to that system they could have made to make it even more enjoyable but instead they just want to toss it out for an RTS system?

I'm disappointed, but not out quite yet because it might still work. If it comes out as PS4 only though I'm all the way out.

I was initially disappointed by how different this title seems from the other Vakyria games but I'm starting to warm up to the idea, especially since it is being developed by the studio that made Valkyria Chronicles 3, Media Vision. They are responsible for the Wild Arms series and have had a pretty great track record recently with the Chaos Ring titles and Cyber Sleuth, so I think the game is in capable hands.

Also in the interview the producer mentioned that Azure Revolution will have “beings that transform into tanks" and "weapons that imitate living things." That sounds awesome!

Hmm. I absolutely loved the combat system in the older games so I'm initially leery of a change to a more action-RPG style, but on the other hand it sounds like they're keeping a lot of the focus on strategy and warfare, as opposed to turning it into a dungeon crawler (the interview mentions "simulation" elements and things like using smokescreens and sniping at enemy units before you encounter them). AI-controlled party members could also be interesting if there's a deep strategy layer to their behaviour; micro-managing units in the first game could get very tedious at times.

The only thing that really worries me is the mention of "we went with an RPG because it seems like that's what more people want to play". I hope Sega hasn't fallen down the mindset that often leads to interesting games being diluted, where it goes: Let's bring X back > Games are more expensive than when the last X came out > X isn't a mainstream genre > Make it an FPS or an action game so our investment is less risky.

I don't mind them telling more stories in the Valkyria universe by means of new game play types, as I generally enjoyed the the world building and aesthetic achieved in the original, but the first combat system is what truly made the series unique in my opinion. Still, this could be interesting.

I have so much rage for Japanese game developers lately. I really wish they'd get their collective heads out of their hindquarters before it's too late for the Japanese game industry to recover.

There are lots of action RPGs but nothing else like Valkyria Chronicles. I find the story and characters of the original much less interesting now that I'm not 17. Therefore, not as interested as I'd like to be.

I fully support the Russian invasion of Jutland. The Danes are a vile scourge on the beautiful lands of Scandinavia that must be stopped.

I'd rather take a gameplay accurate new Shining Force for the first since 1998 but this is good. Innovation is okay. Trying new things is okay. Maybe the new take on combat will be kickass.

The first game just reminds me that there will never be another Skies of Arcadia.

It will be interesting to see how they handle the new battle system, though really that was the original's biggest strength.

The main thing I liked about Valkyria Chronicles was how it was a SRPG where you could control the units and aim manually, so of course that's what they remove from the new one.

As someone who would love to play VCII (let alone III) what is the easiest/best way to do so?

Is there a non-mobile way to play it? If so, what?

TIA

Exactly.

@starvinggamer said:

But, could you imagine how good it would be if they did the former?

It'd be like the semi-real-time-semi-turn-based combat of the first game, meets Shining Force, but with tanks n' shit!

So.... no word on a western release?

Forgive me if I don't bother getting excited. There have already been 2(?) Valkyria games that didn't get released here.

Japan - continuing to fuck up great gameplay by making it real-time. Pass.

This is the best video game related news in a loooooooooooooooooong time.

The original Valkyria Chronicles is one of my all time favorite PS3 games.

That doesn't sound like what I want out of a Valkyria Chronicles sequel at all. The combat is like 90% of the reason that series is good.

This is really good to hear.

I'll get the remaster since I never played the original but I've always been intrigued by what I've seen of it. The turn based stuff seems like it would be right up my alley.

Less thrilled with the description of the new one being an ARPG. There's already a million of those out there. It seems like another instance of a Japanese dev looking at Western trends and taking all the wrong lessons from it. They need to learn it isn't the genre that makes a game good. The good game was already good. It just happened to be in a particular genre.

They're kind of becoming like a kid who tries to cheat on a test by copying from his more successful neighbor. It might get them the right answer once in awhile, but since they don't really understand the material so they end up failing the larger exam.

I'm not sure if I like the sound of "real-time action RPG", but I'll give it a shot.

Oh dear god yes!!

Action-RPG? God damn it.

Man I am with Austin Please bring VC 3 over!!!!

The Steam version must have done well. Cool to see them responding to that. For a while there this franchise seemed dead, especially in the west.

Not to be THAT guy, but has Sega said they'd bring it across the pond? ??

I'm...cautiously optimistic about this. The idea of a new Valkyria that isn't a strategy RPG sounds like they're completely misunderstanding what made VC so goddamn incredible, but I hope even in a different style they can make a great, not completely unrecognizable, game.

Unlike previous Valkyria games, which were tactical RPGs that let players directly control units one at a time, Azure Revolution will be a real-time action RPG.

Oh, Austin, you made my heart swell only to break it seconds later. Maybe I'll just play the remaster :/

I guess I don't understand why they wouldn't remaster the second one that was a PSP exclusive first since they just re-released the first game on PC.

I think in Sega's heart of hearts, they would've loved to make this another SRPG, but those games don't sell well on the console marketplace. Case in point, the sequels scaled back production costs and released on handheld, and 2K isn't even putting out Xcom 2 on consoles (at least initially).

I'm glad I have a Japanese PSN account!

@badnews65: Probably because it's 100x cheaper and easier to port this over to PS4 than the PSP games. It would take dramatically more work to get the PSP games up to an acceptable level for current gen consoles.

Ah dang.

I'm not really interested in a Sega's attempt at a Real Time RPG. I'll keep an open mind.

Them ditching the strategy portion of the game for the new release is a real bummer.

Feels like something special just became more of the same.

Valkyria Chronicles always seemed so cool, and I always wanted to try it.

But I know I won't, as much as I tell myself I will :(

I don't really understand how it's different, so there's no more turns now? Just like you keep attacking as a soldier guy and there's no more units?? So it's just like Valkyria Mass Effect (without like dialog wheels obv)

HNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"The original Valkyria Chronicles taught me everything I know about tanks."

Austin, I hate to break it to you but...tanks can't go underwater. :P

i'm so mad. fuck