Valkyria Chronicles 4 is coming out this week for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC and I couldn't be more excited. I first played the original game some time ago on the PlayStation 3 and not only was it a colorful and unique strategy game but it reminded me so much of the games Sega used to make during the Dreamcast era (being developed by the same team that brought use Skies of Arcadia and the Sakura Taisen series).

It has been 10 years since the release of the original game and it feels like 4 is going to be the franchise's first true sequel. Earlier this year I played Valkyria Chronicles 3 to completion, a good chunk of Valkyria Chronicles 2, and even replayed most of Valkyria Chronicles 1. With the whole mainline series fresh in my mind, VC4 really feels like the sequel I've wanted from the series for a long time. The PSP games are good (VC3 is even great at times) but their presentations were much weaker being on a portable and more importantly the structure of the gameplay was very different, with the player having to grind through a bunch of cookie cutter missions before being able to play story missions. Based on my experience with VC4's demo (logged in about 3 and a half hours doing everything) the fourth game feels like the grand return of the larger story-based missions of the original along with the return of the iconic watercolor graphical style. Some people might complain that it seems too similar to the original game but considering how long it's been since VC1's release, how different all of its sequels were and how horrible last year's Valkyria Revolution spin-off seemed to be, it is kind of awesome to finally get a true continuation to the first game.

Also if you are a Switch owner and a Fire Emblem fan, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is basically your anime strategy game fix while you wait for Three Houses next year. At the very least I highly recommend checking out the demo, which lets you play through the first few chapters of the game and allows you to transfer your save to the full game. And no, from what I can tell you do not need to have played any of the past games in the series in order to fully enjoy VC4.

Anyway, is any one else playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 this week or at least interested in playing it?

@lentfilms: Despite being burned by Revolution, I preordered VC4 and already beat the demo a couple times over. Can't wait for the game itself to arrive!

I really want to play this but the first game ended so nicely its hard to go back. I read its a sequel to the first and that has me interested but I can't afford it right now. If it goes on sale for Black Friday I will pick it up then.

I'm looking forward to it, but it'll be awhile. I have to finish up DQ and then Torna is next on the list.

Vyse, Aika and Fina better make another appearance.

The Switch seems like the ideal platform for strategy games like this.

I did enjoy what I played of the demo (besides some painful melodrama from the main character), but I just bought Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright as my last straight purchase this year so this one has to wait unless it gets a great sale on Black Friday.

Been excited since the demo came out! Don't preorder much, but made an exception for this one.

Just hope it doesn't turn into this game everyone knows is excellent, but few people actually end up playing. Again. ( Assuming that is as good as the first one, if not better.)

They are doing good by releasing it on everything this time around.

@puchiko: Technically the game takes place during the same time period as VC1 but just in a different theater. So instead of taking place in Gallia it is about a squad in the Federation army doing a dangerous mission in the snowy north of Europa. The only game in the series that actually takes place after the events of the first game is VC2.

@dochaus: I also played through the demo a few times. Got an A rank in every mission.

@chrispaul92: Yeah, I played a bit of the PS4 demo but the Switch is just so much more convenient and the graphics do not seem to be that much worse than the other versions. So I'm gonna be playing the full game on the Switch.

@oldenglishc: Playing DQXI right now as well (just got all the orbs). VC4 is going to be my portable game on the Switch while DQ will be my console game, which is usually how I balance my current games I'm playing.

I'm getting it on PS4, although in retrospect this might've been the ideal thing to get on Switch. From what I played of the demo, it kinda seems like they're just making the first game again, but with mortar troops. That sounds alright! It's only been a decade since Valkyira Chronicles. Not going to miss any of the grindy nonsense, tiny maps, or bad anime high-school stuff from 2, but I did like the branching class structure and the number of different unit types you could run around with. I do hope that some of the cheesier tactics from that first game aren't as potent here, since I sure did get A ranks on all of the demo missions by using the tried and true method of bum-rushing everything with scouts and the tank.

I'm also not especially encouraged by the quality of the writing, but given the franchise history I think I'm gonna keep my expectations low and move forward from there. As long as no one is as idiotic as any of the characters in 2, I think I'll be alright.

I pre-ordered it a month ago, and I have it pre-loading right now. I'm a huge fan of the first VC, and I hope this is the grand return that it appears to be.

I thought Valkyria Revolution would be the final nail in the coffin, so let's hope that VC4 does well enough that it can secure the future of the franchise for a bit longer.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel after playing the demo. The new grenadier class seems cool and my imagination's running wild with situations in which they'd be useful, but for the most part, it's just too similar to the first game. I played it twice on PS3, once on PC, and then once more modded rather recently, so I guess I set myself up for this situation. I think I'll wait for all the DLC to come out and buy the definitive edition down the line.

My most anticipated game of the year right here. Had the special edition preordered forever, but just cancelled it recently. Looks kinda cheapish if I'm being honest and it's probably gonna end up in a box of game stuff in my closet anyway so might as well save some money. Instead, I just ordered the game from Gamestop because it comes with a real dumb hat at no extra cost that I will gladly wear while playing, but the kicker is it'll probably be a few days late so that sucks, but whatever.

I'm very excited for this game though I won't be able to play it for awhile. It doesn't seem to have much in the way of innovation so I'm expecting a very solid entry. The tech feels like it hasn't changed at all from the first game, so good or bad, I think it'll be more of the same. They've gotten much better with balance, at least from my time with VC2 (50+ hours) so I think it'll encourage more varied usage of units. Hopefully it has very good mission designs because at the core, the feel of the movement, a.i. intelligence, physics and environmental behavior remain quite limited and dated. I also have concerns about the story. I've heard some good things so I feel slightly reassured but nothing grabbed me in the demo, though you know, it was a demo so who knows. Lastly, I wish the character designs were a little more understated. It's not on the level of anime crazy yet but I do find it a bit busy. I liked VC1 for it's whimsical tone and classy designs.

Yeah, I'm getting it, looks hella good.

My experience with it so far is it’s improved a lot on the mechanics of th first game and added some new nifty things. The voice acting doesn’t have the quality actors the first one did, and thus the characters don’t feel as engaging as Squad 7. Even the villains so far seems less threatening and interesting compared to Selvaria and Maximillian. It’s definitely better than 2 and 3, and in a lot lf ways a better game than the first.

I've played through the first game three or four times, but personally, I think it's been long enough that I'll still be OK with it just being more Valkyria Chronicles.

I was never as into the original VC as I wanted to be. The gameplay was neat, but flawed in execution, and the story was just too many anime/JRPG tropes stacked on top of eachother. (I normally have a high tolerance for that, but VC just took it too far.)

That being said, I still have some interest in VC4. I played the demo, and I felt like it could be addressing some of my issues with the gameplay, with more interesting missions, and more variety in classes. It's not a day 1 buy, but I intend to play it eventually.

I actually just started VC1 (made it to chapter 5) on the PC because of this coming out. I thought with some fondness of XCom and other turn base strategy game I have been playing this would be a good shift, but can't say it really grab me as much as I hope.

The movement feels a little clunky, getting in and out of action cam and menu could be snappier, and with limited AP plus return fire tied to it is kind of frustrating at times. Everyone raves about the scout grenade launcher, yes it is quite good, but I feel like I am missing something to really abuse it like everyone made it out to be.

I tried following some elite A rank guide to pick up what I am missing out on, but still can't seem to perform on the same level despite following it step by step and have no idea why. Fighting tanks continue to eludes me, I know I am suppose to have the lancers shoot them from the back, but they miss way too often and get shot up way too easily. Getting enemies to turn and look elsewhere also seem inconsistent. RNG can be godly at time which makes save scumming all the more attractive yet just a few too many inputs away.

Equipment purchases tied to story progression which seems more of a necessity than upgrade. I check the controls over again and again, but just can't find an easy way to view character AND class traits/potentials easily at once in the recruiting menu which makes comparing everyone a huge chore, have to enlist them then look at them in the barrack menu then boot them out.

Part of me want to continue the game in earnest, but afraid I will get burn out, it is definitely not a game I can play in long sittings. Part of me also just want to rush through it and get it over with. The presentation of the game is pretty interesting tho. Charming enough, but still retain a needed amount of grimness to it, interesting juxtaposition. Certainly tropey at times, but I can overlook that.

Glad to see a post on Giantbomb and others enjoying this game! This is definitely my most anticipated game of the year - the first game is one of my favourite games ever. However, I always role play in these games a lot. What I mean by that is I ignore all of the 'cheese strats' and I try to make decisions in battle that I'd imagine would be made by the characters themselves rather than based on powergaming. I have a ton of fun playing these games and I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I'm not too far in but I'm finding the characters to be all really cool and likable. I think my favourite so far is Fleuret (the French-accented Shocktrooper)!

About 6-7 hours into the game now and just did my first mission that had a really large map (and also a ton of tanks). Really enjoying the game so far and despite the grenadier being the "only" new class it is actually significantly changing how I'm playing the game compared to past VC titles. The class especially makes it hard to just bum-rush the enemy's base with scouts since enemy grenadiers can destroy them very quickly. Also the game has unlockable side-stories like in VC2 and 3 where you can learn more about the other members of you squad that don't get any spotlight in the main story. I am loving these so far and they are fully voices unlike past games so you really get a feel for everyone's personality.