It is time to bring an old format of my column back to life to introduce you to some real gems that, in my opinion, have not received enough attention so far. Here I present every conceivable type of games, regardless of whether they are playable offline or online – in some cases, they are even difficult to classify as “games”, such as “Juniper’s Knot“.
I start anew with “Valkyria Chronicles”, which is available for both the good old PS3 and recently for PC via Steam.
Plot Overview
Valkyria takes place in a semi-fictional world around the year 1935. Currently, the “Second European War” is underway, with the two superpowers, the “Imperial Alliance” and the “Atlantic Federation”, fighting for dominance and the rare resource “Ragnite”. Right between these factions lies the small principality of Gallia, which unfortunately possesses quite large Ragnite reserves. The Empire does not waste any time and attacks the small state.
The player takes on the role of “Welkin Gunther”, a student who returns to his hometown of Bruhl after completing his studies – just in time to witness the destruction of the village by the war. As a result of these atrocities, he and the other survivors join the militia. From this point on, you will get to know new members of “Squad 7”, who will find a place in your heart sooner or later.
Genre Mix: A Dramatic, Turn-Based Strategy Shooter
“Valkyria Chronicles” blends several genres in an intelligent and well-executed way. The narrative is told in chapters – so you always have 5-10 minutes of story sequences before the next military operation takes place. The battles are turn-based, which means: The player commands the units in turn. Each movement of a unit costs 1 command point. Once you control a unit, the game switches from bird’s-eye view to third-person view, so you must manually control the individual soldiers.
The various unit classes have different abilities: Scouts can run especially far per turn, shock troopers can inflict heavy damage, lancers can dismantle entire tanks. Once all command points are used up, it is the enemy’s turn.
Permadeath: No Second Chance
During the game, you can expand your squad with numerous new recruits if you wish. Aside from a few significant characters, all soldiers can die in battle – and that permanently. If one of your comrades falls, you have 3 turns afterward to reach him with another friendly unit to call a medic.
If you do not succeed, or an enemy touches the fallen first, the character dies – with a brief display of their last words, and then the screen fades to white. Every turn must be well thought out – recklessness can quickly lead to the death of beloved characters.
Every Soldier is a Unique Character
“Squad 7” is a militia unit, and you can tell that by the behavior of its members. Each character has individual strengths and weaknesses, which can come into play in combat. Some women have the disadvantage “Talkative”, which lowers their accuracy if favored friends are nearby. Other characters perform better when loved ones are close – some even sacrifice themselves to save others from death.
Even if not all squad members contribute significantly to the plot, they all have detailed personalities with strengths and weaknesses that come to light in battle!
Many Gruesome Themes, Well Presented
Valkyria Chronicles may have colorful anime characters, but this does not mean that it is always cheerful. In “Squad 7”, there are minors, as the militia from Gallia recruits anyone they can find. This also poses difficult questions to the player: Do I really want to have “child soldiers” in my squad? The fact that characters can die permanently makes this decision even harder.
Elsewhere, you will find labor camps where “inferior” people work themselves to death. This is reminiscent more than a little of the Nazi concentration camps – and that is intentional. The themes are close to reality, but in a fictional context. And they are never trivialized. It is an interesting tightrope walk that succeeds!
In summary, “Valkyria Chronicles” is incredibly well staged. The comic-style graphics may be a bit dated, but they still look good and fit the game perfectly. Dramatic and funny moments balance each other out, as everyday life in the barracks is often addressed. The more horrific are the moments when fate strikes with full force. If you are looking for an exciting, captivating, and challenging game, you might want to consider twenty euros – they are well invested in “Valkyria Chronicles”.
Link to the Game: Valkyria Chronicles on Steam.
