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Interview: Valkyria Chronicles 2's Takeshi Ozawa and Shinji Motoyama

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 8th 2009 at 9:10PM }

The announcement of Valkyria Chronicles 2 came as a surprise for most. In spite of the modest sales of the first game, Sega greenlit a second title in th franchise, this time for the PSP. We spoke with Sega director Takeshi Ozawa and producer Shinji Motoyama about the difficulties in translating the experience to PSP, and the cameos we can expect from the upcoming sequel. [Note: While two people were interviewed, only the responses from our single Sega-provided translator are transcribed. We apologize for the lack of proper attribution.]

Joystiq: Obviously, many people were surprised to see a sequel not on PS3, but on PSP. Does this open up the chance that the franchise will move to even more platforms, like the 360, for example?

Translator: It's difficult for us to comment on because, actually, we weren't thinking about specific platforms when designing the game. And it just turns out, we developed for the PS3 and this time we chose PSP as the platform. We do take into consideration, in terms of game design, and delivering the game world and experience to the users. This time, we thought PSP was the ideal platform to do that. It's as simple as that. But, it's because of this that discussions became kind of widespread, and people started asking questions "why there's no 360 version?" We don't want to say anything that would enrage the fire of that discussion.

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TGS 2009: Hands-on: Valkyria Chronicles 2

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 28th 2009 at 5:00AM }

Most fans of the original Valkyria Chronicles will want to know one thing: is the PSP-exclusive sequel a worthy follow-up successor to its predecessor? The answer, from our short time with the game at TGS, seems to be undeniably "yes."

A costumed girl attempted to explain the game's controls to me, but I was immediately able to jump in. Veterans of the first game will find themselves at home here: the interface has remained largely unchanged from its transition from PS3 to PSP. Once again, VC2 employs the "BLITZ" battle system of the first game: a unique combination of both real-time movement and turn-based strategy. Players are given a number of Command Points (CP) which can be used to select various units: scouts, snipers, tanks, etc. Once selected, these units are manually controlled as in a third-person shooter, with players stopping to aim at enemies. Enemies can respond by firing back, but they cannot change position. Each unit is allowed only one barrage of gunfire before they must end their turn. Once players run out of CP, or manually end combat, the "enemy phase" begins, where the AI is allowed to do the same thing.

The mixture of real-time and turn-based combat proves to be an ideal handheld gaming experience, mixing the casual pace of a turn-based game with the excitement of a shooter. Valkyria Chronicles is more about tactics, less about precision aiming -- a good thing to consider when adapting a title to Sony's handheld.

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Sega deploying Valkyria Chronicles 2 in America, Europe

by JC Fletcher { Sep 16th 2009 at 3:15PM }

This is going to be awesome news for a heartbreakingly small portion of the gaming population -- Sega has announced that it is localizing the tactical RPG Valkyria Chronicles 2 for a summer 2010 release in North America and Europe.

Sega even backhandedly acknowledged the disappointing sales of the first game in its press release for the second, with VP of Marketing Sean Ratcliffe classifying the PS3 original as "a hidden gem on PS3." We're sure the company hopes the sequel will be upgraded to gem status.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 gameplay footage looks as good as we want it to be

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 10th 2009 at 10:15PM }

Don't be a hater. Valkyria Chronicles 2 may not be on the PS3 (or 360) as many had wished, but it certainly looks fine as-is on the PSP. Sega has done a remarkable job of recreating the look and, more importantly, gameplay of the original game. Considering the limited power of the PSP, we're positively surprised by the results.

With a brand new branching class system, and the promise of multiplayer, VC2 is shaping up to be the sequel we've all clamored for. Sure, it may not be in HD, but when was the last time you were able to play Valkyria Chronicles while on the toilet seat ... of an airplane? Check out another clip after the break.

Gallery: Valkyria Chronicles 2

[Via PSPHyper]

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More Valkyria Chronicles DLC coming 'winter 2010'

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 7th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Sega's Valkyria Chronicles is moving out with another blitz of DLC to keep the members of Squad 7 occupied. CVG reports that "Challenges from Team Edy" will add new missions to the overlooked strategy title in "Winter 2010."

The developers seem to have a soft spot for Edy, who was already the star in one of the DLC packs released last April, in addition to this latest expansion which released in Japan last month.

[Via Strategy Informer]

Fifteen short (but sweet) seconds of Valkyria Chronicles 2

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 25th 2009 at 3:00PM }

It's not much, but this 15 second Japanese TV commercial offers some of the first video footage of the upcoming PSP Valkyria Chronicles 2. Unfortunately, this ad doesn't show off any gameplay, instead focusing on the anime cutscenes that drive the game's story. You'll notice that the animation is in the style of the TV series, instead of the sketchy "canvas" look offered by the first PS3 game. While some may complain this is an obvious downgrade, we're more than happy to get more VC -- in any way we can.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 offers branching class system

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 7th 2009 at 6:45PM }

Valkyria Chronicles 2 is big. (Well, other than the fact that it's portable.) How much bigger, you ask? Well, let's put this into perspective: whereas there were 5 character classes in the first game, the second game will have 35. Additionally, it appears characters will be able to evolve over time with a customizable branch system. In the first game, characters that leveled up automatically gained pre-determined bonuses, like character-specific "potentials." It'll be interesting to see if the second game gives more freedom to users to create a fully customized squad.

Gallery: Valkyria Chronicles 2

[Via Siliconera]

Valkyria Chronicles 2 will be bigger than first game, producer promises

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 27th 2009 at 3:30PM }

It may be just a handheld game, but Sega's Shuntaro Tanaka promises the upcoming PSP-exclusive Valkyria Chronicles 2 will feature more content than the original PS3 game. While the first game was strictly a single-player affair, Tanaka says the PSP's Ad-Hoc mode allowed the team to explore local multiplayer. (Dear Japan, gamers like to use the internet for gaming too!) Without going into specifics, Tanaka says the content of the game will be a "few times" bigger than the first, with battles that are "even deeper" than the original.

The announcement of Valkyria's change in platform surprised many, especially those who expected a PS3 (or 360) sequel. However, PSP Hyper notes that "future games won't be focused on PSP only," leaving the possibility for a third game in the franchise (if it happens) to jump ship to yet another platform. Until then, we'll be happy with the prospect of a portable Valkyria.

Gallery: Valkyria Chronicles 2

Official Valkyria Chronicles 2 site launches

by Jem Alexander { Jul 17th 2009 at 9:30PM }

Famitsu may have spilled the beans with regards to the Valkyria Chronicles 2 announcement, but Sega has now officially opened the game's website for business. There's not much there right now except for the first page in the developer's blog, though it contains a few screenshots from the game, one of which you can see above. It looks like the style of the original has been maintained, despite the lower-resolution PSP graphics.

The developer diary -- handily translated over at Andriasang -- notes that the game has been bought to the PSP "to expose the series to a greater variety of users," and is keen to state that "this is a true sequel." The game is set three years after the first game, with no sign of any of the characters from the original, though we'd be very surprised if one or two didn't make at least cameo appearances in the sequel.

[Via Andriasang]

Gallery: Valkyria Chronicles 2

Valkyria Chronicles 2 in development for PSP

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 15th 2009 at 12:10AM }

Sega's critically praised Valkyria Chronicles is getting a second chance -- this time reborn as a PSP game. The innovative SRPG combined real-time third person shooting with turn-based tactical strategy, and presented everything in a gorgeous cel-shaded package. The sequel looks to do more of the same, as revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu. Scans show the return of the original's behind-the-back viewpoint and introduce characters new to the handheld iteration.

At E3 2008, Sony mistakenly showcased Valkyria Chronicles in a PSP highlight reel -- but that visual might've inspired Sega's Valkyria team. Regardless of the platform, we're glad to see Sega isn't giving up on the franchise. Let's hope that this time around, you gamers will actually buy the game.

[Thanks, Marius!]

Valkyria Chronicles continues DLC expansion in Japan

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 17th 2009 at 3:30PM }

It might not have become the multi-million mega blockbuster it deserved to be, but Valkyria Chronicles has managed to expand through an anime series and multiple pieces of DLC. It looks like Sega's not quite done with the franchise, as even more DLC has been announced for the Japanese audience. IGN reports that "Edy's Squad Challenge" will be the next add-on for the game, and should be available in Japan on June 26th, more than a year after the game's original release. The DLC will focus on objective-based challenges for players to complete, such as taking out specific enemies or saving allies.

Sega of America hasn't commented on whether or not the DLC will come to American audiences. While likely, we should remember that gamers had to wait for months for a proper localization. Hopefully, Sega won't take as long this time around.

Valkyria Chronicles' sales increased 400% in April

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 9th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Sega America's official blog noted that sales of Valkyria Chronicles skyrockted 400 percent from March to April. The site states the game is now in "tens of thousands" of brand new homes. The sales spike was likely a confluence of post-holiday word-of-mouth, a temporary price drop, the addition of DLC and some evangelical moments by outlets to get at least one Sega franchise out of the rabid blue hedgehog's shadow.

The Sega site fully recognizes that a quadrupling of sales for a game six months after launch is not exactly the norm. Hopefully this means Valkyria Chronicles isn't a full-blown flop anymore in North America and its possible sequel may actually make it across the Pacific.

[Thanks Aaron]

Valkyria Chronicles sales increase 400% in April, reveals importance of price cut

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 9th 2009 at 10:30AM }

Perhaps the old adage "better late than never" applies well here. Valkyria Chronicles, Sega's PS3 exclusive SRPG, earned heaps of critical praise, but never garnered sales worthy of its caliber. Six months after the game's release, Sega is reporting a 400% sales increase in April (versus March), with a sellthrough that nearly matches what the game had during its original release.

A lot of factors play into the revival of Valkyria Chronicles. Sega sponsored a few community contests throughout the web, and introduced DLC to the masses. The final (and most effective) part of this multi-hit attack is Valkyria's temporary price drop to $30.

We're pretty sure if Sega capitalized on the new buzz and introduced a new print at a lower price, Valkyria would have sold even more. Although the game is easily worth the $60, a price cut certainly makes any title more attractive in this economic climate. We're pretty sure Sega could get away with just one more re-release of the game. Imagine this: a "Greatest Hits" version that includes all the DLC and a few episodes of the anime for under $30? We're certain that'll sell even more copies.

[Thanks, Aaron!]

Valkyria Chronicles producer interested in a sequel

by Griffin McElroy { Apr 12th 2009 at 2:00PM }

We've got exciting news for the three of you that bought Sega's surprisingly wonderful strategy-RPG Valkyria Chronicles -- in the latest issue of Famitsu, Nonaka Ryutaro, the game's producer, said he was pleased with Japan's reception of the war-torn title, and expressed interest in creating another installment in the franchise. However, considering the game was a commercial flop in North America and Europe, but absolutely beloved in Japan, where the title has spawned an anime series and reached Sony's Japanese Greatest Hits status, it's not certain that any prospective Valkyria sequels would find their way beyond Japan's borders.

Still, while this isn't exactly a cold, hard confirmation of Valkyria Chronicles 2, but it should be enough to pique your interest, provided you bought the game, which Vegas odds would dictate you did not.

Valkyria Chronicles DLC available on April 16th

by Andrew Yoon { Apr 8th 2009 at 2:00PM }

The best PS3 RPG to date is getting three new expansions next week. Sega has announced three DLC packs for Valkyria Chronicles:

Hard EX Mode adds a new difficulty to the campaign. The Edelweiss will be unavailable and enemies will be more lethal than before. Clearly, this is a mode for the hardcore VC players out there.
Edy's Mission "Enter the Edy Detachment" – Edy and five squad members have been separated from Squad 7. In this new mission, players will have to use this small team to defend a small village from an Imperial Army attack.
Selvaria's Mission "Behind Her Blue Flame" – No more Mr. Nice Guy. This DLC lets you play as the enemy. Play as Johann, an engineer assigned to Selvaria, in a mission that takes place right after the outbreak of Gallian battle lines.

The DLC will be available on the PlayStation Store in America and Europe. Each pack will be available for $4.99, £3.19 or €3.99.