Valkyria Chronicles is available today on the Nintendo Switch giving players the opportunity to fight for the future of Europa on the go.
A Recent Return to Form
The modern classic turn-based tactics game, from Sega and Media Vision, debuted in 2008 on the PS3. Sequels followed, with Valkyria Chronicles 2 releasing on the PSP in 2010. Sega released Valkyria Chronicles 3 the next year, but it was never published outside Japan.
After 2017’s Valkyria Revolution failed critically, many critics hailed Valkyria Chronicles 4 as a return to form upon its release on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch in September. Players who already own a Switch copy of that game will get $5 off the original’s $19.99 eShop price tag. The deal lasts until December 17, 2018, and significantly, the Switch version includes all DLC. This rerelease marks Valkyria Chronicle’s debut on a Nintendo system.
Technical Downgrade?
That said, the convenience of the Switch’s portability and low price tag may come at a technical cost. Sega said that the Switch release is not the remastered version that the company put out in 2016 on other platforms. It’s unclear, at this time, what that means for the game’s performance.
Striking Decisive Blows, Striking Look
In Valkyria Chronicles, players don the era-appropriate combat boots of Lieutenant Welkin Gunther. Gunther joins ranks with the soldiers of Squad 7 to push back against the invading East European Imperial Alliance. The series is set during a fictional version of World War 2 on the fictional continent of Europa.
With graphics rendered using the CANVAS shader, the game has a striking watercolor aesthetic. Consequently, gameplay resembles an old photograph with a faded white frame bordering the screen.
Sega originally announced the re-release at the PAX West convention earlier this year, shortly before the release of Valkyria Chronicles 4.