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GAME: Valkyria Chronicles 4


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methedemon



Joined: 19 Aug 2007
Posts: 112
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:35 am Reply with quote
that mid-mission twist that you never see coming really worry me...I hate replaying missions after losing unfairly. It reminds me of the chapter 7 in original VC game.
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Aerodynamic41



Joined: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:02 am Reply with quote
methedemon wrote:
It reminds me of the chapter 7 in original VC game.


Ah, if you're talking about the part where spoiler[Selvaria shows up out of nowhere when you already have your hands full fighting the giant tank] then yes, that part was frustrating as hell the first time I played it!
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L'Imperatore



Joined: 24 Mar 2014
Posts: 821
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:09 am Reply with quote
Why is the game's staff list taken from its anime page (of the 1st game)?
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Sulfy



Joined: 15 May 2018
Posts: 77
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:30 am Reply with quote
I appreciate mid-mission twists when they're at a difficulty that's still doable within reason. The chapter 7 twist in the original VC for example? No. that was not really doable within reason (at least to what my memory serves).

But it sounds like it's still a solid entry, and since I never played 2 or 3, I won't be noticing the missing additions from them (even though if they included it, it probably would've felt like a typical "sequel addition). Thanks for the review!
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RealMTL



Joined: 09 Jun 2018
Posts: 178
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:39 am Reply with quote
This game looks like it will be awesome! I love the first VC and I can't wait to play this one on PC.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:41 am Reply with quote
Quote:
If there is one issue with Valkyria Chronicles 4, it's that the main story missions are a double-edged sword. To keep things exciting and unpredictable, the vast majority of the story missions are more complicated than “take the point” or “kill all the enemies.”


Thank [expletive] god! I tried replaying VC1 a few years back and couldn't make it very far cause I realize every mission can be beaten in 1-2 turn by just rushing the objective with a scout(in fact that's usually the only way to get the best score on missions). It completely removed the feeling of a battlefield. Personally I'd rather they just remove the ability to have a character take multiple action every turn (maybe replace it by a "cancel this action" option instead) but I doubt they'd do that.

Also pretty glad there turning away from VC2-3, which were massive disappointment. The multi area mission just mean that instead of having one large battlefield where your action in one area affected the rest of the battle, you just had a bunch of mini skirmish (also sniper were kinda useless). It just boiled every fight into using the same 2-3 character (again re using someone over and over was just plain better than using the large cast)

All the various class meant that balance went out the window with some class having no use and other easily being able to single entire map. Plus it came with a giant helping of grinding.

Also very glad they went back to original art style (the hole reason people initially noticed VC) and dropped the anime-esque story.
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DangerMouse



Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 3980
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 12:22 pm Reply with quote
So looking forward to this!

Especially loved the first one and its art style.
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AiddonValentine



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 2201
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 4:09 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, mid-mission twists have always been REALLY obnoxious in the series. The problem is that there's really no way to get the highest rank until a second playthrough except via a guide or dumb luck. This is why speed should never be used as a measure for high grades, especially in a methodical genre like strategy which also has character death. All it really does is make you adopt one gameplay strategy when in fact a player should just do what they feel like. I suppose the idea they're trying to do is the perfect rank is for perfectionists on a second playthrough...but because experience is tied to the rank you WANT that to make your characters as strong as possible so it's not rewarding you for playing well, it's punishing you for not playing perfect.

Anyway, while I am disappointed in the lack of the more exotic classes like the Fencer, the Gunner, and whatnot, the core was always solid and creative. I also have to say VC has improved its writing as while the first VC brought up some big topics, it was really, REALLY clumsy with talking about them and led to a lot awkward implications (and let's not even get started on VC2's infamous scene with Avan). By VC3 things vastly improved and from what I've heard about VC4 they keep that streak up. Now to just wait until the end of September
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Kicksville



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 1168
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:07 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:
Thank [expletive] god! I tried replaying VC1 a few years back and couldn't make it very far cause I realize every mission can be beaten in 1-2 turn by just rushing the objective with a scout(in fact that's usually the only way to get the best score on missions). It completely removed the feeling of a battlefield. Personally I'd rather they just remove the ability to have a character take multiple action every turn (maybe replace it by a "cancel this action" option instead) but I doubt they'd do that.

This drove me nuts in the first game too, and just about soured my first playthrough. Although it's good to hear this is offset by the special stages in this one (count me as one who loved the infamous giant tank scenario), did they like...remedy this mechanically just for general battles in some way? I never played 2 or 3 and heard they did something-or-other to address it, but seeing as how they seem to be dropping elements from those...
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Giolon
Subscriber



Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 59
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:19 pm Reply with quote
This looks to be a review of the Japanese version of the game. Will there be a review of the English localized version? I want to know how the voice acting and translation turn out.
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:24 pm Reply with quote
The best way to have fun in VC (the first at least) is to self-restrain from scout-rushing. There is so much more to the battlefield when you're not just banking command orders on Alicia and having her rush to the end goal. So yeah, I highly recommend just staying away from scout-rushing if you want to really enjoy the game.
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AiddonValentine



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 2201
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:52 pm Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
The best way to have fun in VC (the first at least) is to self-restrain from scout-rushing. There is so much more to the battlefield when you're not just banking command orders on Alicia and having her rush to the end goal. So yeah, I highly recommend just staying away from scout-rushing if you want to really enjoy the game.


Except that's not viable because the game demands speed in order to get the best grades and thus the most experience. When a game does that you can't expect people not to go for maximum efficiency.
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John Thacker



Joined: 28 Oct 2013
Posts: 1006
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 6:09 pm Reply with quote
AiddonValentine wrote:
Except that's not viable because the game demands speed in order to get the best grades and thus the most experience. When a game does that you can't expect people not to go for maximum efficiency.


Indeed, but view it as both a trap to avoid having personal development and as easy mode for people who don't want a challenge and have to get bonus XP. It almost reminds me of Nier Automata and how there's no way to prove that you actually earned trophies since they can all be bought. True achievement comes from within, as Yoko Taro might say. Seriously, yes, it's annoying that the game rewards bad tactics. The multi map battlefields, which were about the limited PSP memory, were also bad because it encouraged the strategy of rushing points and then teleporting out of other entrances. It made scout rush even worse.
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AiddonValentine



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 2201
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:11 pm Reply with quote
John Thacker wrote:

Indeed, but view it as both a trap to avoid having personal development and as easy mode for people who don't want a challenge and have to get bonus XP. It almost reminds me of Nier Automata and how there's no way to prove that you actually earned trophies since they can all be bought. True achievement comes from within, as Yoko Taro might say. Seriously, yes, it's annoying that the game rewards bad tactics. The multi map battlefields, which were about the limited PSP memory, were also bad because it encouraged the strategy of rushing points and then teleporting out of other entrances. It made scout rush even worse.


If anything it's just punishing people for not playing a certain way. You WANT that extra experience because the only other alternative is just grinding the same maps over and over again. That's not good design, in fact they should have just done away with the grading system or graded it on how completely a player finishes a map (amount of control points taken, amount of allies wounded/killed, enemy units disabled, etc).
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 5888
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:08 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:


Also pretty glad there turning away from VC2-3, which were massive disappointment. The multi area mission just mean that instead of having one large battlefield where your action in one area affected the rest of the battle,

Pitfalls of being made for a handheld.


meiam wrote:

Also very glad they went back to original art style (the hole reason people initially noticed VC)


Which is weird for me as I was more drawn to he game for it's strategic gameplay than it's watercolor gimmick.

meiam wrote:
and dropped the anime-esque story.


Dropping the anime-esque story means little if the game still has anime esque tropes which it being a Japan developed game with how those played out in it's predecessors I expect it to.
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