| Valkyria Chronicles | |
|---|---|
 The logo for the first game in the series. | |
| Genre | Tactical role-playing |
| Developers | Sega Media.Vision |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Creators | Ryutaro Nonaka Shuntaro Tanaka |
| Platforms | PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,Microsoft Windows,PlayStation Portable,PlayStation Vita,Web browser,Android,iOS,Xbox One,Nintendo Switch,Stadia,Amazon Luna |
| First release | Valkyria Chronicles April 24, 2008 |
| Latest release | Valkyria Chronicles 4 March 21, 2018 |
Valkyria Chronicles[a] is a series ofmilitary-themedtactical role-playingvideo games created by Ryutaro Nonaka and Shuntaro Tanaka, and developed bySega. The series began withValkyria Chronicles, which was released for thePlayStation 3 in 2008, and later forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 4 and theNintendo Switch. Two sequels have been released on thePlayStation Portable, with the latest installment,Valkyria Chronicles 4, released for the PlayStation 4,Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows, and later forStadia andAmazon Luna. The series has also been expanded intoanime andmanga media.
The main line of games uses a turn based system known as the BLiTZ (Battle ofLiveTacticalZones) and is set in Europa, a fictional continent loosely based onEurope. A conflict known as the Second Europan War takes place between the superpowers of the Atlantic Federation, a group of democracies from the western part of the continent, and the East Europan Imperial Alliance, an imperialistic monarchy. Both sides covet the natural resources of the neutral nation of Gallia, which leads to an invasion from the Empire. The first, third, and fourth games of the series follow the exploits of distinct groups of soldiers on different fronts of the Second Europan War, fighting the Imperial forces, while the second game is set after the war. The games were designed using Sega's CANVAS graphics engine, making the visuals resemble pencil drawn paintings in motion.Valkyria Revolution is set in an alternate version of Europa with different lore, characters, and gameplay.
Valkyria Chronicles debuted on PlayStation 3, with the original game later made available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Sega opted to continue the series on PlayStation Portable instead of on PlayStation 3. However,Valkyria Chronicles 4 was released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch, and was later ported to Stadia and Amazon Luna, it was the firstValkyria Chronicles game to debut on aNintendo platform and Microsoft Windows in the West.
| 2008 | Valkyria Chronicles |
|---|---|
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | Valkyria Chronicles II |
| 2011 | Valkyria Chronicles III |
| 2012 | Valkyria Chronicles Duel |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | Valkyria Revolution |
| 2018 | Valkyria Chronicles 4 |
The first main entry in the series was originally released for thePlayStation 3 and later ported to Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 4, andNintendo Switch. The Windows port was developed by Little Stone Software. It takes place in Europa, a fictional continent based onEurope, during the beginning ofWorld War II. Because of its abundance of Ragnite ore, which takes the place of petroleum in the game setting, the neutral nation of Gallia comes under attack from the East Europan Imperial Alliance, which is itself engaged in a war with the Atlantic Federation.[1] Players take control of a unit of the Gallian Militia, dedicated to repelling the invasion.
The second main entry was moved to thePlayStation Portable platform. Story-wise, it takes place two years after the events of the first game, with a fight that breaks loose against the Gallian Revolutionary Army and the Regular Army in a bid to remove Cordelia from the throne. The game's story focuses on a military academy as its cadets seek to prevent anethnic cleansing campaign by a ruthless rebel group.
The third main entry was also released on thePlayStation Portable. However, it takes place during the events of the first game. The story follows the "Nameless", a penal military unit serving the nation of Gallia during the Second Europan War who perform secret black operations and are pitted against the Imperial unit "Calamity Raven". Unlike the previous installments, it did not have an official release outside of Japan.
The fourth main entry was released on thePC,PlayStation 4,Xbox One, andNintendo Switch in 2018.[2] While taking place during the events of the first and third game,Valkyria Chronicles 4 focuses on a group of Gallian soldiers enlisted in the Atlantic Federation, the other major superpower during the events of the war, that enacts a bold plan to strike at the imperial capital in order to end the conflict.
Valkyria Chronicles Duel (戦場のヴァルキュリアDUEL,Senjō no Varukyuria Duel;lit.Valkyria of the Battlefield Duel), also known asValkyria Chronicles D orValkyria Duel, was a browser and mobile game released only in Japan. It was a freebrowser-based/Android/iOS game, with radically different gameplay, focusing more on character management of war troops similar to sports team management simulations.[3] It was released on July 26, 2012 (August 17 on Android and September 24 on iOS)[4][5] and shut down on April 22, 2015.[6]
Valkyria Revolution was released onPlayStation 4 andPlayStation Vita on January 19, 2017 in Japan. It is considered a spin-off, with a storyline separate from the main series, taking place in the fictional country of Jutland. It was released in North America and Europe on June 27, 2017 and June 30, 2017 respectively for thePlayStation 4,PlayStation Vita andXbox One, making it the first series game to be on a Microsoft console, alongside the PlayStation versions.[7]
| Valkyria Chronicles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Valkyria Chronicles volume 1 manga cover | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 戦場のヴァルキュリア -Gallian Chronicles- (Senjō no Varukyuria -Gallian Chronicles-) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Action, drama, comedy, romance, military | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Sega | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Four manga adaptations have been published based on the first game. The first isValkyria Chronicles: Wish Your Smile, serialized byEnterbrain'sComic B's Log magazine[8] and centering on two characters made for the manga: Mintz, an orphan and engineer, and Julius Klose, a sniper, with both of them in the Gallian army's militia force.[8][9] It was illustrated by Kyusei Tokito, and was serialized from November 12, 2008 to January 22, 2010 with two compilation volumes released on May 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010.[10][11][12][13]
The second manga, titled the same as the game, was illustrated by En Kito.[14] Similar to the anime, it is a loose adaptation of the original video game, with some story details diverging from the source material. It was serialized byKadokawa Shoten[14] from November 26, 2008 to March 26, 2010 inComp Ace magazine and later compiled in four volumes.[15][16]
The third manga isValkyria Chronicles: Anthology Comic, published by the Bros Comics EX comic label on December 28, 2009 in one volume.[17]
The fourth manga isValkyria Chronicles: 4-koma Anthology, published by the Bros Comics EX comic label on March 10, 2010 in one volume.[18]
The anime adaptation of the first game premiered on April 4, 2009[19] and was produced byAniplex'sA-1 Pictures.[20][21] The series was directed by Yasutaka Yamamoto[22] and written byMichiko Yokote under the Project Valkyria Group.[22]Valkyria Chronicles was aired onAnimax,Tokyo MX,MBS,CBC,Chiba TV,Television Kanagawa,Television Hokkaido,BS11, andTVQ Kyushu Broadcasting.[23] Generally following the storyline of the original game, the anime version differs from its source in terms of characterization of main players such as Alicia, and introduces a character unique to the anime, Ramal Valt. While retaining elements of the CANVAS Engine's look, the characters were redesigned for the anime by Atsuko Watanabe.
The original score for the anime is composed and conducted by the game's composerHitoshi Sakimoto and performed by the Czech Film Orchestra. The first opening theme song, "Asu e no Kizuna"[24] was performed byAnimax Anison Grand Prix winnerCatherine St. Onge, under her chosen moniker of Himeka.[25][26][27] A CD single of the song was released on May 27, 2009.[28] The first ending theme, "Ano Kaze ni Notte" (アノ風ニノッテ; "Riding on that Wind") was sung by the bandPe'zmoku with a CD single released on May 27, 2009 in a regular and special edition.[28][29]Maria performed the series's second opening theme, "Kanashimi Rensa" (カナシミレンサ; "Chain of Sorrow"),[30] which was used from the 14th episode on.[31] The second ending song, "Hitotsu no Negai" (ひとつの願い; "A Single Wish"), was sung by Hikari Inoue[31] beginning from Episode 14 until Episode 25. Episode 26's ending song was "Brightest Morning", also performed by Hikari Inoue. CD singles for "Kanashimi Rensa" and "Hitotsu no Negai" were released on August 12, 2009 and August 5, 2009.[31]
Region 2DVDs of all 26 episodes were released across nine volumes, beginning on August 5, 2009,[32] and concluding on April 7, 2010.[33] Each DVD volume contained aValkyria Chronicles Theater OVA mini-episode. A BD-box was released on April 27, 2011.
TwoValkyria Chronicles Drama CDs have been released. The first was released on July 24, 2009,[34] and the second was released on October 7, 2009.[34]
| Valkyria Chronicles II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 戦場のヴァルキュリア2 (Senjō no Varukyuria Tsū) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Action, drama, comedy, romance, military | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Three manga adaptations of the second game were released by Sega in Japan.[35]
The first one released wasValkyria Chronicles II Sōkō no Aliasse (戦場のヴァルキュリア2 蒼光のエイリアス,Senjō no Varukyuria 2 Sōkō no Eiriasu;lit.Valkyria of the Battlefield 2: Aliasse of the Blue Light), drawn by Daisuke Shido and serialised inDengeki Maoh between June 2010 and June 2011 issues, in which the story follows the developing friendship between the Valkyrian Aliasse, and her Darcsen classmate Magari. The first volume was published in January 2011 and the second volume was published on May 27, 2011.
The next manga is calledValkyria Chronicles II (戦場のヴァルキュリア2,Senjō no Varukyuria 2). The story was written by Daiki Saito and the artwork was done by Watari. It was serialised inComp Ace from October 2010 to September 2011 issues, and its storyline is loosely based on the game, with emphasis on the relationship between Avan and his brother. The first volume was published on January 26, 2011 and the second volume was published on September 21, 2011.
Another manga, namedValkyria Chronicles II: Our Only Days (戦場のヴァルキュリア2 -our only days-,Senjō no Varukyuria 2 -our only days-), was illustrated by Mekki Kuroyama and was serialised as awebcomic inComics B's-Log Air Raid from May 28, 2010 to January 2011. The story is focused on Zeri and his changing relationships with his schoolmates over the course of the events of the game. The first volume was published on January 31, 2011 and the second volume on September 1, 2011.
| Valkyria Chronicles III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 戦場のヴァルキュリア３ (Senjō no Varukyuria 3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Action, drama, comedy, romance, military | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Valkyria Chronicles III was adapted into a two-episodeoriginal video animation series in the same year of its release. TitledSenjō no Varukyuria 3: Taga Tame no Jūsō (戦場のヴァルキュリア３ 誰がための銃瘡;lit.Valkyria of the Battlefield 3: The Wound Taken for Someone's Sake), it was originally released throughPlayStation Network andQriocity between April and May 2011. The initially planned release and availability period needed to be extended due to astoppage to PSN during the early summer of that year. It later released forDVD on June 29 and August 31, 2011, with separate "Black" and "Blue" editions being available for purchase.[37][38] The anime is set during the latter half ofValkyria Chronicles III, detailing a mission by the Nameless against their Imperial rivals Calamity Raven.[39] The anime was first announced in November 2010.[40] It was developed byA-1 Pictures, produced by Shinji Motoyama, directed by Nobuhiro Kondō, and written byHiroshi Ōnogi. Sakimoto's music for the game was used in the anime.[36]
The anime's title was inspired by the principal purpose of the Nameless: to suffer in battle for the goals of others. A subtitle attached to the project during development was "The Road to Kubinka", which referenced theKubinka Tank Museum inMoscow. The game's main theme was how the characters regained their sense of self when stripped of their names and identities, along with general themes focused on war and its consequences. While making the anime, the production team were told by Sega to make it as realistic as possible, with the consequence that the team did extensive research into aspects such as what happened when vehicles like tanks were overturned or damaged. Due to it being along the same timeline as the original game and its anime television adaptation, the cast ofValkyria Chronicles could make appearances, which pleased the team.[39][41][42] The opening theme, "Akari (Light) -Tomoshibi-" (灯-TOMOSHIBI-), was sung by Japanese singerFaylan. The ending theme, "Someday the Flowers of Light Will Bloom" (いつか咲く光の花,Itsuka Saku Hikari no Hana), was sung byMinami Kuribayashi. Both songs' lyrics were written by their respective artists.[43]
Twomanga adaptations were serialized between 2011 and 2012, following each of the game's main female protagonists, Imca and Riela. They wereSenjō no Varukyuria 3: Na mo Naki Chikai no Hana (戦場のヴァルキュリア3 名もなき誓いの花;lit.Valkyria of the Battlefield 3: The Flower of the Nameless Oath), illustrated by Naoyuki Fujisawa and released in two volumes byASCII Media Works after being serialized inDengeki Maoh from March 26, 2011 to February 27, 2012; andSenjō no Varukyuria 3: -Akaki Unmei no Ikusa Otome- (戦場のヴァルキュリア3 -赤き運命の戦乙女-;lit.Valkyria of the Battlefield 3: The Valkyrie of the Crimson Fate), illustrated by Mizuki Tsuge and released in a single volume byKadokawa Shoten after being serialized inComp Ace from July 26, 2011 to January 26, 2012.[44][45]
| Game | Metacritic |
|---|---|
| Valkyria Chronicles | (PS3) 86/100[46] (PC) 85/100[47] (PS4) 84/100[48] (NS) 84/100[49] |
| Valkyria Chronicles II | (PSP) 83/100[50] |
| Valkyria Chronicles III | — |
| Valkyria Revolution | (PS4) 54/100[51] (XONE) 56/100[52] |
| Valkyria Chronicles 4 | (NS) 82/100[53] (PC) 83/100[54] (PS4) 85/100[55] (XONE) 81/100[56] |
Valkyria Chronicles series has had a generally positive reception. The originalValkyria Chronicles won numerous awards, including Strategy Game of the Year fromGameSpy[57] and is considered one of thegreatest games of all time.
By 2015,Valkyria Chronicles sold over 200,000 copies onSteam, exceeding expectations, and shipped over one million on the PlayStation 3.[58][59] The second game was the second best-selling video game in Japan during its release week, selling 94,000 copies.[60][61] The third game sold approximately 100,000 units during its premier week,[62] faring better than its predecessors. By 2020 the fourth game sold over one million copies worldwide on all platforms.[63]
