PSP World

Valkyria Chronicles 2 PSP Preview

Tactical RPG fans are about to get a huge treat this exclusively on the PSP this summer. In this preview, our staff writer Coty Biggs explores what all of the fuss is about.

In what sort of world would young teens be sent into the brunt of battle, fresh from the Academy in order to defend their country? Why in the territorial battles of Valkyria Chronicles that is! Luckily for us, these fierce spats are set to unfurl in a fictional playground on made up European soil.

Set two years after the events of Valkyria Chronicles, the direct sequel has been slated for release on Sony's powerhouse of a handheld. Many wonder why developers push the title to the small screen, but answers to this conundrum are uncertain at best. Rest assured though, the visual presentation of this unique tactical RPG will not suffer after it undergoes its transition. Unless that is, SEGA messes it up worse than the PS3 version of Bayonetta when scaling down the highly anticipated sequel for the portable. Purportedly the CANVAS engine will remain in tact and should provide an adequate reproduction of the gameplay style players have grown to love, with some nifty little additions.

In a tactical RPG that accrued the rapport of VC1 for its BLiTZ battle system, SEGA understands that the accurate portrayal of the past framework is a must. Moreover, the game is expected to add a few dimensions that spur room for more creative militant mayhem. For instance, all of the five classes are returning for an encore, but carry with them new facets of development. The Sniper class has been integrated into the Scout class as an optional skill tree, which necessitates (you guessed it) the addition of a whole new class to keep the party of five in tact! Along with the Scouts, Shocktroopers, Lancers, and Engineers, the player will have access to an Armored Soldier class, wielding a large shield and a even larger hammer to swiftly smash some foes. Not only will fans tear up the Gallian Armed Forces with their new Soldier, an amazing 600 possible weapon customization options will be seamlessly integrated into the gameplay along with an equally diverse two-tracked-behemoth of a tank to call your very own. Feel free to take this tank along with a handpicked team around 20 new environments that contain hundreds of new missions, all in the order of the player's choosing. Add multiplayer via ad hoc and it sounds as if we have something to be really excited about.

Even though the game seemingly has more doodads than a swiss army knife, the experience would be a flaccid disappointment if the unique visual style failed to be an eyeball pleaser. But fret not toon fans, the story will be told in the same watercolor scheme alongside fully rendered anime cutscenes, that's somewhat of a surprise for the PSP. Fortunately the Valkyria Chronicles players loved on the PS3 wasn't built from an amazingly detailed rendering resolution that would be present in something like God of War III, so the transition to the PSP is definitely likely to be true to the original presentation.

Whether your interested in manga, battlefield tactics, RPG's, or even a myriad of weapons, Valkyria Chronicles 2 is going to be a must play. Get ready to smack some colored baddies this August.

In the mean time, check out a Japanese language trailer for Valkyria Chronicles PSP here.

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Post author: Coty Biggs