Sega's sublime tactical RPG Valkyria Chronicles is now 15 years old, it pains us to reveal. What is time, anyway?
Released for PS3 in Japan on April 24th, 2008, this wartorn epic takes place in a fictionalised Europe during the events of a conflict compatible with World War II, and skillfully mixes military hardware with magical fantasy elements.
The combination of semi-real-time movement and turn-based action makes for a stunning spectacle, and the surprisingly moving storyline keeps you glued to the very end – while Sega's CANVAS engine creates some arresting visuals. Add in a typically brilliant soundtrack by the one and only Hitoshi Sakimoto (check out the battle theme below), and you've got not just the zenith of the entire series, but one of the best games of its entire generation.
Indeed, none of its sequels have quite captured the brilliance of the original game. Valkyria Chronicles 2 and 3 were PSP exclusives (the third game was sadly never localised outside of Japan), while 2017's Valkyria Revolution is best ignored entirely. Valkyria Chronicles 4 – released in 2018 – marked a welcome return to form and is the only sequel to come close to matching the magnificence of the original.
Speaking of the first game, it was later remastered for PC, Switch and PS4, opening it up to a whole new generation of fans. Are you one of them? Let us hear your memories of this exceptional title by posting a comment below.