An RPG in my PS3? As unlikely as it sounds, it looks like Sega has decided to give it a shot, much to the pleasure of the RPG-starved owners of the console. The title will be released in Japan as Valkyria of the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles and promises a "fresh new take" on the traditional RPG. While I believe that about as much as I believe Phil Harrison left Sony without frustrations, I have to admit it looks awfully pretty at the very least.
Per the press release, here's a blurb on story:
Valkyria Chronicles is set in a fictitious continent reminiscent of 1930s Europe - divided in two and ruled by the Empire and the Federation. The Empire has set its sights on invading a small neutral country called Gallia, which is situated in the middle of the two great empires. The game follows a hero named Welkin and his fellow soldiers of the Federation's 7th Platoon as they engage in a series of epic battles.
Now, I have to say it: while I love the era and location they chose, why does EVERY RPG have to have an epic political storyline featuring the clash of multiple nations? I just feel like while it can be a good story for what it is, that developers aren't thinking far enough outside the box on this one. Political intrigue isn't the only source of epic, people. I'm just saying.
A quick warning to RPG gamers getting warmed up over this, however -- the game is described as "a combination of strategy elements of tactical role-playing games with real-time action sequences," so if you are not into tactics be aware that it sounds like the game will contain quite a bit of that. The battle mechanic is called "BLiTZ" and allows the player to move around in real time, a feature I loved from Final Fantasy XII, so that sounds like a positive.
Even though I'd love to see a radically different RPG hit the scene, I'm just happy the genre is finally making an apperance on the PS3. It's great to have a megapowerful console sitting on your shelf, but until the games come out that you most enjoy, you can't really get 100 percent out of it, you know?
