VALKYRIA REVOLUTION
A DISAPPOINTING SPEEDBUMP ON SEGA’S ROAD TO RECOVERY. $54.95 | PS4, PS Vita, XO | portal.valkyria.jp/azure
Valkyria Revolution doesn’t deserve criticism for attempting to diverge from its formula, throwing out the smart tactical combat of its predecessors or revising the original’s distinctive pen-and-wash style. It’s not a disappointment because it’s different, but because the changes it makes are almost exclusively for the worse.
The story is seemingly founded upon a total misunderstanding of what made the first game such a cult favourite, believing that a surfeit of backstory and exposition makes for engaging narrative. It squanders a promising setup which occasionally threatens to become more intriguing, as the kingdom of Jutland enters into conflict with the vast and powerful Ruzi empire, in a so-called Liberation War. This is interspersed with a discussion, 100 years on, between two academics. As a framing device, this proves troublesome, not only since it reveals the outcome of the war and the fate of several key characters, but also because events are often explained twice over.
That might be less of a problem if the pace was snappier, but Revolution’s examination of war makes Tolstoy look like a novella writer. The gouache-on-canvas art style feels less an aesthetic choice so much as an opportunity to paper over some obvious visual cracks. The whole thing is slathered in JRPG cliché, epitomised by protagonist Amleth, a sullen orphan with a parodically oversized sword and an outfit that seems to breed belts.
Any faint hope that the action may compensate for the story’s flaws quickly evaporates. Combat is an awkward hodgepodge, combining realtime combat with Active Time elements and the option to pause to launch special attacks or command friendly units. It’s wholly unsatisfying. The result is a tiresome slog that proves the first casualty of war is not innocence, but brevity. Valkyria Devolution might have been a more honest title.