Today Sega updated the official website of Valkyria Chronicles 4 with a large batch of screenshots and information.
First of all, we see a few characters, starting with the new Valkyria that will appear in the game. Clymaria Lewin is a captain of the Imperial Science Institute Special Test Force X-0 “Zechs Owl”. She has extreme combat abilities that give her the power to destroy even a tank.
She was forced to live for a long while as a guinea pig and did not have a single decent human relationship, so she is not good at communicating with people. She is seemingly cold-blooded and ruthless, but due to her captivity and isolation at the Valkyria laboratory until shortly before she was assigned to the Zechs Owl unit, she is mentally young and unable to express her emotions.
While others eventually left the laboratory and were even treated as human being, she did not receive the same treatment, so she has a strong inferiority complex and she secretly seeks warmth from humans. Her arrival is announced by a snowstorm, and the same happens when she leaves, so she is often called “the Witch of the Snowstorm” on the battlefield. She is accompanied by a wolf named Fenrir, who was her only friend at the experimental facility.
Klaus Voltz is the Colonel in command of the independent combat unit “Ausbruch.” He is easy-going and unconcerned about subtlety and normally follows his own instinct, sticking to his ideas and what he cares about. Due to that, he is always quick to action and hs a short temper. Yet, he managed to earn popularity due to his success on the battlefield.
He lost his mother when he was very young, and grew up under the protection of the people of his town. That’s why he feels strongly about protecting the citizens of the empire and is driven by a strong desire of keeping his country safe. He calls Claude’s E Platoon his “Femme Fatale” after meeting them on the battlefield, and he is a bit obsessive about them.
Forse is the tactical commander of the Imperial Science Institute Special Test Force X-0 “Zechs Owl”. He is extremely confident, armed with a strong spirit that is never shaken. He judges circumstances and acts coolly and dryly, but his mood becomes rarely bright when someone surpasses his expectations.
He consistently thinks that he is right and has the determination and will to see things through. Due to his injured foot, he cannot participate directly in battle, and he shares an identity of rationalistic value with Berger, who appreciated his talent and invited him to the unit.
Berger is the chief of the Development Department of the Imperial Science Institute and leads the Special Test Force X-0 “Zechs Owl”. He is the highest-ranked executive of the whole institute, and has developed a variety of weapons from the Empire’s specifications.
He isn’t driven by patriotism, as he is an aristocrat from another country that was annexed by the empire. Instead, he works due to his strong interest in science and technology since his childhood, which is why he needs the funds from the empire to continue his research in military tech.
He has strong political influence and having a noble name helped him establish a position in the military and earn his fame. Thanks to the privileges granted by his official status, he freely uses the members of “Zechs Owl” as his pawns on the battlefield.
Nikola Gref is a special member of member of “Zechs Owl” taken in by Berger at the same time as Kiara. The two were raised like sisters since their childhood in the Imperial Science Institute.
She is Berger’s bodyguard and normally works on eliminating his enemies. Since she underwent several “adjustements”, her mind is damaged, and she lacks the concept of humanity. She has a sadistic personality that likes to oppress others and normally prefers mind games instead of straightforward violence.
Kiara Rodino is also in the same position as Nikola, and she obediently carries out Berger’s order without fail. She considers him as a “father” and benefactor. Of course, if she did not obey, she would risk strict “adjustments”.
She craves recognition from Berger, and she is terrorized by the idea of being discarded. At times she behaves selfishly, and while like Nikola she enjoys dominating others, she ruthlessly and mercilessly uses physical violence to achieve her goals.
We also get an overview of the battle system, which is largely similar to the first Valkyria Chronicles. Scouts, Shocktroopers, Engineers, Lancers, and Snipers are the same. There is a new class named Grenadiers that comes with a mortar that shoots grenades. As scouts advance to gather information, grenadiers attack from beyond visual range based on the position of the enemies, which means they can hit targets they cannot see. Grenades have a blast radius, and can also destroy sandbags.
The story of the game progresses with the player selecting a variety episodes on a notebook. If you select an episode marked by a map, it’s a battle mission. Episodes that you have not seen are marked by a “New” icon.
If you select a battle mission, you’ll move on to the briefing menu, players can set their initial strategy by assigning different soldiers to slots in the starting area of the mission.
At the beginning of each turn, you’ll see the battle map. You can use one CP (command Point) to perform one action with one unit. Once all CP are used, you can select to end your turn. Once that is done, it’ll be the enemy’s turn to do the same. Enemy units are not displayed until they enter the field of view of a friendly unit. When the enemy side has used all their CP as well, the turn is over and friendly CP are restored.
Once a unit is activated by spending one CP, they will enter the “action mode”. Moving freely by using the directional buttons or left stick will consume AP (Action Points) displayed by a gauge at the bottom of the screen.While moving a character, all other units will be stationary, but you will be intercepted if you enter an enemy’s line of sight. Pressing R1 will enter “target mode” and the player can aim at different areas of the enemies. It’s important to be careful, because after attacking the enemies can counterattack. It’s possible to attack only once per CP spent.
When aiming, the reticle will show an outer circle, that’s where the bullets will hit. If you hit a weak point like a soldier’s head, you can deal larger damage. As usual, the data at the top of the screen will tell you how many hits it’ll take to defeat an enemy. In this game, if you enter the field of vision of an enemy, it’s possible that grenadiers will also attack you even if they can’t see you.
Infantry characters recover HP automatically at the end of each turn, but when they suffer significant damage it may be dangerous to wait for that. They can use Ragnaid to recover their health. Each soldier is equipped with it, but engineers have a stronger version.
When HP of a friendly unit reaches zero, they enter a “dying” state, and they will normally not be able to take action. If they are left alone for three turns, they will die permanently (main characters are not affected by this), and you won’t be able to use them again. In order to avoid this, a friendly unit needs to touch them. This will trigger the appearance of a medic that will withdraw with the fallen soldier. Characters saved this way can be used again.
A “Brave” system has been added. Once a characters’ HP reaches zero, there is a possibility that they will awaken their indomitable fighting spirit to carry on briefly. A timer will appear, and you can select two kinds of actions “stand” will restore their AP and let them act once while invulnerable. “Trust” increases the ability of nearby allies and restores one CP.
The concept of “Bases” also returns in the game. In the vicinity of a friendly base, soldiers have higher defense power and HP and ammo recovery at the end of each turn. You can withdraw characters and call others as reinforcements at each base. If you defeat all enemies around an enemy base flag, you can capture it. Capturing the “main base” normally means winning the mission.
You can check out the screenshots below. If you want to see more you can check out the first trailer, more artwork and info, the first screenshots, info on the launch DLC, and more images and info from an earlier issue of Famitsu.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be released both in North America and Europe for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, and will come in 2018. In Japan, it will launch for PS4 on March 21st and for Nintendo Switch later in Summer 2018.