Valkyria Revolution Reviews
Valkyria Revolution tries so hard to be different, yet it falls on its face. There are so much of what made the original series great in this game, but all of that gets eschewed for a disappointing title unworthy of the name "Valkyria."
Valkyria Revolution fails to live up to the previous games in the series, and although it serves as a spinoff, the new system mechanics don't blend. The narrative approach is admirable; however, most sequences are dull and feel lifeless. Not to mention, the long loading times between each sequence leads to quite a bit of down time before you need to pick up the controller.
Frustrating shortcomings in its abundant cutscenes and gameplay make this the weakest entry in the Valkyria series yet.
Despite some promising elements, mismatched expectations and an unsuccessful attempt to set things right cause this Valkyria Chronicles spinoff to crumble under its own weight. Ultimately, Valkyria Revolution is a game that suffers from an identity crisis and ends up not being quite sure of what it wants to be. I just hope that the Valkyria franchise gets another chance to do what it does best and deliver a new entry that's more faithful to its roots.
While there is some fun to be found in Valkyria Revolution's battle system, it's just not worth sitting through the story bloat and excessive loading to get there.
There's no doubt that Valkyria Revolution won't be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're not interested in a story-heavy RPG. There's a lot of repetition for battles, and lengthy sequences of cutscenes can certainly slow things down, but Revolution tells an engaging story with characters that grow on you over the hours of gameplay. Similarly, the combat system and customization grow, providing a much more engaging action experience in the latter half of the game.
The game's politics have negligible emotional impact due to contrived voice acting and obtrusive loading screens.
Those expecting the same level of depth and strategy as Valkyria Chronicles will likely end up disappointed by this spin-off. When judged on its own, though, Valkyria Revolution delivers an interesting narrative and some solid, if unspectacular, action. It's too bad that the game never truly hits a stride, as missions are rarely memorable, and ultimately a lot of interesting ideas never get fully fleshed out.
Action-RPG Spin-off of the Valkyria series with a great story and beautiful presentation but catastrophic monotonous gameplay. A disappointment.
Review in German | Read full review
Valkyria Azure Revolution is the spin-off no one was waiting for. Every component which made the Valkyria Chronicles saga so famous is absent from this bad "sequel". The graphics look awful on PS4, the casting is generic at best and its action-rpg mechanics are one of the worst we've ever seen in the last decade. Why would an Action-RPG make you pause the game every time you want to use a skill ? Why, SEGA ?
Review in French | Read full review
Valkyria Revolution is not a bad game by any means, but fails big when trying to reflect the essence of the Valkyria Chronicles series in a genre that doesn't suit it at all like Action. Yeah, it offers a functional gameplay and interesting strategy mechanics, but in the end none of them work that well nor capture the magic that made the original Chronicles trilogy become a cult among gamers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yet, I can't lie: I hope that Sega will interpret the reception of this game as a signal that we want more Valkyria Chronicles, and that this kind of spin-off is better explored when the hunger for the main course has been sated, and not when we're all starving.
Valkyria Revolution is a mediocre game, wearing the clothes – or, some might say, riding on the coat-tails – of a far superior predecessor. It's no exaggeration to say that the HD remake of Valkyria Chronicles for the PS4 (a 2016 rehash of a 2008 game) is also far prettier than Revolution.
If the question is To Play or Not to Play, I would say play, but just be prepared for a few tragic flaws.
Dropping the tactical experience of the Chronicles series, this spinoff opts for a darker take on war, focusing on swordplay and subterfuge in a tale of revenge that will forever shape the future of Europa.
Valkyria Revolution is like a bizarre, alternate reality version of Valkyria Chronicles in which everything that the original got right has somehow been twisted into something awful. The devolution of interesting and quasi-relatable characters into eye-roll inducing stereotypes is upsetting, and the technical shortcomings of the game are disappointing. But it's the combat of Revolution that suffers most in comparison to Chronicles, and indeed, in comparison to practically anything else in the genre. Where Valkyria Chronicles was a constantly rewarding strategy game, Revolution is an action RPG so utterly devoid of any potential to challenge or delight that the only strategy you'll require is working out the quickest bus route back to the shop to get your refund.
Valkyria Revolution comes from a line of highly-acclaimed titles, but this one undoubtedly misses the mark.
Valkyria Revolution is a title that undoubtedly suffers due to the comparisons to its superior predecessor. However, when viewed as a standalone title, it features an interesting story with a cast of characters well worth exploring. Even though the combat engine is dull and flawed in many ways, it's serviceable for the scenarios that the game presents and at a bargain price, you could do worse than pick up Valkyria Revolution.
Valkyria Revolution will disappoint fans of the original tactics and will not be able to hook a new generation of gamers who prefer action. Weak story, flat characters, forgettable monotonous missions and the failed game concept bring only disappointment. It is very sad that instead of established tactical formula the publisher has decided to release such a controversial product.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Valkyria Revolution is an average action RPG with some strategy elements that is held back by way too many issues and only really has its soundtrack working in its favour.