Valkyria Revolution Reviews
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.
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.
If the question is To Play or Not to Play, I would say play, but just be prepared for a few tragic flaws.
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.
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
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
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
The game's politics have negligible emotional impact due to contrived voice acting and obtrusive loading screens.
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.
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.
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.
Frustrating shortcomings in its abundant cutscenes and gameplay make this the weakest entry in the Valkyria series yet.
Valkyria Revolution has so much potential to it but the character interactions and terrible presentation lead it to be more boring than engaging.
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.
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 is a solid title in a genre, although you have to accept archaic graphics and animations. The best thing about the game is deep and exciting story – then again, gameplay can be monotonous.
Review in Polish | Read full review
At the end of the day I have to say that you should really only investigate Valkyria Revolution if you're a big fan of the series and want to have a deeper look into the lore. If you're on the fence, either skip it or play Valkyria Chronicles.
Valkyria Revolution's story falters while its different, action-oriented combat shines brightly.
Valkyria Revolution is a lifeless spinoff that lacks the spirit of its cult classic predecessor.
A satisfying fresh start with an air of familiarity.