Valkyria Chronicles 2, the sequel to underdog PS3 exclusive Valkyria Chronicles, is getting much deserved attention at TGS 2009. The title got an exclusive Q&A on the US PlayStation Blog, with many questions answered, and new features revealed.
To clear this out of the way first and foremost, Valkyria Chronicles 2 will be receiving multiplayer through ad-hoc play.
We are incorporating wireless ad-hoc play into the game, which will feature both co-op and versus modes. We can’t really talk too much about it in detail yet.
Other new details we’re revealed through the Q&A on the PlayStation Blog.
What made you decide to develop the official sequel for Valkyria Chronicles on the PSP? (Submitted by user: Trollkotte)
For the original PS3 version of the game there were two key features: The Canvas graphics system and the BLiTZ combat system. So when we were discussing the sequel we obviously wanted to bring these two features over, but we wanted to upgrade it somehow. When we looked at the BLiTZ battle system specifically — especially in the Japanese market — co-op play and wireless play is becoming more and more popular and we felt that would expand the gameplay for the title in a great way. When we went further in that direction we discovered that the PSP is the perfect platform to take advantage of that.
Are you adding new unit classes, weapon types or vehicles? Will there be any returning characters from Valkyria Chronicles 1? (Submitted by user: BigBoss712)
Yes. In terms of new weapons and units, not only will there be more of each, but there will be expanded customisation options for both. We have Scouts and Stormtroopers, as we did in the first game, but Scouts may branch into Scouts who run faster or are more meant for battle. In that way, each of the units will branch into new units. In terms of weapons, in the first game a rifle might branch into three different rifles as you progress in the game. The amount of variation is even greater in the sequel. In terms of returning characters, you’ll definitely see Alicia and Welkin come back and you might see other members of Squad 7, too.
We can also customise tanks this time around. You can equip different weapons and change the colour, which will affect how the tank moves. There are many ways for you to customise your own troops, just based on all the different character, tank and weapon options.
How does the difficulty of Valkyria Chronicles 2 and the character progression system differ from the first game?
What has changed the most is the way the game flows. If you remember back to the first game, it’s like reading through a book, with a certain number of missions per chapter. So if you hit a particularly hard mission you have to use trial and error to get past it, or you’ll never progress. But Valkyria Chronicles 2 is mission based, so if you reach a mission you can’t clear, you have the option of trying other missions before returning to the more difficult one. By doing that you can level up your characters or you might meet someone who can help you clear this mission. It’s a different method of progressing through the game. Overall the game’s difficulty will be about the same as Valkyria Chronicles, but because the game flow is different you might find the game is easier or, depending on the player, more difficult.
Valkyria Chronicles releases next summer, exclusively on PlayStation Portable.
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