Sega announced today that the latest entry in the cult Valkyria franchise, Valkyria Revolution, will be coming to North America and Europe in 2017. The title, which is known as Valkyria: Azure Revolution in Japan, will be available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PlayStation Vita.
Differing from the well received Valkyria Chronicles, Revolution will feature brand new gameplay mechanics. The new system in place will be a cross between real-time combat and tactical strategy, and players will be able to dictate their plans outside of the battlefield while also having the opportunity to directly enter the fray if need be. Alongside the new gameplay engine, the title will also sport a new Gouache art style that gives the graphics a gorgeous canvas texture.
Those familiar with Squad 7 may be disappointed to find out, though, that Valkyria Revolution takes place several years after the Chronicles series. Instead, the sequel will focus on the powerful, but reckless, Circle of Five.
All it takes is a single spark to start the inferno of war, and in the story of Valkyria Revolution, players will experience that firsthand. Five lifelong friends consumed by personal revenge plunge an entire continent into a terrible war, sacrificing the lives of countless innocents for a cause based on twisted half-truths and outright lies. This “Circle of Five” use their combined influence in their political and military positions to motivate their small, economically blockaded homeland to rise up and become a powerful resistance against its imperialist oppressors. Will the Circle of Five be remembered as heroic liberators, or will their selfish motives expose them as traitorous conspirators who sacrificed untold lives just to carry out a personal vendetta? Players will watch this history unfold in Valkyria Revolution and find out the truth behind the events…
Honestly, despite the critical acclaim the Chronicles series received, I wasn’t expecting the Valkyria series to return to the West. However, it appears that Sega is not quite willing to throw in the towel in North America and Europe quite yet. What’s even more surprising, though, is the fact that the game is coming to the Xbox One, but not in Japan. Porting a sequel to a console that the franchise previously didn’t appear on may seem foolish, but at least more gamers will have the opportunity to try it out for themselves.
Valkyria Revolution is slated to launch in North America and Europe in Q2 2017.
