The second Valkyria Chronicles hands-on events happened today at Akihabara in Tokyo (first one being in Hokkaido/Kumamoto 1 week ago) and as promised, here's a brief hands-on impression.
First off, it looks like there will be a playable demo that will be released. Don't quote me on this, but what was set-up at Akihabara was limited to 15min and there was also a small note on a couple of laminated cards summarizing the criteria for mission failure:
Destruction of Edelweiss
Greater than 7 turns
Time limit of 15min (体験版 which translates to Demo Version)
Graphics
The PS3 was connected to a 1080p display approximately 42" in size and what appeared to be 2x 720p displays about 26" in size, give or take. On an uncalibrated display, admittedly the colors look washed out and soft, but it looks like the smaller displays were calibrated reasonably and the colors were very vibrant. If future review say the graphics look washed out, then they're probably not using an HDMI cable and/or haven't calibrated their sets or both. They're not just limited to light pastel colours.
Jaggies, are unfortunately, present. I honestly wish they put some more effort into anti-aliasing in the actual gameplay parts as the FMV's look amazing. Even with CANVAS, the jaggies do stand out and it's a little bit of a shame.
Another negative is the explosions are a mix of 3D and sprite graphics so it's a little unnatural.
I know it sounds pretty bad, but since that's out of the way, there are some really nice/amazing qualities about the gaming system. The real-time hatching effect is very nice and the overall water-coloresque design is well done. It creates an emotionally softer atmosphere and while we didn't get a chance to delve into the story, I think it goes very well with the potential story-telling that may unfold. FMVs are just amazing...if SEGA could have maintained that quality in actual gameplay, for a non-photorealistic game, I don't think any game in 2008 would have touched the graphic quality...including ToVesperia. The graphics have its downsides, but all in all, I really like what SEGA was trying to accomplish here.
Gameplay
The controls are very intuitive and it's somewhat far removed from being an FPS. Views are that of a 3PS, and you obviously move around using the analog stick, but from there the similarities end. The enemy can attack you while you're moving around. However, once you hit R1 and go into targetting mode, everything basically stops moving. You have an unlimited amount of time (within the time setforth by the mission objectives) to choose your ammo, aim, and fire, however whether you hit or miss is based on the character being controlled's stats, which is where the RPG aspect comes into play in terms of raising your infantrymen.
You're limited to 1 attack per CP expenditure, however you can use additional CP to attack again in succession if you so choose to. Once you use your entire activity bar, then re-use CP on the same character, the activity bar doesn't seem to recover fully (i think it's as intended) and the amount of distance you can move becomes limited, the more you use the character in the same phase. Some ammo is limited per phase, others are unlimited use. They are replenished per phase.
The closer you are the better the chance of hitting the enemy. With horrible stats, even at relatively close range, you'll miss...the misses are pretty unrealistic at times (ie. tank at near point blank range firing a mortar directly in front of you and having it fly 20-30m farther). Dead enemies and derelict tanks disappear, instead of leaving debris/dead bodies, so it's basically an abstract battlefield simulation. Realism buffs need not apply. However, pre-existing barriers can be used for hiding and what not and there is some deformation that occurs. Since during the enemy phase, your troops can auto-attack, positioning wisely allows for you to do significant damage to the enemy outside your turn.
The nice thing is there's more than one way to fry a fish in this game. I saw some people taking Alicia (scout) and running rampant trying to finish off enemy soldiers...others (like myself) primarily relying on snipers, and yet others relying on an assault specialist to counterattack during the enemy phase. It's definitely more like a strategy game with 3PS aspects than the other way around.
The mission content (probably first mission in the actual game) was a little bit too easy so I can't comment on the difficulty as you advance through the game, but for those that enjoy games like Disgea and Agarest Senki, this probably has some qualities which you will enjoy, such as troop placement, using the appropriate troops for their respective roles, etc.
Sound
Well, I heard a **** ton of trains going across the overpass every 1 to 2 min...lol
Controls
Nothing to write home about. Macro targetting movement with the analog stick, fine-tune adjustment with the cross pad. Intuitive and gets the job done well.
Interface
Simple and gets the job done. However, during the action phase, you can't see how many CP you have left so when you're down to 1 to 2 CP, and want to mobilize a tank afterwards, it's a gamble unless you're keeping track in your head. Effectiveness of the ammo for various targets are displayed as a circle, triangle, and X. For a Japanese gamer, it's pretty simple...circle = good/best, triangle = decent, X = ineffective...symbols used to grade tests and stuff in school...don't know what they'll use in the western versions.
The onomatopoeia (sp) is sprinkled throughout the game but isn't overbearing...slightly manga-esque, but I wouldn't be surprised if they removed it in the western versions.
Overall
My BIASED opinion is, this game has a lot of potential to deliver a nice story, though it might be somewhat unoriginal. While the game has its flaws, I think the game system itself is done well and if the difficulty increases and the strategy aspect becomes critical, I know I'll enjoy it in the context it was designed...story-telling. It has one of the best voicecasts in recent years for any caliber of production.
