The predecessor to Valkyria Chronicles II was on the PS3; this perceived downgrade in terms of console was the source of much anger amongst fans. However, it's important to enjoy a game for the game that it is, rather than making immediate judgments based on what you play the game on. As for the game, Valkyria Chronicles II was one of my gaming highlights of 2012. I picked up the game on a whim, and was rewarded with over a hundred of solid, obsessive hours of play. While the maps are decidedly few in number, the variety of enemy deployments and objectives with which you're thrown into these maps prevents boredom. The gameplay is perhaps easier described as like Warhammer, in a way, with each unit moving and subsequently lining up their shot, which albeit unrealistic, was a lot of fun to play. One of my favourite features, though, was the potential mechanic, wherein each character has their own specific traits that actually affect how they play in combat – for example, an antisocial character drops in effectiveness when deployed around team-mates, a character who was raised in the city feels more at home in urban combat, or someone with a fear of water can't function properly when near it. Characters also have likes and dislikes in terms of team-mates; all of this comes together to both truly render the large cast as memorable characters, and to make your pre-battle team-building a TON harder. In other RPGs, it's usually a matter of simply selecting who you like using, and running into battle. In this game, however, you really have to strike a balance between the actual tactical capabilities, and how well the squad meshes together socially. Fascinating idea, loved the game through and through.
