Valkyria Chronicles™

[h3]Steam Deck Review[/h3] [b]Steam Deck Performance: [/b] No issues save for rare instances of slow downs [b]Portable Gaming: [/b] Allows saving anytime (Multiple save slots recommended for long missions) [b]Length: [/b] Main story be finished under 50 hours, extra hours depends on the player using the extra units, playing the skirmish maps, optional fanservice chapters called [b]Reports[/b], and optional money/EXP grinding [b]Game Review:[/b] I bought the game at some point during the weeks I was replaying the [i]Violet Evergarden[/i] and [i]Fullmetal Alchemist[/i] series, as well as a select few Ghibli movies. Coupled with my sudden need to play tactics games, Valkyria Chronicles seemed like the perfect title to experience during that haze of being immersed in anime fantasy war media. If there's one thing I need to stress out that made this an amazing game from start to finish, it's the effort put towards level design. It's a tactics game with a lot of heart from a mechanical standpoint and the story and presentation are just the icing and cherry on top that makes this extremely memorable. Basically, there’s so much variety to the missions that the game goes the extra mile to prevent tedium or boredom without being too mechanically intrusive. First impressions were fairly alright and if I'm going to be honest, I thought the whole game would be chock full of your usual anime stereotypes (which is half-true). The main character, Welkin Gunther, is a boyscout type with fair intentions; in other words, a safe MC. You're also introduced to the brave but feisty love interest Alicia and your [i]non blood related[/i] half sister, Isara, early on. But much like the clunky cover controls, first impressions are deceiving. There's actual depth to a lot of the things you're introduced to and the game is well paced enough to let you feel the effects that war has on the main characters and the world that's being ruined by it. Of course being an anime game, a lot of the horrors of war told by the story are restrained from a visual standpoint. War crimes are still war crimes during certain parts of the campaign, but along the way you're also constantly reminded that you're still playing an anime game that leans towards extreme hope and idealism. This isn't a critique of the tone, but a caution for folks who are fresh off depressing and/or grimdark war media who would probably be weirded out by it. I won't spoil the whole story, but I'll tell you this much: it is a wild but heartwarming ride. There's depth when I expected little, and there's intrigue where I thought would be trivial. Perhaps the best part about this is there's plenty of side content to get into. One of the things that suprised me the most was how the extra units are given backstories, unique voice dialogue, and amusing traits. Where else can you find a war game that lets you control units with racism and sexism debuffs? They all serve to make the game (or specifically your side of the war) lively, which means if you've already fallen for the setting 10 hours in, you're in for a lot more content that'll probably persuade you to consider playing the fourth Valkyria Chronicle game, which also takes place in the same timeline and setting. Overall, Valkyria Chronicles is a game I thought would be a nice little twenty hour campaign. I ended up enjoying over 50 hours of it and I plan on coming back soon for a NG+ run. It’s just that good!