PS3 Fanboy

What happens when you release a cel-shaded Japanese SRPG into the crowded November holiday lineup? Your game gets largely ignored. Sega's PS3-exclusive innovative tactics game didn't exactly light the sales charts on fire, with only 33k units sold in November, according to the NPD Group. November marked the release of heavy-hitting games like Call of Duty: World at War, Resistance 2 and Mortal Kombat vs. DC. It's thoroughly unsurprising that a game like Valkyria Chronicles didn't perform better in such a competitive market. That's a shame, considering how much we loved the game.

Of course, you could make it right. Right now. But chances are, you'll be waiting for the inevitable price drop on this retail flop. C'mon PS3 fanboys! Tell your friends about Valkyria. And while you're at it, tell them about LittleBigPlanet as well -- both of these games could use some better sales.

Amid a sea of Resistance 2s, LittleBigPlanets, Dead Spaces and Mirror's Edges it's easy to miss out on some real gaming gems. Titles that don't immediately spring to mind when you think of 2008's must-have games, but which are nonetheless worthy of your attention. Valkyria Chronicles is one of those games and I'm putting my cards on the table in this, the review's intro paragraph, so that there's no ambiguity; Valkyria Chronicles is an amazing game. Here's why.

Valkyria Chronicles is a Japanese Strategy RPG set in a fictional Second World War. You take control of Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia in order to prevent the evil Empire from invading your home country. The game places a lot of stock in its story, with many cutscenes throughout.

The first thing you'll notice about the game is how beautiful it is. The overall anime style may be familiar to you, but you've never seen it done like this before. A textured overlay makes the game look like a watercolor painting on stretched canvas. An effect heightened by the very edges of the screen, which have been left blank and uneven. As if the artist has not painted all the way to the edge.

If you've been playing Valkyria Chronicles you've probably noticed that the story is excellent and the characters are superbly lovable. We've actually thought a couple of times whilst playing that we'd love an anime based on the game. It seems our wishes have come true as it has been announced today that a series has been greenlit and will be shown in Japan in the Spring.

There's no indication on whether we'll ever see a localized version in the west. If you want to show Sega you're interested in an English voiced version, feel free to go ahead and buy the game. Anime fans and SRPG fans alike won't be disappointed. We'll have our full review up before the end of the week.

[Thanks, Tim!]

We've uncovered some money-saving deals for our readers this fine Sunday. Call of Duty: World at War is $59.99 but comes with a $15 gift card over at Toys "R" Us. Valkyria Chronicles is $44.99 at Circuit City. Both offers are in-store only and valid till November 15th. Furthermore, both games were selected in our November Buyer's Guide -- you won't regret picking them up.

Source -- Toys "R" Us
Source -- Circuit City

Valkyria Chronicles is out today! You should really go buy it if you're a fan of strategy RPGs and/or excellent stories. Need another reason? A new post on the PlayStation Blog has confirmed that the downloadable content that was made available in Japan will be translated for western audiences. Both add-on packs will be made available in America and Europe in "early 2009."

The DLC involves a new mission and an extra hard skirmish mode. One of these allows you to play as the evil Imperial army invading Gallia and includes new vocals and and new sets of battles. These packs were paid content in Japan so no doubt they'll be the same over here. So even as you play through the lengthy main mission you'll have some new stuff to look forward to early next year. Hopefully Sega will also add trophies at some point too.

Something for everyone this week. Resistance 2 hits the US while LittleBigPlanet finally sees a European release. Valkyria Chronicles also makes its way to American soil. If you're after something wholly unique and a little bit special this week, that might be your best bet (though only SRPG fans need apply). Here's the full release list:

US Games

• Resistance 2 (Collector's Edition)
  
• Valkyria Chronicles
• James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace
• Tom Clancy's End War (Headset bundle)
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm (Collector's Edition)
• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
• History Channel Civil War: Secret Mission

EU Games

• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• Tom Clancy's End War (Headset bundle)
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
• Legendary
• WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009
• Disney Sing It (Microphone bundle)
• Guitar Hero World Tour

Asian Games

• Tom Clancy's End War

Don't forget that your PS3 is region free. If you see anything on this list that isn't available where you live go ahead and import. Keep in mind that DLC is locked to the game disc's region so if you buy a US game you'll need to get your DLC from the US PSN Store. Release dates are constantly subject to change. That's our way of saying "don't blame us if something gets delayed last minute."

We're pretty excited for Valkyria Chronicles. The PS3-exclusive SRPG from Sega has been getting great early reviews. And why wouldn't it? Not only does it look good, but it has a cabaret girl singing while kicking ass. Who could possibly dislike a game like that?

Big smiles on both sides of the Atlantic this week. America gets three big games in the form of LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm PR and Fallout 3. Europe may not be getting their hands on LittleBigPlanet until next week, but at least they've got Fallout 3, Quantum of Solace and Valkyria Chronicles to tide them over which, from what we've seen, look to all be excellent titles. Here's the full release list:

US Games

• LittleBigPlanet
• SingStar Vol. 2
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• Fallout 3 (Collector's Edition)
• Moto GP 08
• Baja 1000: Score International
• Guitar Hero World Tour

EU Games

• Fallout 3 (Collector's Edition)
• James Bond: Quantum of Solace
• Siren: Blood Curse
• Valkyria Chronicles
• To End All Wars
• Buzz! Quiz TV Special Edition
• Hail To The Chimp

Asian Games

• Fallout 3
• Fracture
• Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Spec III
• Grand Theft Auto IV
• LittleBigPlanet
• SOCOM: Confrontation
• Yamasa Digi World SP: Bounty Killer
  

Please keep in mind that release dates are constantly subject to change, so be sure to call ahead before leaving the house. Your PS3 is happy to play any of the above titles, regardless of where they originate from, so feel free to import anything you see up there. Remember, though, that any DLC has to be bought from the appropriate PSN store so if you pick up a US copy of LBP you'll need to download future DLC (and there's bound to be a lot) from the US store. Really, it's better just to wait a week.

Valkyria Chronicles' English release is finally inching closer. Sega has just released a brand new trailer for the game, showing off the tank and its incredible power in action. This reminds us that VC is unlike most SRPGs we've played: the combination of real-time battles and turn-based tactics really has us quite excited.

Those of you who are looking forward to Valkyria Chronicles have a little less time to wait, it seems. The game is being pulled forward two weeks and will now release on October 31st. Considering this is a Friday, this is bound to be a European release and there's no word on a US date change, as of yet. Those interested in the game will be able to try out a demo next week. Be sure to check out our hands-on report to see what we think. (Spoiler: it looks great.) We just hope it sells as well as it deserves to, considering LittleBigPlanet launches the week before.

Although Valkyria Chronicles isn't out in America yet, it's been getting some DLC support in Japan. The second installment of DLC from Sega is pretty cool: it lets you play as Selvaria, as you try to invade Galiia. If you didn't notice, that means you're doing the exact opposite of what the main campaign focuses on. The DLC will feature voice acting, new story sequences, and a whole new set of battles. The DLC will retail for 800 yen in Japan. Most likely, the American version of Valkyria Chronicles will feature the same post-launch DLC as its Japanese counterpart.

[Via Siliconera]

Just what else is going into the already fantastic October issue of Qore? Why it's a playable demo of Valkyria Chronicles. It's the latest S-RPG from SEGA and it's set for release on November 11. If you missed the San Francisco event this past Friday, the Qore issue demo -- which will be available on October 9 -- is your next alternative to an early sneak peek.

[Thanks Gambit07!]

Although the game doesn't officially release until November, Sega is throwing a Valkyria Chronicles party in San Francisco's Metreon store. The venue, made famous for its real-world PlayStation Store, will be host to Sega producer Ryutaro Nonaka. An exclusive community Q&A will be held at the store, and signed posters will be given away at the event. You could win a free PS3, so if you're in the neighborhood, you may want to consider attending.

Where: The Sony Metreon, 101 4th Street, San Francisco, CA
When: 5 - 9 PM Pacific, Friday, Sept 26th

[Thanks, Aaron W.!]

Download to PSP

You should know by now that one of our most anticipated games this holiday season is Sega's upcoming PS3-exclusive SPRG, Valkyria Chronicles. Yet another English language trailer has been distributed at Leipzig, and while it doesn't reveal much new about the game, it does get the hype rolling yet again. The innovative mix of real-time movement and turn-based combat will have hungry PS3-owning JRPG fans craving for more.