[PS3] Battle Field Valkyrie: Gallian Chronicles (AKA: Sega trying an RPG? LOOKS GOOD!)

This definitely looks interesting; I hope Sega entertains the thought of bringing this to the 360 as well... which raises the general question: given the process' costs and all other considerations being equal, what incentive is there to a develop a game for just one console? Conversely, I imagine a console company would have to lay out some serious incentive to land an exclusive.
Given that, historically, tanks (along with APCs and IFVs) succeeded horse cavalry, it is amusing that the anti-tank weapon resembles a lance or pike. In a similar vein, I am interested in how all this development took place, and nobody thought to implement camouflage... the player characters' uniforms are nice and all, but they seem more suitable as 'dress blues' than actual field wear.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Thanks for the heads-up, Hindman. I'll have to watch that video later, but here's a quick bit of speculation on command points...
They could serve as a cap on force size, maybe with - as is the case with SJ Games' Ogre and GEV - larger, more powerful units 'costing' more to field.
I reiterate my comments on the player characters' uniforms: I can dig the cut and style, but the coloration still seems better suited for ceremonial functions than actual field work. The in-universe explanation for this is hopefully interesting.

How ya doing, buddy?

New gameplay promotional trailer detected.
Aside from showing off more boots-on-the-ground gameplay (notes here: some cover is destructible (4:43) - or, at least, can be rammed through by tanks - and certain things explode violently under rifle fire (0:55)) and expounding a bit on the backstory (the invasion of Gallia seems to boil down to grand theft writ large), some aspects of character growth are made clear. Experience points seem to be awarded to a pool, from which you draw to develop the various unit types (5:39); further, new and improved tools of the trade become available as the game progresses (an incenerator is seen at 4:13; a mated GL seems to be evidenced at 6:25). Speaking of tanks: first, facing seems to matter (4:55 - exposed engine systemry + AT weapon = insta-kill); and second, given that tank armament can be upgraded, I cannot help but wonder if it's possible to field a flame tank (these were common in WW2's Pacific theatre with good reason)...
This said, with arrival on this side of the Pac scheduled for autumn, shouldn't Sega be getting started on raising interest early? A subtitled version of this trailer would be an easy and relatively cheap first step.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Given that Sega does, in fact, plan on bringing this Stateside later this year, I saw fit to share with them my concerns with respect to the marketing thereof...

Quote:

To whom it may concern:
It has come to my attention that you intend to introduce Valkyrie of the Battlefield to the US gamer population later this year; this fact pleases me.
What concerns me, however, is that to my knowledge there seems to be no serious effort to cultivate interest. A relatively cheap first step, I believe, would be to make available subtitled versions of the various trailers; a full English mirror of the official site would be a logical progression. Please do not make the all-too-common mistake of creating an English website that is but a shadow of the 'original' - your developers, writers, and others have, I am sure, put a lot of work into this game and its world, and it would be a shame were the fruits of same were lost to potential customers.

As an example of 'how not to do it'... compare and contrast the Japanese website for Operation Darkness with its US counterpart.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Cetra

Holy crap Hitoshi Sakimoto is composing the music for this.

And we'll be able to nab our own copies of same in late May, according to this particular page at CDJapan.
Interestingly, while the tracklist is not provided there, you can get it direct from the proverbial horse's mouth. That's 57 tracks, including music not used in the game, divided between 2 discs.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Someone already got their tentacles on this, and has been kind enough to chronicle his impression in this GameFAQs thread.
A different someone, using the handle DjMizuhara, has been sending Gamersyde actual gameplay footage here...

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Reconnaissance of YouTube has revealed that someone is being kind enough to share the game's music. He only has one track available as of now; if I had to guess its precise origin I would call a toss-up between a direct extraction from the game disc or use of a music player which might be among the beat-the-game unlocks (as is the case with Ace Combat 4 and its subsequent iterations).

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

I have good news! It seems that a copy or rip of the album has been leaked...

The man who was kind enough to assemble this apparently needs to be introduced to the likes of Sharebee; having had to deal with the resultant hassle in downloading it, I have seen fit to infect Shively's server (thread) with it.
I note again this has to be a game extraction - it does not include the extra track on the album.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

Here we go...

Whoa, great minds do, indeed think alike. So I've been listening to this, and can't help but agree with Cetra: Sakimoto has delivered. I recommend this soundtrack for purchase, and will lead by example.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Generic Badass

That would be promising if just about every preview ever didn't talk positively.

Perhaps an end-user review (albeit of the Japanese) might prove of some use.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Gechmir

Still hoping for dual language tracks...

I submit for the consideration of the court the last paragraph of this IGN preview:

Originally Posted by IGN

With over 50 customizable characters, sweeping music and the aforementioned gorgeous visuals, we're pretty excited about Valkyria Chronicles. We were also very happy to learn that both the original Japanese language track and the dubbed English track will be available when the game is released in the US. Hopefully that release comes soon, because we can't wait to get our hands on a copy of the game and jump right into this intriguing RPG.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by SCHNEE-1

...and now they've released a whole extra story in the form of letting you play as the bad guys. Pretty awesome.

Yes, awesome. I am glad to see that they are using DLC to flesh out the storyline of this game; that one of these releases is of the 'Red Flag' variety is a nice bonus.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Animechanic

Additional Thought: If this is a WWII alternate universe, then where the heck are the airplanes?

That's actually a very good question. While the scale and mechanics make their being controllable units out of the question, it would not be totally implausible to see them as a support ability (airstrikes).

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Animechanic

Oh, and the game answered my previous question about airplanes. I guess aviation tech is only at Wright Flyer level, probably because engineers are too busy making ridiculously huge tanks.

You know what this means: if the war goes on long enough (if I understand correctly, Gallia is just a piece of it) some bright spark is likely to conclude - just like in our own WW1 - that the best way to break the armor stalemate is to work that third dimension.
Because the other side will have to play catch-up in developing their own aircraft and triple-A systems) whoever makes that leap will find a window of opportunity wherein analogues to aircraft like the Shtumovik and G-variant Stuka (the latter's most infamous pilot, one Hans-Ulrich Rudel, racked up over 500 tank kills over the course of his combat career) can rain death on armor pretty much without contest. And let us not forget the myriad of other advantages command of the sky brings.
While the anime adaptation is likely to follow and develop a bit upon the game's events, the above scenario would, I think, be interesting to look at in a treatment of the larger war.
On a lighter note, was anyone else tempted to make humorous comparisons between ragnite and tiberium...?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Animechanic

I dunno, I think they excluded airplanes intentionally, which is a shame since aircraft done in the alternate universe styling they have going would be pretty awesome.

Given that - as we have, I believe, proven - most people find the idea of WW2-approximate tech that somehow skipped aircraft a bit difficult to believe, I believe it would be interesting to read the developers' own rationale.
To reiterate: if the writers are going to do more with this universe they've created here, folks cluing in to the advantages offered by command of the skies would be good material.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by DesertEase

A WW1 styled air combat game in the canvas engine could be awesome, or it might leapfrog to WW2 styled fighters/bombers(with glowing weakspots oh shi) due to ragnites awesomeness.

Well, if you're talking a 'Wings: VC Edition' game (for want of a more fitting title), you can't go too wrong following, mechanicswise, the path defined by the likes of Blazing Angels or Ace Combat. Complete with impressive boss fights... with something like the land battleship Marmot proven to exist, an analogue to the Aigaion and its task force is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Of course, just to be annoying, the weak spots on said boss units almost certainly have shrouds of some sort (hello, Chandelier)...

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by DesertEase

Taking a good look at Crimson Skies would also be apt...

Good call there; I'd forgotten about that franchise.
I take this opportunity to address a veiled comment above: given their treatment of both sides, it would appear that the writers have taken some cues from UC Gundam - this is a good thing.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by DesertEase

So the empire = Zeon, Federation = Feds, Gallia = ???

Gallia would, from what I understand of the storyline, be the poor sods caught in the middle, what with having the misfortune to lie astride a convenient line of attack or atop valuable resources.
On another note, imagine the mechanics of Endwar being applied to this setting... it seems to me a logical scale-up if you want to make a game taking a look at the larger war.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

...because more DLC is on it, according to this IGN article. The 'bad' news? It's caused the resurfacing of those folks who've taken to whining about its lack of trophies - as if the various meals and unlockables weren't tangible reward enough. Take a gander at some of the comments in the related Joystiq entry.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.