Sega revealed on November 19 that “Valkyria Chronicles 4” is going to launch next year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. The game is going to be released in March for PS4 and Xbox One. The Switch version will be released later in the year. This will bring the strategy role-playing game franchise to a Nintendo console for the first time.

Set in the Second Europan War

“Valkyria Chronicles 2" and "Valkyria Chronicles 3" were both released on PSP, the PSP at that time was very popular in Japan. The themes were geared towards the Japanese audience, for example, having settings at a school and a superhuman special ops team.

With this game, they have moved away from superhumans and instead have characters that are more relatable to people we'd meet in everyday life.

The story trailer shows a familiar art style and setting from older games. “Valkyria Chronicles 4” is set in the Second Europan War. Players play as Federation soldiers and fight against the Imperial army. The frozen setting will provide new challenges for players who have played the original’s woodland and desert-themed battles.

Returns the series to its tactical roots

“Valkyria Chronicles 4” is going back to the overall setting, gameplay, and visual style of the older games. The game goes back to the series’ roots, featuring the strategy formula of the PlayStation 3 classic.

Based on what was shown during the presentation on November 19, it appears the game is being geared towards action-strategy RPG fans like other games in the series.

Producer, Kei Mikami, told PlayStation that with this game they plan to expand the series on a global scale. He stated that they haven’t released a mainline title since 2011 and their goal is to attract new audiences worldwide.

Updated canvas system

Upgraded hardware allowed the development team to update and improve the canvas system in the game. Because of this, they were able to repaint the stunning visuals of the game in a whole new light. In order to amplify Canvas’ hand-drawn, watercolor aesthetic, they deepened the shadows to make the colors pop.

They also added real-time environmental effects such as; footprints left in the snow when walking and heatwaves warping the air. This provides a more immersive experience for the player, making it seem like you’re there in person.

The game is going to feature the full scope of the Second Europan War, which will expand the game world tremendously. The game will make players experience a new, different side of the Europan conflict.