Today Sega provided a release window for the western release of Valkyria Chronicles 4.
The game will launch in North America and Europe in fall 2018, for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It will cost $59.99 or €59.99 depending on where you live. Australia will get the game in Spring 2019.
Interestingly, the official website has been updated, providing a metric ton of information and screenshots in English, allowing us to learn more about the game's localization.
First of all, we get an introduction to the world of the game.
To the west of the Northern Hemisphere's largest landmass lies Europa. For millennia, this fertile continent has endured countless battles for dominance. By the 1800s, Europa was governed by two superpowers: the Empire and the Federation. Both depended on a precious mineral called ragnite for survival. Its growing scarcity led to war in 1935 EC, when a broken peace treaty brought international tensions to a head. So began the Second Europan War, the largest conflict in world history.
aude Wallace, leader of the Edinburgh army's Squad E, had faced several battles himself—and was winning, however narrowly. But three months into EWII, the Federate forces found themselves backed into a corner by the Imperial army's overwhelming numbers. After resolving a border skirmish, the Ranger Corps was assigned to a mission that would turn the tides: Operation Northern Cross, a decisive campaign to take the fight to the Empire.
Secondly, we move on to specific information on the main characters.
Claude Wallace
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad E
Rank: First Lieutenant
Role: Tank Commander
Class: Scout
Born in the Gallian city of Hafen, this promising young squad leader is keenly attuned to climate changes and weather fluctuations. Ever since graduating as valedictorian from the Royal Military Academy, his talent and determination have been an inspiration to his subordinates.
Riley Miller
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Federate Joint Ops
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role: Artillery Advisor
Class: Grenadier
Born in the Gallian city of Hafen, this brilliant inventor was assigned to Squad E after researching ragnite technology in the United States of Vinland. She appears to share some history with Claude, although the memories seem to be traumatic ones.
Raz
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad E
Rank: Sergeant
Role: Fireteam Leader
Class: Shocktrooper
Born in the Gallian city of Hafen, this foul-mouthed Darcsen worked his way up from the slums to become a capable soldier. Though foul-mouthed and reckless, his athleticism and combat prowess is top-notch... And according to him, he's invincible.
Kai Schulen
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad E
Rank: Sergeant Major
Role: Fireteam Leader
Class: Sniper
Born in the Gallian city of Hafen, this cool and collected sharpshooter has earned the codename "Deadeye Kai." Along with her childhood friends, she joined a foreign military to take the fight to the Empire. She loves fresh-baked bread, almost to a fault.
Angelica Farnaby
Side: N/A
Unit: N/A
Rank: N/A
Role: N/A
Class: N/A
A chipper civilian girl who stumbled upon Squad E through strange circumstances. Nicknamed "Angie," she is beloved by the entire squad for her eagerness to help. She seems to be suffering from amnesia, and can only remember her own name.
Minerva Victor
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad F
Rank: First Lieutenant
Role: Senior Commander
Class: Scout
Born in the United Kingdom of Edinburgh to a noble family, this competitive perfectionist has authority over the 101st Division's squad leaders. She values honor and chivalry, though a bitter rivalry with Lt. Wallace sometimes compromises her lofty ideals.
Karen Stuart
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Squad E
Rank: Corporal
Role: Combat EMT
Class: Medic
Born as the eldest daughter of a large family, this unflappable field medic is an expert at administering first aid in the heat of battle. Although she had plans to attend medical school, she instead enlisted in her nation's military to support her growing household.
Ragnarok
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Squad E
Rank: K-9 Unit
Role: Mascot
Class: Medic
Once a stray, this good good boy is lovingly referred to as "Rags."As a K-9 unit, he's a brave and intelligent rescue dog who's always willing to lend a helping paw. When the going gets tough, the tough get ruff.
Miles Arbeck
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad E
Rank: Sergeant
Role: Tank Operator
Class: Driver
Born in the United Kingdom of Edinburgh, this excitable driver was Claude Wallace's partner in tank training, and was delighted to be assigned to Squad E. He's taken up photography as a hobby, and is constantly taking snapshots whenever on standby.
Dan Bentley
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad E
Rank: Private First Class
Role: APC Operator
Class: Driver
Born in the United States of Vinland, this driver loves armored personnel carriers with a passion. His skill behind the wheel is matched only by his way with a wrench. Though not much of a talker, he takes pride in carrying his teammates through combat.
Ronald Albee
Side: Edinburgh Army
Unit: Ranger Corps, Squad F
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role: Tank Operator
Class: Driver
Born in the United Kingdom of Edinburgh, this stern driver was Minerva Victor's underclassman at the military academy. Upon being assigned to Squad F, he swore an oath of fealty to Lt. Victor, and takes great satisfaction in upholding her chivalric code.
Crymaria Levin
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Ausbruch
Rank: Special Agent
Rank: Special Agent
Role: Winter Witch
Class: Valkyria
Feared by both the Federation and the Empire as the legendary "Winter Witch," this unstable Valkyria was a laboratory test subject until being recruited by X-0. She is accompanied by a wolf named Fenrir, who she rescued from unethical experimentation.
Klaus Walz
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Ausbruch
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role: Tank Commander
Class: Veteran
As leader of Ausbruch, the 502nd heavy tank platoon, this hedonistic yet dangerous commander is a force to be reckoned with. His faith in instincts over logic makes him as much a nightmare to his Federate opponents as he is a headache to the Imperial military.
Forseti
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Ausbruch
Rank: Special Agent
Role: Chief Strategist
Class: Veteran
As the Imperial Science Board's chief of operations, this cunning and calculating strategist is Ausbruch's foil to Walz's hot-headedness. Though a disability keeps him from fighting, his pragmatism and twisted sense of justice make him a deadly foe.
Heinrich Belgar
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Science Board
Rank: Director General
Role: Chief Scientist
Class: Officer
As Director General of the Imperial Science Board, this scientific genius has gained favor with the Emperor himself. His personal task force "X-0" is granted free rein to test prototype weapons in battle, much to the dismay of allies and enemies alike.
Nikola Graf
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Science Board
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role: Paramilitary Enforcer
Class: Scout
Taken in by Dr. Belgar at a young age, this sadistic X-0 enforcer has undergone years of combat training and mental conditioning. Whereas her partner Chiara prefers physical torture, Lt. Graf delights in the subtlety of dealing out psychological torment.
Chiara Rocino
Side: Imperial Army
Unit: X-0, Science Board
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role: Paramilitary Enforcer
Class: Scout
Taken in by Dr. Belgar at a young age, this vicious X-0 enforcer has undergone years of combat training and mental conditioning. Whereas her partner Nikola delights in psychological torment, Lt. Rocino prefers the simplicity of inflicting physical torture.
Following, we get detailed information on the revised BLiTZ system, which is the battle system used in the Valkyria Chronicles games.
Book Mode
Discover the untold history of the Second Europan War by following the episodes of this chronicle. Photographs indicate story segments, while maps delineate missions.
Briefing
Selecting a mission from Book Mode takes you into a briefing. An advisor will then explain the upcoming operation as you prepare your fireteam for deployment.
Command Mode and CP
When combat begins, you will enter Command Mode, which displays a map of the area and your units' positions. Study your surroundings and the enemy's position before sending your troops into battle.
Moving a unit during the player phase costs one Command Point. The enemy phase begins when you run out of CP. At the beginning of each turn, you and the enemy both recover CP.
Command Points (CP)
Command Points are an abstractification of a squad leader's ability to rally their troops. If you end the player phase early, leftover CP will roll over into the next turn.
Action Mode
Directly commanding a unit will shift your perspective from Command Mode into Action Mode, where that unit can move and attack across the battlefield in real-time.
From Action Mode, your unit can enter Target Mode once per turn to heal an ally or take aim at an enemy. An enemy who survives an attack may be able to launch a counterattack, so make every shot count.
Action Points (AP)
Action Points are an abstractification of the distance a unit can travel on the field. AP depletes as a unit moves, so plan ahead to get the most out of every step.
Aiming and Weak Points
While aiming, the reticle's outer ring shows a weapon's projected spread. Aim for an enemy's weak points, such as a soldier's head, to land a critical hit. Refer to the number needed "to kill" your enemy to line up the perfect shot.
About Intercept Fire
Moving in range of an enemy on the field grants them an opportunity for interception, even during the player phase. Grenadiers can launch intercept fire from a distance, so be mindful of your surroundings.
Ragnaid Recovery
Foot soldiers recover some of their Hit Points at the beginning of each turn. Use Ragnaid to recover lost HP. Engineers carry Revival Ragnaid, which heals even heavy damage.
Incapacitation
Units whose HP drops to 0 fall into critical condition and cannot act. Leaving a unit in this state for 3 turns, or allowing an enemy to reach them, incapacitates them. Except in a few cases, incapacitation results in death.
Avoid losing soldiers by making contact with allies in critical condition ASAP. Rescued units will be evacuated by a medic, and can then redeploy from a camp on the next turn.
Last Stands
When a soldier falls into critical condition, they may be able to take a Last Stand. This allows the unit to Stand Up for a burst of invulnerable action, or Inspire their teammates to carry on in their name. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain!
Camps
Units stationed near an allied camp receive a bonus to defense and HP recovery at the start of each turn. While stationed at camps, soldiers can be called in as reinforcements or safely sent back to headquarters. An unoccupied field camp can be captured by opposing forces, while base camps are crucial to the success or failure of any mission.
Last, but not least, we get a description of all the classes included in the game, including the new grenadier one.
Grenadiers
The Grenadier class launches explosive shells from mortars in an arc to reach enemies behind cover or on high ground. Grenadiers can even intercept enemies behind cover, so long as the target is in an ally's line of sight. However, setting up leaves them exposed.
Scouts
The Scout class boasts high mobility. Scouts can spot enemies waiting in ambush from a greater distance than others. High AP allows them to move quickly during reconnaissance. Their rifles have medium range and good accuracy, but are lacking in damage output.
Shocktroopers
The Shocktrooper class pushes the front lines forward. Their heavy armor and anti-personnel machine guns make them ideal assault units for engaging enemy infantry. Shocktroopers truly shine in CQC, where they can utilize their fully-automatic bullet spread.ù
Engineers
The Engineer class makes up for low combat prowess with the ability to repair vehicles, reconstruct sandbags, raise ladders, resupply weapons, remove landmines, and revive allies in critical condition. Engineers are always equipped to offer invaluable combat utility.
Lancers
The Lancer class uses armor-piercing lances. They have the defense and HP to get behind tanks and hit their weak points. Lancers are resistant to explosives and take less damage from mortars and grenades. Their power is offset by low AP and slow movement speed.
Snipers
The Sniper class specializes in shooting down enemies from afar. Snipers lack mobility and defensive capabilities, but more than make up for it with superior range and critical damage. Their rifles feature scopes that can zoom in to land head shots at a distance.
Elite Classes
When a combat class reaches level 11, its members will be promoted to Elite ranks.
You can check out all the images below, including screenshots and artwork. If you want to try the game for yourself, a demo is currently available on the Japanese PlayStation Store. If you’d rather just watch, you can enjoy about an hour of gameplay which I recorded from the demo itself.
Quite a few months before the western release, the game will launch in Japan for PS4 on March 21st, 2018 and for Nintendo Switch later in the summer.