Sega's Valkyria Chronicles 4 Is Marching Towards Nintendo Switch

This is awesome. Exactly the sort of quality Japanese third party support the Wii U missed out on pretty consistently.

Welcome back, Nintendo.

Well this is very welcome.

Oh my God!!

The Switch is selling too well in Japan for developers to continue ignoring. Great to see more support from Sega, I expect some other third parties will join in soon with games people don't expect.

Never played the other 3 but from my understanding, I don‘t need to to play this. Keeping this on my radar.

God bless you Sega. Since Nintendo isn't giving us Advance Wars any time soon, I welcome your version any day.

Not interested in the game, but good to see more 3rd party support.

This is better than Christmas. I love the series, and more tactical games are always welcome.

Xbox One as well? Looks like everyone is a winner with this game.

I heard the sequel weren’t great compared to the original. But I loved the original so I’ll give this one a go unless it’s completely broken.

@Specters That's cause the sequels were only released as handheld (PSP) exclusives which seem like a step backwards to fans of the series.

@shonenjump86 Not everyone, the PC gamers will be piss since their logo didn't appeared.

@retro_player_22 Ah, you’re right. I didn’t catch that.

Is this confirmed for a western release? If so I'll most likely pick up the Switch version, as long as it's up to scratch.

I've only played the original on PS3, but still consider it one of the best games of that generation. It's good to see something from SEGA that isn't Sonic.

I've only played the original on PS3, but I loved Valkyria Chronicles so much. IMO, Nintendo​​​ blatantly mimicked this title with Codename S.T.E.A.M. (which really is good in its own right.)
Anyways, I'm extremely excited that Sega decided to bring this to the Switch.

Excellent news! It also reminds me that I need to go back and finish the first one...

Amazing! One of my favorite games ever. Probably stick with PS4 on this one (this is like NinoKuni for me - all about the art) For the better graphics. And for sure LE.

But for people who need portability this is awesome. Hopefully it does well across the board.

My favorite genre (turn based strategy) but I'm unfamiliar with this series. Will keep an eye on it.

I'll probably pick it up on Xbox One (assuming they have an X patch) since no PC release. Love this series, even played through the 3rd game with the fan translated patch.

@Reignmaker If you have a PS3, PS4 or even low spec PC, check it out. It's highly recommended and runs on very modest PC hardware.

I'm just glad we're getting a proper sequel after that disaster Valkyria Revolution that they released earlier this year. Hopefully it releases in the US this time so I'm not left having to look for fan-translations again...

Didn't even know this was in development! Nicely done!

By then I'll have a PS4 but may go for Switch due to flexibility. However will check to ensure it runs well enough on Switch.

My only disappointment is I was hoping they'd rerelease VC 2 & 3 like they did the original.

Gives me another nudge to get round to playing my original on the PS3.

Here they come, everyone, hold tight...

@NImH "Nintendo​​​ blatantly mimicked this title with Codename S.T.E.A.M. (which really is good in its own right.)"

You are aware that Valkyria Chronicles (2008) was blatantly inspired by what Intelligent Systems did with both Advanced Wars (2001) & Fire Emblem (1990), right?

@retro_player_22 PC gamers are always angry, just read the comments on any digital foundry video 😃

@GC-161

No.

Valkyria Chronicles is VERY different from Advance Wars and Fire Emblem.

Yes, both are Tactical RPG's, but that's about it. VC has totally different battle system and gameplay mechanics.

If anything, VC honors really old WW2 games and clearly takes inspiration from Combat Mission and such.

Woohoo!!

Earlier games are great. The last one totally bombed lets hope they claw it back.

Good grief this looks cheesy...

@Timppis No. I never said VC is exactly the same as Advance Wars or Fire Emblem. I said they were inspired by said games.

Which they are.

I always get mixed up between this and Valkyrie Profile, because of the names. I've just googled them, they're completely unrelated!

This is good news for Switch. It will be interesting to see if this releases at the same time or later than the other versions. No doubt it will be more expensive, but hopefully they can time it the same.

If any of you aren't sure if you want to get this game, go buy the original Valkyria Chronicles on Steam during the Thanksgiving or Christmas sales (it'll most likely be on sale during at least one of them). Codename S.T.E.A.M. is probably the most similar game to this series, but if you haven't played that game, it's like Mario + Rabbids, but you aim your shots, and it has an excellently constructed story.

Big surprise, and I am really please to hear it! Gonna get this one for sure unless it gets really bad reviews out of no where.

Is this the series where the tank is called Edelweiss?! You silly Japanese!

@Steelhead They wouldn't release a trailer for a game on the English YouTube channel if they were not planning on a western release.

I hope graphical compromises don’t kill the game on Switch.

Ow im interested

I can't recommend the first game (available on Steam and PS3, with a PS4 remaster too I think) enough.

It's got some balance problem, but it's just a joy to play. The game looks and sounds amazing, with a very distinct visual style that makes it look like the game's literally leaping out of the textured pages of an old, weathered history book.

The gameplay is strictly turn-based, but you directly control the units, swapping between a top-down view and going into a third-person view (this is where the S.T.E.A.M. comparisons come in).

The story has a lot of cliche anime moments, but also manages to feel oddly authentic at times. It draws heavy parallels to the actual real world WWII, both in naming (Literally the continent is called Europa, for instance) and themes (racism and the dawn of an uber-destructive, "new" type of weapon).

It's a game that very much puts strategy first, with the RPG and RNG elements being secondary. While an element of luck is sometimes involved in that your shots have spread, you're clearly shown the range in which your shots might land. So there's a very nice aspect of risk vs reward. Should you move in closer and risk enemy fire to ensure a headshot for the kill? Or hang back with your snipers and let them come to you?

I think that, as you get late-game gear, you'll find the former answer is generally the better one, due to some class imbalances. But still, I cant' say that's not generally the more fun option anyway.

Valkyria Chronicles isn't a perfect game, but it's a beautiful experience that is very much unique, even from the sequels (no offense to them, they're still fun, but being on PSP really limits the experience. It's like Prime vs Prime Hunters. The latter is a real technical showcase, but it can't capture the original's atmosphere.)

im welcoming this 3rd party support for the switch.
can't wait to get it on the switch.

The only way graphical compromises can ruin a good game is if there aren't enough and the switch can't run the thing well lol.

I love this series, this is a definite buy for me!

PS4 in march, switch not till summer 2018

I need this on switch though as the flexibility of portable play.

Wow, they're not even trying to hide the fact that this an AU version of the European theater of World War II. They might as well just go ahead and call the enemies Nazis.

Fantastic news! I played the 1st one on PC, that led me to buy the 2nd on PSP (though I have yet to play it), and I was looking to import the 3rd one, and mod my PSP to play that one.

I had heard Valkyria Revolution (the real fourth one) was a bit of a letdown, so I hope this one really does stay true to the original formula. I'll definitely look to pick it up one the switch, although I'm wary that it might be a situation where the publishers cheap out on a small capacity game card, and I'll have to download the remainder onto an SD card.

Also, I'd be surprised if it doesn't end up on PC too, given the success of the first game, but that's irrelevent to me as I'm pretty confident I'll opt to get this for the Switch.

@GC-161

I still disagree that it is "blatantly inspired" by Advance Wars or Fire Emblem because it clearly has other more obvious references in both the gameplay and the settings.

I stand by my "They are both Tactical RPG's and that's about it" -statement until I stand corrected.

Yep, this definitely solidifies the reasoning to get an NS... But I'll still wait for an upgrade SKU. Sounds more and more like NS could be the 2nd coming of the PS2, RPG wise.

@Specters VC2 was definitely a step backwards in every way except for the class system. VC3 was actually very good, but unfortunately remained JP exclusive. It did get fansubs, though! VC4 being on NS gets me HYPE

@retro_player_22 VC1 did eventually see a PC release, which was accurately ported. (Getting the CANVAS engine to function outside of PS3 must have been a doozy!) So especially considering this multiplatform release, I would anticipate VC4 getting a PC port eventually as well. (Hopefully within a much shorter timeframe!)

@BulbasaurusRex That's the point, it's historical fiction. Even now, it's a sorely underused genre. Granted, the enemy nations in the VC series have been straight-forwardly classical examples of empire, instead of being modern democracies gone wrong, which would have made for more interesting stories. So not quite like the Nazi's, and neither did they have high level operating support from companies based in Allied nations (e.g. IBM and Ford), like the real Nazi's did. VC does hint at the parallel of the conflict largely being an imperialistic war, rather than a people's war as is told by mass media mouthpieces, but it doesn't get THAT deep into it.

I have played the first one for a bit, it's one of those games that I want to like, but there are a few features that I just don't agree with.

I'm pretty surprised the original wasn't released for the 360 but this is coming to ONE.

@Oscarzxn That was due to the CANVAS engine, which was originally tailor made for use with the PS3. It never got used in full again either, which is a shame.

Awesome news, now announce the upcoming Yakuza title on Switch, please.

I was hoping that they'd have rereleased VC3 at least with subtitles.

Thats another thing, I do hope this has dual voices as I played the original with JP VA's and a bit with English whilst VC2 was English only. I felt the JP voices did the characters much more justice.

If the later launch in Switch is true then it implies this was already in development for the other consoles but was added to Switch to ride the console's popularity.

@oji "Persona 5 platforms: PS3, PS4.
Yakuza 0 platforms: PS4.

THAT'S. IT.

No Switch. No PC. Idk about the box label, that's a Sony thing. pic.twitter.com/8R3Qj36deA

— John Hardin (@JohnLHardin) January 3, 2017"

I wouldn't be surprised if Persona 5 does eventually see a release on NS, though, since it was originally intended for the PS3, and the NS specs bests the PS3. Yakuza 0, much more highly unlikely. SEGA won't put in Panic Button levels of downscaling.

@SanderEvers Yeah but does Fire Emblem for Switch had units like tanks, carrier, mecha tank, bomber, recon, and infantry? They're from the same developer, doesn't mean they feel or play the same.

@Axlroselm It didn't kill the 2nd and 3rd one on PSP so I stopped worrying about the Switch version looking worst. If anything I hope the game itself is great and not mediocre like Valkyria Revolution.

@BLD VC3 fixed a lot of the gameplay/balance issues that were in the previous two entries, with things like leveling up each individual's stats instead of class-wide levels, allowing any character to pick any class (although everyone has their stat preferences), and only allowing Engineers/Medics to carry Ragnaid, making them far more valuable. Too bad it was JP only. (But there's a perfectly good fansub for those with a modded PSP, or PPSSPP if so inclined.)

Will probably pick it up for my PS4 Pro, but this is great news nonetheless.

@retro_player_22 Actually... it did contribute towards killing sales of VC2 outside of Japan, which prompted the decision to not release VC3 internationally. Losing the fully fledged CANVAS engine's level of presentation was ultimately a big part of the reason why that happened. Combined with everything else wrong with VC2, that gave many people the impression that it was a severely dumbed down entry, so it sold very poorly. (And honestly, it really was dumbed down in every way except for it's class system, which was needlessly convoluted. Thankfully, VC3 fixed everything wrong with VC2.)

That said, I would expect the NS version to receive some favoritism with VC4, since series producer Shinji Motoyama favors portable consoles. The other console versions will likely just be upscaled from the base NS version.

Fire Emblem and Valkyria Chronicles in the same console. Switch is already in my top 3 all time!!!

@GoldenGamer88 That might be true, but you're missing out on the best JRPG released in the 7th gen if you don't play the first Valkyria Chronicles.

This is great news! I wish they released the original on Switch while we wait, I only briefly played that on PS3 and it was truly incredible.

@retro_player_22 This is nothing like advance wars. It's more like an over the shoulder fire emblem. It's freaking amazing either way though

AHHHHHH!!!

One of my all time favorite series, and it's getting a sequel! AND it's coming to Switch!

Great to see the Switch succeeding in all the areas Wii U failed! Great news!

I'll be picking this up . . . for the Switch! That's such a great thought. I'm a huge fan of the original. It's so nice seeing the Switch cater to JRPG fans.

@GC-161 The original VC was co-developed by SEGA WOW and Overworks, the internal SEGA teams that previously made the Sakura Taisen series and Skies of Arcadia, respectively. So their most direct previous experience was primarily with those. SEGA WOW had also previously made the 3rd person action title Nightshade (in 2003).

They weren't really inspired by Intelligent System's titles, that's just a rumor. The current series producer, Shinji Motoyama, isn't on record confirming any such thing, either. Ryutaro Nonaka and Shuntaro Tanaka, the producer and director of VC1 respectively, are on record citing Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, and Combat! as inspirations.

The intention with VC was to combine their previous experience with strategy, action, and RPG elements into a new type of title. Not to mention, the BLiTZ system is nothing like the traditional strictly turn based system of Fire Emblem/Advance Wars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyria_Chronicles

@retro_player_22
You’re right about PSP versions. But I fear that they make the game with Xbox and Ps4 specs in mind and accordingly it results in a inconsistent performance on inferior hardware like Switch. Anyway I buy the game but this is my concern.

@PlywoodStick
Why so serious?

Besides of that, there's always a place for downgrades, Switch is doing so well it's no wonder if it'll eventually get more titles previously exclusive to other platforms.

@oji Those were his words on Twitter, not mine. I guess he got fed up with being inundated with questions. Also, every Yakuza entry has always been PS console exclusive. PS2, PS3, and now PS4, nothing else. I wouldn't anticipate a break in tradition this time, either.

I dig it, I'm all IN!

@Timppis I've never played Valkyrie Chronicles so I'm not sure if this is a good comparison but isn't Battalion Wars similar? It was a spin off of Advance Wars and came out on GameCube in 2005 then the Wii received a sequel.

@PlywoodStick
Wasn't Valkyria Chronicles series exclusive to Sony consoles for years before it was eventually ported to PC? Also don't forget a Japanese only release of Yakuza 1&2 HD on Wii U.

@PlywoodStick with yakuza 1&2 HD selling so bad on Wii U I not sure we will see yakuza on Nintendo hardware again

@kobashi100 So, is Switch the same as Wii U? Did we get Rockstar's games and a Valkyria Chronicles, and Doom on Wii U?

Wow.

Where have I been these days? Living under a rock?

@OorWullie

Yeah. It's a bit similar to that. In VC there are still turns when as Battalion wars is RTS all the way, but definitely a bit like that.

I should check from Wiki or somewhere if Battalion Wars was supposed to be Advance Wars title first.

Battalion Wars was really good.

@Heavyarms55 good point. Just me being paranoid due to the continued absence of VC3 in the west.

Niiiice. Looking forward to trying this series for the first time.

So much love for this series. Definitely going to get it for Switch, because if it's anything like the original the missions will be perfect for portable play. Can't wait!

@Olmectron calm down dude. Just stating yakuza sold terribly on Wii U.

Still need to play the first one on my PC. This is great news for Switch owners (like me), whether you plan on getting the game or not.

Yes yes, a million times yes!!! Sega don't screw this up (like the dumb spinoff that launched this year)!!!

@Timppis "I still disagree that it is "blatantly inspired"..."

I was obviously mocking your statement that Code Name STEAM was "blatantly" inspired by VC. Which is a ridiculous statement considering Intelligent Systems are pioneers of the genre & VC was very likely inspired by those games that came first.

@PlywoodStick I think even you find it VERY hard to believe that a dev team that made a tactical rpg game in the new millennium, was not inspired in any way by the most influencial series in the genre. To call that possibility a rumor is silly. If you played the 1st VC game you can clearly see the influence.

But apparently that possibility seems insulting for fans of VC for some odd reason.

Wow, this is a shock. Not exactly a "mega ton" drop in terms of mass market appeal, but this is a solid series with a sold history, and it's amazing to see an old Sony exclusive go multi-plat INCLUDING Nintendo. And, lets face it, turn based strategy belongs on Switch more than a static console given the Japanese market.

Great series. The first game was excellent (if unfair in difficulty in the last third.) The PSP Spin-offs were dramatically lower quality for the handheld with one stick and never really played right to me. I never liked them as much as the PS3 original (and found them fairly forgettable.) But this one should bring us back to the classic a bit more.

IMO this series was always Sega's answer to FE and the only game that really could live in the same realm as FE. It's fantastic to see both series on the same platform now!

Can't believe Sega's getting it right (so long as the game doesn't include a hedgehog.)
2018: Sega does......what Nintendoes.

@PlywoodStick Sure, VC wasn't inspired at all by FE or AW.

And BotW wasn't inspired by Skyrim, Aonuma just played it and discovering cities in an open world made him think of mountain climbing.

Japanese games are never ever ever inspired by any other game. Ever.

@GC-161

I have said absolutely nothing about Codename S.T.E.A.M. in the last year or so. So there's that.

What comes to making fun of something, maybe try to actually be either a) funny b) truthful, either one would work fine.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with something being inspired by Advance Wars or Fire Emblem, which both are one of the best franchises in Nintendo and Strategy/TacticalRPG history.

It just is that VC was inspired something else. It's that simple.

banging on the keyboard with joy

I loved Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3! This is exactly the types of games I really want to have on the Switch. Weird thing is I hadn’t really heard any rumblings or rumors of this? Then BAM here it comes.

@MetaRyan Codename S.T.E.A.M. is one of my all-time FAVOURITE games. It was so weird and I just loved it. I actually got my game case signed by Will Wheaton since, he voiced Lincoln in the game, at Comic Con a couple years ago!

@NinjaWaddleDee Which is why I said it's Sega's version of the War genre, not a Sega AW clone. In VC you're not playing from all sides of the battlefield, only the good guy's side.

I shouldn't complain but it's yet another awesome looking game to add to my collection of awesome looking games that I probably won't play. There are just to many games and I am only one man. I think I need to take all my video games into the Hyberbolic Time Chamber and catch up.

@Timppis Cool story, bro.

The footage looks amazing ,but had one question since I never played any of the earlier games. Are they needed to understand this game story

@GC-161

Victory! Sweet sweet W.

How does the L taste?

@Timppis Like this: LOL

Victory?... sheeesh. Talk about celebrating mediocrity.

@Arnold-Kage The bigger question is if you can understand the story even if you did play them

Seriously though the first one is the one I'd consider "canon" ....the PSP ones were sort of spinoff stories that took place within the same world and incorporated some repeat characters, but they didn't have the same overarching big "story" the original did. And the original got...weird...half way through story wise.

I fully imagine you won't need to have played the first to understand this one, but I don't know for sure yet.

@oji Good point, although those were remakes and not new. Maybe if Nintendo sneaks SEGA a little somethin' somethin'

Oh...I wanted to make fun of the fact NL lists all platforms while PS only sticks to PS4 and the feud I’ve had with an admin in there but...
Sammy kicked in and we got it (almost) sorted out lol

@NEStalgia @GC-161 There are a lot of times where devs are inspired by movies, animation, and real places moreso than games. If we go back far enough, one could ask "what inspired Sakura Taisen?" Well, musical theatre combined with the mecha genre, in that case. It's not necessarily one particular series or media when it comes to games.

Do either of you have proof of VC's devs being inspired by Intelligent Systems series? I haven't found any yet. There's a whole world of gaming outside Nintendo. By contrast, if one were to say Shining Force was inspired by Fire Emblem, absolutely. But VC? Eh, who knows?

@PlywoodStick I think it's more than obvious that most western games are inspired more by film than games

As for VC and IS.....about the same amount of proof that IS's creations were inspired by X-Com.

@PlywoodStick Why would it be a problem for a tactical RPG game that came AFTER other well known (in the dev conmunity) Tactic RPG's to be inspired by them?

Does anyone seriously questions if all the mascot kart games (Sonic/Crash Bandicoot) were inspired by Mario Kart? They were. And they sometimes improved that formula.

Being inspired by previous works is not a rare thing at all. Why such disbelief?

@GC-161

Mediocrity over being wrong, bitter and loser.

WOO BABY! MEDIOCRITY OVER LOSERS!

This is Fantastic news! Hopefully Sega Will also bring over VC 3 too. Their reasoning for not bringing over VC 3 was so dumb. They made it on the psp (a system hardly anyone in the west had) and then blamed the west for poor sales and refused to bring the last game over. If they made it on a system that people actually owned internationally instead of just japan then it would have sold much better. Sometimes I get irked by the shortsightedness that some jp devs/publishers have

@Timppis @GC-161 @NEStalgia @PlywoodStick

VC is more of an inspired combination of Sega's Daisenryaku Series and the aforementioned Sakura Wars series. Both of which weren't inspired by Fire Emblem, but instead were inspired by strategic table top games the dev's liked to play when they weren't working. If anything, The Shining series would fit the "Blatantly Inspired by Fire Emblem" remark.

@Timppis Pfff! 😪

Go back to Gamefaqs with your weak as hell replies, kid. Meanwhile, welcome to my "mediocre users" list. Enjoy!

@AlwaysGreener Got any receipts on that?

You can't say VC (an IP from the new millennium) was NOT inspired in any way by a PIONEERING TACTICAL RPG series from the early 90's.

C'mon, son.

@GC-161 It bears little resemblance to the Fire Emblem series. Both aesthetically and gameplay wise, with it being more action based, with the exception of The Rock, Paper, Scissors Dynamic of balancing, which I'm pretty sure existed before Fire Emblem. The strategy and role playing elements are taken from the Sakura Wars and Skies Of Arcadia, since those games were previous worked on by producer Ryutaro Nonaka and Director Shuntaro Tanaka. With the WW2 aesthetic looking very similar to Sega's Daisenryaku series.

Even with all that said Fire Emblem is important TRPG sub-genre, since it brought it to the mainstream, but I doubt that the series fully influenced Valkyria Chronicles.

@NEStalgia

Thanks for the info. Still maybe they also release the first one since it was recently released agaib

@AlwaysGreener Not fully. But it was clearly an influence in the gaming arena. Which is where we should focus. Not elsewhere.

If you were to make a Tactical RPG, are you telling me you would've never researched PIONEERING games from the genre? To make sure you knew what had been done before, what had worked and how you could improve the formula.

Like the devs made PlayStation All-Stars, they would've been insane to deny that Smash Bros was an influence for their game. They sorta did deny it was a direct copy. But couldn't deny it was an influence.

@GC-161 You keep giving examples that would absolutely be directly inspired by a predecessor, like first cousins living across the street from one other. Whereas VC is comparatively about as related to FE/AW as one out of several tenth cousins one time removed, living on different continents from each other. So technically... I suppose that if you really, REALLY stretch it, then yes, VC was partially "inspired" by the design flow of FE/AW...by less than 1%. So, credit where credit is due. But @AlwaysGreener has the right of it.

@NEStalgia If you think about it, a lot of western games are actually movies in drag...

...COUGH...

@PlywoodStick Well, unless we see some receipts of that, we can't really say how much of an influence FE or AW had on VC.

However, the producer of VC did say that when making the first game, he was very open to influences from many games, including Fire Emblem. Here's a direct quote:

"I've been trying to basically play games across all genres. Fantasy RPGs and Fire Emblem and others, too. We're trying to bring elements of many different genres that we feel would work well in the title" - Ryutaro Nonaka

So yeah, FE was an influence. No denying that.

@GC-161
In the end though, VC plays nothing like a FE game.

@PlywoodStick
If you think about it, a lot of Japanese games are actually anime in drag...

Wowsers, third party support is happening! The only companies hanging back are Electronic micro-transActions and Activisa (who let's face it are probably scheming how they can pull the wool over our eyes to fleece us for AAA handheld games)

Great news. Really, really like the first one. If they can recapture that magic while fixing some of the balance issues that game had (early mid game got brutal, almost unfair, but once you upgraded your scouts to a certain point shortly after, it's way too easy to cheese the rest of the game), we'll have another marquee title.

@TheGameSquid That was never implied. But thanks for the info.

@CanisWolfred They already confirmed it will be localized, though technically they didn't confirm it would be on every platform it's releasing on.

"With quality as our foremost goal..."
Does that include Sonic Team, SEGA?

Other than that, VC4 looks good, always looking forward to more games to play on Switch.

@GC-161

Im sorry. Is Gamefaqs some sort of an insult to your kind? Might want to get actual insults from outside gaming forums for us peeps that have life otherwise as well. What comes to calling me kid, that too might work better with my own kids.

@GC-161 Source? I've looked, but I can't find it.

Have wanted to play this for a while, but never picked it up for PS4. Guess when I do buy it I'll be getting it on the Switch now. I love portability too much to be locked to a TV now when given the option to do otherwise.

Pretty much every game is inspired by or steals from some other game. I don't think this whole "XXX borrows from/is inspired by YYY" even makes sense to argue. And when XXX and YYY are as different as the games being referenced, it seems even a little silly to make a big fuss about it.

@PlywoodStick The interview originally appeared on 1up.com

Unfortunately that site went kaput. So I could only find a reference to it here:

http://www.psu.com/forums/showthread.php/159745-Valkyria-Chronicles-Interview-1UP

It's quite an interesting read. Especially the part where the producer admits that VC was influenced by several sources. Including Fire Emblem.

@link3710 Didn't notice that at first, but you're right. I guess I expected sdomething more explicit, since indeed they didn't make it clear that it was coming to all platforms in the west...

@GC-161 "1UP: Games like Shining Force and Fire Emblem have cut-scenes during battle. Here, it feels like you're actually playing those sequences — is that something that guided the direction of the game?

RN: We started the project thinking we wanted to create a war drama — something dramatic. But I strongly felt that this sort of drama shouldn't just take place in movies and cut-scenes, but in the daily experience of the war that you have throughout the game. A big part of war movies is where the characters are walking through a village, and it's quiet, and they don't know where the enemy is, and they're afraid. We wanted to re-create that experience for the game. Or the feeling you have when your companion's shot and you have to decide if you want to go help him, even though you may be opening yourself to fire as well. We wanted to create lots of emotions through the battlefield and through being happy with your companions when they do something well — to be glad you added them to the team."

"1UP: Do you play a lot of Western strategy games? They tend to be very different in tone from the Japanese approach.

RN: Yes, I've definitely been playing Western titles — not a huge concentration, though. I've been trying to basically play games across all genres. Fantasy RPGs and Fire Emblem and others, too. We're trying to bring elements of many different genres that we feel would work well in the title. So this may be something new and unusual for those who are accustomed to Western games, but we hope they'll like the different visual style and the focus on individual characters."

I see, so the way FE influenced VC wasn't necessarily the gameplay or design itself, but it's thematic elements, such as fighting (and possibly dying) alongside people who become allies or even friends, while swept up in a greater conflict. That's where my reasoning was mistaken- there's more than one or a couple primary elements to RPG's, and more than one way for them to be interpreted.

VC in particular has a very dynamic set of elements interwoven together, so it makes sense that there were a lot of different sources which were drawn from. FE as a whole wasn't anywhere near as much of an influence for VC as Mario Kart was for Crash Team Racing, or Smash Bros was for Playstation All-Stars, but the thematic elements of being a war drama with camaraderie and permanent death are definitely shared.

In other words, FE and VC are more closely related than tenth cousins one time removed, but not as closely related as first cousins.

@PlywoodStick To use your "'if they were family" example, no, they're not identical twins, no.

But they aren't distant relatives either. To the point that they don't acknowledge each other. Because they clearly do.

So VC and FE are close relatives. But again, not identical twins.