2/2

Who Needs a PS3?
The gameplay is pretty much the same as the PS3 edition of the game crossing between a third-person AP shooter and a top down strategy game. The amount of options and depth on the battlefield can rival any strategy title. Although 'Valkyria Chronicles II' can be mildly frustrating in the later stages of the game, by the time you get to that point you’ll likely be helplessly addicted. If you’re coming into Valkyria with a good amount of knowledge from the first you will already know what you are in store for. SEGA did a great job transferring the action on the PSP and surprisingly it doesn’t suffer one bit.

The action stems from the school where you will branch out and do missions. This school acts as your central HUB where you can also buy new orders, upgrade your characters and other typical RPG-esq activities. Exploring this location can help you unlock new skill within your troop while deepening your relationship with the other characters. It might not to super entertaining to hear Avan rant and rave about trivial subjects; however the bonus and new techniques make it worth while. Free missions are also available beyond the normal campaign path to make sure you will never be bored while playing the game. It is safe to say, there is more then enough content to keep you busy.

All Your Base...
For actual content (the missions) you will have several different missions that vary enough from the standard attack and kill everyone in site. Capturing enemy bases is extremely satisfying when you’re facing strong opposition. The more you have to think, the more Valkyria rewards. Picking your allies and positioning is crucial. The action, defend system works very much like the original, much like the other features in the game. Along with all this, you also have to contend with other elements like sub-objectives, weather conditions, and more.

Valkyria isn’t a simple as most turned-based fantasy games, so be prepared for something a little new. The foundation, the real-time action blended with turn-based movements is outstanding and the best of both worlds. I can see Valkyria being a hit with gamers who don’t normally like traditional turn-based strategy games. Valkyria is so entertaining, it easy to forget you're playing a tactical chess with the computer. However, if its virtual chess you want, 'Valkyria Chronicles II' will not disappoint. This one is as classy as other great tactical PSP games like 'Jeanne D'Arc' and 'Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days.'

Valkyria Multiplayer
Lastly, we have a multiplayer component added into the mixture, something I didn’t expect, and that isn't really needed. Nevertheless, we have ad-hoc gameplay to enjoy with your friends. Co-op is disjointedly charming; however, tactical games aren’t the most engaging when hanging out with a group of buddies. You can also take your team out for some versus action, handicaps included, and try you luck against a human player. This is something only the well Valkyria versed should check out. If you’re into such things, then you will probably toss around in multiplayer for a while, dominating the competition. I’m not sure were they could take Valkyria conserving a multiplayer component, so this is good effort, and really it’s not broken and it works well. Add another bullet point to the list of features and be prepared to burn even more hours in this wonderful game.

I absolutely loved 'Valkyria Chronicles II.' It is everything the PS3 version was, shrunk down to fit in the palm of your hand, and then some. The production, gameplay, and content are outstanding and well worth the price tag. If you love turned-based strategy role-playing games, this is your game of the year. If you are on the fence about this genre of gaming; 'Valkyria Chronicles II' is the game that will pull you down as you play virtual military chess match of personality plumped pawns. 'Valkyria Chronicles' has found a new home, and as unbelievable as it sounds, its gameplay style fits the Playstation Portable even better then the PS3. I hope SEGA continues the Valkyria saga with the handheld format, this one is staying in my UMD drive for a long time. If you missed the first one, don't let the seqeul pass you by.

Gameplay:9.0, Graphics:8.9, Sound:8.8, Innovation:8.5, Mojo:9.5 Final: 8.9 / 10

Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy | 09.08.10