Valkyria Chronicles 4 Announced, Coming To Nintendo Switch, Xbox One And PlayStation 4 Next Spring

There are quite a few fans out there that can't get enough of Sega's Valkyria series, and most of that popularity comes from Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, which caused quite a stir on the PlayStation 4. That said, the franchise has seen better days, as the recently released Valkyria Revolution suffered from a few problems.

But Sega isn't about to give up on it. During a presentation just a little while ago, the company confirmed that it will return the series back to its roots, with the forthcoming Valkyria Revolution 4 announced for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, arriving in spring 2018.

"Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place in the same timeframe as the original Valkyria Chronicles, but focuses on a whole new cast of main characters," Sega noted in a press release. "Players will take command of the eager, young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war—but will the bonds of Squad E's friendships survive the frozen battlefield?"

The trailer for the "Valkyria Project" can be seen above, and shows the team hard at work on the new project, doing everything from character design to putting together the story, which revolves around friendships and expressions of warmth, amongst other things.

The team looked very closely at watercolor-based design for the game, giving it an artistic touch that fans of older Valkyria games will easily recognize.

Following a behind-the-scenes look at the game, we see the actual trailer, which sets events into motion that will eventually create the story that will make it into the final release. It takes place during the second Europan War, around March 1935 EC. It features a team of characters working closely together, in the thick of war against deadly adversaries.

Though there's not too much gameplay featured in the trailer, we get a good idea of how well its art style will be put together, as well as what certain characters are capable of in the heat of battle.

We're likely to see more footage of the game in the weeks ahead, as Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be a very big release for Sega next year. It's too soon to tell if it'll be an effective bounceback from Revolution, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Be sure to check out the trailer above!

UPDATE: We've got a few more details on release. The game will arrive on PS4 in Japan in March, and Nintendo Switch in summer. The Xbox One version actually won't get a release in Japan, surprisingly enough. As for U.S. release, we only know that all three versions will come sometime next year.

Here are some features from the game, straight from Sega:

• A Coming-of-Age Story in a Time of War – Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place in the same timeframe as the original Valkyria Chronicles, but focuses on a whole new cast of main characters. Players will take command of the eager, young Commander Claude Wallace, engineer/heavy weapons extraordinaire Riley Miller, hotheaded Darcsen Raz, ice-cold ace sniper Kai Schulen, and more. Together, they will experience the painful realities of war–but will the bonds of Squad E's friendships survive the frozen battlefield?
• The Next Generation "BLiTZ" Battle System – The part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time 3rd person shooter "BLiTZ" battle system returns to the field. New features include an explosive new class called the Grenadier, numerous offensive/defensive battleship support options, chances for a unit to have a "Last Stand" action before death, and more. Plus, fight the imperial threat with more units on larger-scale maps than ever before.
• CANVAS Aesthetics – The series' signature hand-drawn visual style is back and overhauled for the newest generation. Inspired by watercolor compositions, the CANVAS Graphics Engine blends visual elements of reality and imagination to create an expressive world filled with colorful emotions. Watch the journey of Squad E unfold like an interactive painting!
• The Return of a Legendary Composer – The illustrious Hitoshi Sakimoto, original composer of the Valkyria Chronicles series and countless other emotional epics, returns to provide a sweeping orchestral soundtrack for the game.