Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Hands-On With New Valkyria Chronicles DLC
The final bit of downloadable content for Valkyria
Chronicles came out yesterday, so I re-enlisted and jumped back onto the
battlefield to continue the defense of Gallia. Are the new missions
worth picking up? Absolutely.
Fans of Valkyria
Chronicles can’t go wrong with the new DLC pack, entitled “Challenges of
the Edy Detachment.” Of course, fans of the game will be happy with
more content no matter what, but I particularly like the approach Sega
took with this final addition to its excellent strategy title.
For
$4.99, you’ll get six new missions, each built to suit the strengths of
one of the six unit types (scout, soldier, lancer, engineer, sniper,
and tank). These new challenges will help you squeeze a few more hours
out of your copy of Valkyria Chronicles, but they’re also more than a
way to kill time. I’ve outlined my favorite and least favorite aspects
of the DLC below. 
Marina's challenge involves lots of headshots
while keeping enemies from reaching their base.
What I
liked
- My Squad 7: Unlike the downloadable mission “Enter the Edy Detachment,” which made you use particular (and largely awful) characters at predetermined levels, these missions are accessed through the Skirmish tab in the main game. That means that you can use your favorite units, and they retain whatever levels and equipment they have in your save file.
- Focused Missions: Story missions in the main game were built to accommodate multiple solutions and play styles. While that was a lot of fun, these scenarios are tailored to the specific skills of each unit type, which allows for some cool objectives and situations that you just didn’t see in the core game. The lancer mission pits you against a daunting battalion of tanks. The sniper mission is full of satisfying headshot opportunities. The fights are still challenging, but this specialized approach makes them unique.
- No Crutches: During the normal course of Valkyria Chronicles, it was easy to fall back on a few key strategies usually involving tanks or single units pumped up with order buffs. Those aren’t options for most of these battles, and it’s cool to look closer at the tactical advantages of each class.
Cool: Lots of tanks. Not cool: Jann.
What
I didn’t like
- Map Deficiency: This was one of my complaints about the base game also, but I hate the fact that not all of the relevant terrain information is apparent on the strategic map. You may think one of your lancers has a clear line of fire to a tank radiator, only to activate the unit and find out that there’s some stupid ridge or roadblock in your way. That’s an important command point down the drain.
- Trial and Error: Sometimes, no amount of strategy will help you. The game clearly intends for you to fail in certain instances, throwing unexpected twists or reinforcements at you. In these cases, all you can do is eat a big plate of failure and learn from it, anticipating and preparing for that event the next time you try the mission.
- The Edy Detachment: Each challenge is issued by a member of the Edy Detachment, who are all unbearable (with the exception of Marina). Thankfully, you aren’t forced to actually use these characters, but you have to put up with some of their dialogue before each mission. On the plus side, no new voicework was recorded for this DLC pack, so you don’t actually have to listen to them. As a side note, as I went through these missions, I realized that the only member of the Edy Detachment that I had on my active Squad 7 roster was Marina; Edy, Lynn, Susie, Homer, and Jann were all sitting on the bench in the barracks. I don’t even care if some of them are decent units... they're losers, and my Squad 7 has a winners-only admissions policy.
Unlike the other DLC, these missions use Squad 7
units as you've chosen to develop them.
The Verdict
If
you’re looking for an excuse to play more Valkyria Chronicles, these
missions do the job well. They don’t have any story or meaningful
additions to the way you play the game, but they do push the boundaries
of each class’ capabilities. I also appreciate how, even so long after
the game’s original release, Sega has continued to support this unique
and entertaining title. I’d recommend The Challenges of the Edy
Detachment to any Valkyria Chronicles fan.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
