Valkyria Chronicles

Cell shaded tank battle.

You might think that Valkyria Chronicles, SEGA's unholy union of Japanese role-playing game meets first person shooter, would be just my cup of tea.  You must think that its cell-shaded animation warms my heart while combining turn-based role-playing games (which I love) with first person shooting (which I would like to love).  Unfortunately, fair reader you'd be wrong.  This game is crap.

Listen, it's not that I don't like the idea of the game.  But I also like the idea of communism.  And being a farmer.  Ideas are fun because I don't have to do them.

Valkyria Chronicles starts with the introduction of a story told through the published works of an author.  A war being retold from the perspective of a small group of ragtag adventurers which sheds new light on the war?  Well yes, Final Fantasy: Tactics, I do like your re-made plot with loose and thin references to World War II.  However interesting World War II is, however, it's no War of the Lions.  Also, the Nazis would have been badasses if they had unobtainium, or whatever this magic mineral source is called.

Once I get to a battle scene, there's actually some fun to be had.  I enjoy the FFT like positioning of characters on the battlefield and the battle system seems well done.  There is one minor problem, however, in that the game seems to forget that it had promised turn-based battle and instead punishes any slacking on your part by having any enemy unit who can see you fire shots at you.

Is it for realism?  I like that.  But then, as soon as you aim to fire, everyone stops.  I guess in anxiety of your coming attach?

But just for the record, I could have gotten over that.  What I could get over was the cut scenes.  There were approximately 5 between battles.  And between each cut scene, we are sent back to the main menu.  It's rather annoying, and has really turned me off.  Avoid this one.