Valkyria: Azure Revolution changing focus to less action after negative demo reception

SEGA is taking the high road this time, listening to its vocal fans and re-evaluating how it will approach its upcoming strategy RPG Valkyria: Azure Revolution. Right out of the gate, fans were ready to pounce on it after SEGA revealed that it would be changing the strategy focus for a much more action-oriented affair. Playing it safe, the company said it would wait for the reception of the demo to see if those minds would be changed.

Apparently they have not. Following the demo’s negative reception, SEGA and director Takeshi Ozawa have announced plans to go back and rethink the whole approach to the game. The list of changes includes ideas on how it plans to develop something the fans are expecting.

• We have received three times the amount of feedback from the Battle Demo Ver. 1.0 demo that we thought it would receive.
• There were many harsh opinions.
• The battle system has changed greatly from the demo. Details will be shared on the official website, but it is more RPG-like now.
• Since the demo battle had action elements that were too intense for an RPG, you couldn’t think through things as you fought, so we’re introducing a new action gauge for both enemies and allies.
• It’s been changed so that players can optionally stop time when using weapons and magic.
• Since it bears the Valkyria name, I felt the demand for tactical battles. Specifically since you can put together your unit and fight, so in order to skillfully use your allies, we’re making it possible to customize their thinking. It’s been fixed so that you can give them direct instruction.
• The party has been upgraded from a maximum of three participants to four participants.
• Field encounters have also been removed.
• The next demo is due out this summer.

I felt that the game had potential if it improved on the action ideas; but, to scrap them entirely? That’s a bold move to take. I much prefer the tactical battles of Valkyria Chronicles to the original results, but suggesting that we need to mirror it exactly is also not correct. A blend of the old system and Valkyria Chronicle’s would be the most ideal.

Besides, my original problems were more with the character designs and super-hero powers, not so much with the gameplay.

Oh well, we’ll see that SEGA and Media.Vision crank out next. Valkyria: Azure Revolution launches this holiday season in Japan for the PlayStation 4… maybe, after hearing news of an entirely new battle system. The next demo will reveal more later in the summer.