Like a lot of people, I was a bit skeptical when it was announced that the sequel to Valkyria Chronicles — one of the finest PS3 games to date — would forego a repeated console release, and opt instead to appear on PSP. Skeptical, yes; crestfallen, a little; but not entirely disheartened.

The first Valkyria Chronicles‘ unique combination of macro and micro unit management, along with its gorgeous, living-canvas visual style and deep, faux-World War II tale, made it incredibly fresh and endearing. Despite a few necessary (and unnecessary) measures to condense, transpose, and rework the basics of the first game for a new system, the core qualities of Valkyria Chronicles remain largely intact.

In direct comparison to a similar port of a series onto the PSP — let’s say in this case, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker — the surface changes made to Valkyria Chronicles II are a bit less drastic. Since the battle concept of the first game was focused on strategic, turn-based unit placement and use, it’s no surprise that less of a sacrifice is required for this iteration.

Those returning from Valkyria Chronicles should quickly feel at home with the interface and general mechanics at play; units are slotted into battle, selections and strategy are accomplished via an overhead Command Mode, and precise attacks are performed in a third-person Action Mode. It’s nearly the same chess game Valkyria Chronicles was, though with a slight change; each battlefield is split into a certain number of areas. All areas have capturable camps, which are used to swap and transport units around the field, and some hold “gate camps”, which are required to move from area to area.

While this might seem like a small change, it has a profound affect on the overall strategic flow of every single battle. The result, I found, is a tighter emphasis on determining the best splits of units, managing several groups of enemies at once, and generally keeping a firm grip on the situation. If this were a real-time strategy, that concept simply wouldn’t make practical sense. But the stop-and-analyze formula VCII is built around makes what often seem like incomprehensible battles completely manageable, and winnable. Having that General-like control is empowering, and represents a large amount of the enjoyment derived from the game.

VCII takes the original quasi-European conflict and runs with it in some interesting, though unsubtle, ways. Two years have passed since the events of the first game; the unnervingly spunky Avan Hardings joins Lanseal Academy in an effort to find his long-missing brother. Simultaneously, a rebel army — intent on purging the land of the Darcsen race — rises in Gallia, igniting a civil war. Much of the story — which unravels over the course of a school year at the academy – is expounded through the dialogue of emoting portraits, a la Metal Gear. There’s an interesting arc, but some of the luster and much of the seriousness of it is lost through the heavy reliance on these  text box conversations.

The optional on-campus classmate interaction system presents opportunities to get to know your squad mates better (figuratively) and gain some battlefield bonuses. The entire experience comes across as repetitive and stilted; going through scene after melodramatic scene became incredibly tedious, and the characterization was, with few exceptions, shallow and vapid in comparison with Valkyria Chronicles.

Make no mistake; Valkyria Chronicles II is still a significantly deep RPG, and if you put the requisite amount of time into it, it’s immensely rewarding. I completed the storyline after 50+ hours, a length that would’ve grown much greater with more time devoted to grinding or dabbling in the optional missions. That breadth of content and the familiar, sheer enjoyment derived from strategy and combat is enough to keep anyone playing VCII for quite a while (or at least until Valkyria Chronicles III comes out).

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Things We Liked: Combat is as tight as ever. Graphical style is just as sharp. Lots to do. Long, generally fulfilling storyline.

Things We Disliked: Bland characterization. Story stagnates in a few places.

Target Audience: Everyone who recognized the brilliance of the first game. Anyone in search of a handheld RPG with solid combat.

(Valkyria Chronicles II – Developer/Publisher: Sega. Available for PlayStation Portable. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)