Here lies the Circle of Five, whose vengeful actions brought forth an inferno of war. With their execution, the blood of the brave legions is redeemed, and a just peace born. They rest eternally in the land of their birth, by the grace of the Holy Mother.
— Gravestone engraving of the remains of the Five Grand Criminals buried.
Valkyria Revolution, known in the Japanese market as Valkyria of the Blue Revolution, is a spinoff game from the main Valkyria Chronicles series. It was developed by Media Vision, published by Sega, and released on the PlayStation 4 and the Vitanote in all territories with the Xbox One version being released in all territories except for Japan.
Europa has experienced an Industrial Revolution-like event that resulted in the great use of ragnite. One of the countries that has benefited from this is the Ruzhien Empire, which has occupied a number of countries including Jutland under the rule of Emperor Claudius Powlovich Kiev and the the Four Commanders. Not wanting to remain under Ruzhien control while suffering from sanctions under an economic blockade known as the BRFH Blockade, Jutland has launched a war of independence to get rid of Ruzhien occupation. One of those involved is Amleth Grønkjær, a Jutlander military officer who serves in the Jutlander Army's Anti-Valkyria Squad known as Vanargand, which is in charge of spearheading the war effort from the military side. In response, the Ruzhien Army has acquired the services of a mythical Valkyrie named Brunhilde.
In the midst of the incoming war, five individuals known in modern Europan history as the "Five Traitors" work in the shadows behind their fellow Jutlanders to bring the war home so that the Ruzhien Empire can be taken down while looking for a woman named Maria Schmeichel, who was kidnapped by Emperor Claudius when he was still the Ruzhien Crown Prince.
This game provides examples of:
- All There in the Manual: SEGA's websites give more information on the story and those who are involved in the game.
- Alternate Universe: The game takes place in an alternate timeline of the Valkyria Chronicles series where Europa underwent an Industrial Revolution and developed into a much more fantastical setting opposed to the more World War II inspired setting of the original games.
- Artificial Stupidity: Your AI team members can be almost useless at times, refusing to get out of the way of telegraphed boss attacks or use their healing magic when their HP gets low.
- Cognizant Limbs: Walkers can have their legs targeted, similar to a tank's treads in the main games. However, an immobilized tank becomes a heavily-armed stumbling block, and a kneecapped mech tips over like ED-209 on a staircase.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?:
- The story is a reminder of how colonialism has affected countries in South America, Africa, Asia and parts of Europe that were administered with unjust policies/colonial leaders.
- The Ruzhien Empire is based on Tsarist Russia. Jutland's location in Europa corresponds to Anatolia in our world.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: The Jutlander's Vanargand unit.
- Fragile Speedster: Scouts specialize in moving quickly and dazzling single targets with multiple, weak, quick attacks. However they tend to have lower defenses and health than Shocktroopers and Shields.
- Foregone Conclusion: The game's opening cutscene tells you that the main characters were tried as traitors and executed for their crimes. The plot is merely a retelling of how it came to that and what their true motivations were.
- Genre Shift:
- Gameplay-wise, Revolution is an action RPG compared to the main series being Turn-Based Strategy.
- Storywise, Revolution is more overtly fantastic than the main series' Low Fantasy, with things like soldiers casting spells with staffs, Magic Music, and a ring that contains the spirit of a Valkyria and causes any woman who wears it to turn into a facsimile of her.
- Heroic Seductress: Violette gathers information from high class military men and politicians with her feminine wiles as "Margaretha".
- Hero with Bad Publicity: The Five Grand Criminals. A historian who visited their grave doesn't agree with them being judged as Jutlander traitors, but the public and those involved with them insist that they should accept responsibility for their actions.
- Home Base: The Five Grand Criminals operate one in the catacombs.
- Loads and Loads of Loading: The game's loading screen takes up quite a while especially if a cutscene only lasts for a minute or two then the "Now Loading" screen appears.
- Market-Based Title: It's known in Japan as "Valkyria: Azure Revolution".
- Mighty Glacier: Shocktroopers and Shield units fall into this. Shocktroopers are your heavy hitters who wield giant two handed weapons which can cleave through multiple enemy troops in a single swing. Shield units are your tanks which specialize in soaking up damage and protecting their squishier allies. However their attacks and movement are slower than Scouts and Sappers.
- Occupiers Out of Our Country: The motivation of the Jultander War of Independence. Which the Five Grand Criminals used to get their revenge on Claudius.
- The Greatest Story Never Told: The actions of the Vanargand unit partially because Amleth is one of the Five Grand Criminals who infiltrated the Jutlander Army. Even so, a historian who met with Professor Laudrup insists that the truth of the incident should be revealed, which she objects to.
- The Infiltration: What the Five Grand Criminals did after Maria was kidnapped by Ruzhien forces from the orphanages. They infiltrated the Jultander government, military, business and the intelligence services to put their agenda.
- The Plan: The Five Grand Criminals used their positions in Jutlander society, including the military and government to hunt down the culprits responsible for kidnapping Maria and stopping their black ops project on using the powers of a Valkyur.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Princess Ophelia is the crown royalty of Jutland and she takes place in front line operations.
- Shout-Out: To Shakespeare’s works and “Hamlet” above all. The main characters are Amleth (a legendary figure that served as inspiration for Hamlet) and Ophelia. Also, when Miranda (another Shakespeare’s character name in “The Tempest”) hands over her brother’s research notes to Ophelia, she says: “To read, or not to read? That is the question. Whether it’s nobler to reveal the truth or hide it, the choice is yours” which playfully alludes to Hamlet’s opening soliloquy.
- Steampunk: Set in Midgard's Industrial Revolution period when people were just figuring out what is and is not viable as a military machine. It's just that they're using Green Rocks instead of coal as a fuel source. To whit, the main combat vehicles are ostentatious Mini-Mecha instead of nice, sensible tanks. Society is also on the border of the Heroic Fantasy of a traditional JRPG and the Weird Historical War of the early-modern Valkyria Chronicles proper, with wizards and swordsmen fighting alongside the aforementioned Walking Tanks.
- Story to Gameplay Ratio: The minutes spent in cutscenes outnumber the minutes spent in gameplay by a ton, especially in the early game. Be prepared to spend at least half an hour listening to people talk about the horror and politics of war before you finally get to partake in either.
- The Magic Goes Away: This is the only game to have magicians who aren't Valkyria.
- Title Drop: The events that led to the adoption of Ragnite in Europa is known as "The Azure Revolution".
- True Companions: The Five Grand Criminals have been together since childhood at the same orphanage. They all have been found guilty and sentenced to death on the same day.
- Walking Tank: The tanks in this game are mostly bipedal and run around on legs opposed to the treaded tanks like the Edelweiss in the original game.
