Normally, we’d think that any PS3 exclusive from a third-party publisher would be well known simply because there aren’t very many. But Valkyria Chronicles, a PS3 exclusive from publisher Sega, remains criminally unheralded. That needs to change, because this quirky strategy RPG, with its lush graphics and weird, anime/sci-fi take on WWII, has all the earmarks of a sleeper hit in the making.Reason #1: It’s freaking ...

Europe was at war in 1935, honest. According to the gospel of Valkyria Chronicles, there was conflict a-ragin’ through Europe around this time, with the continent divided between two major forces: a bloc called the Atlantic Federation (in the West of Europe) and the invading East European Imperial Alliance. Thud in the middle of this mess was a tiny neutral country called Gallia, located roughly where the Netherlands lies, and ...

If you’re the type of gamer who glazes over when you hear the word “strategy,” Valkyria Chronicles is the Japanese SRPG that might change your mind. An original IP from Sega Japan, Valkyria aims to satisfy the hardcore, niche gamer while also giving PS3 owners the exquisite eye candy they deserve for shelling out $400 for a console with action-charged gameplay and sketch-style cel-shading.

We started our Sega ...