It’s taking a while, but Google’s Stadia platform is gradually building up a library of both new and old games. One of its latest additions is Valkyria Chronicles 4, a fantastic entry in Sega’s strategic series. It being itself makes it a good fit for most platforms, but the nature of the game, its artistic direction, and UI decisions also make the Valkyria Chronicles 4 Stadia port one of the better games to play on the service.
Being a turn-based game, Valkyria Chronicles 4 isn’t as reliant on impressive framerates and is the sort of game that will still be enjoyable even if connection issues drag you down. I’m admittedly overcautious when playing entries, because I want to keep everyone alive and well, so I didn’t notice any lag or issues even when playing on my phone. You’re supposed to think about the situations Claude and Squad E face and ideally take your time while make what will hopefully be the right choices.
It’s also designed in such a way that having Valkyria Chronicles 4 on Stadia lets you pick away at different elements of it. Depending on the complexity of a map and how far you are in the game, you could spend about ten minutes or over half an hour trying to help Squad E survive a battle and defeat the Empire. Plus, this is the Complete Edition of the game that includes extra stories and missions that send the group to the beach, bring in characters from the original Valkyria Chronicles, and might be more challenging than usual. Maybe you want to go through side missions and see Squad Stories, and need to pick at missions with certain characters. A pick up and play service like this is perfect for that.
The art direction is well-suited for Stadia too, because you don’t have to be a Stadia Pro member with higher resolution options to appreciate how gorgeous it looks. It can feel like a watercolor painting or sketch in motion. While we’ve had the Nintendo Switch version since launch, playing Valkyria Chronicles 4 via Stadia on a phone or tablet gives you the prettiest version of the game. (Even if you are only limited to 1080p.) It’s generally gorgeous and it not being demanding means you can enjoy that no matter what level or device you’re on.
I was also shocked by how well Valkyria Chronicles 4 runs on a phone. When I test Stadia versions of games, I’m using a Pixel 3a. I try to use my controller, but out of laziness and curiosity, I’ll always see what the virtual controls are like too. I was shocked to see how playable it is there. The UI is incredibly clear, and the font choices mean it’s easy to read even smaller text on-screen. It didn’t matter which menu I was in or what was happening during a mission. I could read all of the relevant information clearly, without any sort of strain, and could focus on making my tactical decisions.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a commendable entry in a great fantastic series. It constantly makes you think about the situations you’re heading into, whether you’re weathering the campaign’s missions or taking on a supplemental task. The pick up and go nature of Stadia and its pacing means you don’t have to worry so much about lag or long sessions when playing via the service. It also will look good regardless of what resolution you have access to based on your membership status, and definitely looks nicer on handhelds than the Switch port. And, thanks to the font choices and UI directions, it’s even playable on small screens. Everything comes together.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia.
