Valkyria Chronicles

I got a PS3 for Christmas! Hooray! And the second PS3 game I've been grabbed by is Valkyria Chronicles.

Valkyria Chronicles is a grid-less turn-based tactical wargame. Like a "normal" turn-based squad-level tactical wargame, you have about 10 units on a battlefield, and on your turn you move and attack with each unit, one after another. The gridless and 3D nature of Valkyria Chronicles (VC) turns each of these unit turns into...

a third-person action platformer, where other units cannot move, but CAN turn and shoot you as you run by. There's lots of upgrading, interesting tactical decisions, and unique situations. It's a fun game.

The art really makes this game stand out. Everything is rendered with toon shading, but an exceptional toon shading that looks like pencil and watercolor. Every moment of the game is beautiful, but there are several standout moments in both the gameplay and the in-game cutscenes that take my breath away.

And there's a lot of cut-scenes. Arguably more cut-scenes than actual gameplay. The story of these cut-scenes isn't bad, but would be better without some cartoonishly one-dimensional characters.

If you have a PS3, I heartily recommend Valkyria Chronicles.