Sega has finally confirmed the release of its third installment for the "Valkyria Chronicles" series. While many were hoping for a PS3 version, it looks like gaming fans will have to settle for a PSP version instead. The game release date has been set for January 27th, 2011, and is being priced between $60-$70USD for retail and download. The game website will be unveiled sometime on the 16th (JST), the same day the Tokyo Game Show goes underway.

The game will be displayed at the Tokyo Game Show this weekend, held in Chiba. They will introduce the �original scenario� and components of the game, and on the 18th and 19th, the Sega booth will have a stage event which includes a talk show with the voice actors and pre-order bonuses for fans.

<On the changed gameplay and storyline>

In an interview conducted by gaming magazine Famitsu, Producer Motoyama Shiji delves into the game's story and its new features.

Valkyria Chronicles 3 will have a much darker storyline than that of VC2, he says. It has an original story line with a new cast of characters. Set in Europe 1935, it tells the story of a war-torn 'Gallia'. Centering around a group called the� 'Nameless' (which includes criminals, deserters, etc.), the name is a reflection of its members, who are referred to by numbers rather than actual name. Motoyama said that the Nameless squad �does the dirty work of the army -- the stuff that would cause problems if done by the main army. This is why the group selects criminals and troublemakers for its members.� By the end of the story the player may end up with 20 or more members in their squad, excluding the guest characters that may pop up.

Characters from VC1 and VC2 will make appearances in the VC3, as Sega wanted to include all the characters from all three games.

The game still retains many Valkyria Chronicles elements, but they�ve strengthened the turn-based� battle system (called 'BLiTZ'). It doesn�t have the same mission organization as 2 did; instead, the story will progress whilst in battle mode. Maps from 2 are still area-based, but have been made wider and with more varied designs.

<An emphasis on 'action mode'>

The command interface for battle has completely changed, emphasizing more on the action mode. In the trial version at TGS, the players can try out Riera�s (Number 13) Valkyria mode and unleash Imuka�s (Number 01) weapon abilities. The heroines each have their own �Super Modes�, as well as other new elements. To have more individual characters, they�ve changed the class system, where some will be unified. Sega is looking for more quality than quantity and want to further strengthen the role of each class.

In one of the magazine screenshots, it shows Kurt (Number 7) and two other heroines running around together. The magazine speculates that this may be one of the new features that Motoyama has been hinting at.

One surprising element from the revealing interview is that the game will not be Wi-Fi friendly. Motoyama explains that the game is meant to be played for its story, so they axed the wireless play. He does promise that Sega�s other gameplay systems will have wireless play, however.

<On why VC3 is only for the PSP>

About the game being available only for the PSP, Motoyama said �that they want to further develop the series on PSP beyond what they�d achieved in the first one.� While many desire a PS3 version, Motoyama feels that they would need more innovative ideas that goes beyond normal gameplay. As the game is focused more on story, the developers wanted players to have the ability to play wherever they go, hence its availability on the PSP only. �In an era where everyone is busy, we felt PSP was best in order to make Valkyria Chronicles bigger."

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Source: sankaku, playstation forums