LogFAQs > #910557419

MAJOR End-Game Spoilers for Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4


The character deaths in 4 were far more upsetting and impactful than the deaths in 1.
I love the first game, but all of the major character deaths were characters that you couldn't even play as.
Isara so overtly existed only to be killed in a tragic way. She was a "main" character who was a small child that you couldn't play as and was emotionally significant to the main character.
Faldio as well, he was Welkin's best friend and accompanied him on many missions yet could not be played. Because I couldn't play as these characters, I felt less attached to them and less surprised when they did die.

The major deaths in 4 were Raz and a squad member of your choosing. I have to say, I still find Raz's death unsettling. The fact that he and the main character knowingly send him on a death mission, a death mission that accomplishes nothing for the main characters and isn't grand in anyway. They leave him to die in the middle of the icey wasteland, just to give up the plan after a cease fire is announced. If they would have given up right then or earlier, perhaps nothing bad would have come from it. And the fact that you have to pick one of your own squad mates to die... I'm one of those players who never lets any of my characters die and then to make the player force to pick a squadmate to sacrifice themselves is pretty sad imo. Especially when every squadmate in this game is given a backstory mission unlike the first game. I ended up picking Zaiga because he was essentially destined to die along side his childhood friend.

I think overall, Forseti's plan made little sense. I get that he went mad, and it added drama and conflict to the story. But if his only objective was to save Angie from the start, he could have just reached out to Claude first. He could have told him the situation and ask him to free her. And using his position in the Empire, he could have used that as a bartering tool for Claude. Perhaps Claude lets her go and Forseti will detonate a bomb or a different Valkyria at the capital. He just went about everything the wrong way from the very beginning.

I also found it refreshing in a sense that the villains got to have a happily ever after. Walz and Crymaria. Usually villains who are good people in SRPGs suffer a bittersweet end. They certainly got a much better end than Raz or Kai/Leena.

I'm also glad that the main villain of the game dies 2 chapters before the end of the game, and that Claude is influenced by what he said and in a way adopts Forseti's goals (because of the cease fire.)
I also like that Claude only pussies out because it was the rational thing to do after the cease fire. I thought the story was going to take an annoying turn where Claude throws away the war for sentimental value.

I also thought the Minerva payoff at the end was worth it. She felt so pointless in the story, but then when she shows up at the end to suicide them anyway, I was like... oh damn, didn't see that coming.

Belgar and his twins aren't particularly interesting characters, but they serve as a real big bad to destroy. I was extremely satisfied when Leena killed Forseti btw. Even though the game was trying to make me feel bad for him, I hated that fuck. But at the end of the day, it didn't feel right having him be the last boss. Since he was essentially a good guy that went rogue for the greater good.

I also liked that Miles and the rest of the crew on the ship survived. When they were first introduced and named I thought for sure they were just characters that were going to die later on that they player was supposed to feel upset over, but didn't.

I also like that the backstory of Riley's dad takes a real backseat and doesn't become the focal point of the plot really. I also loved the payoff at the end, where Claude gets to relive the factory fire only this time he succeeds.