Senjo no Valkyrie renamed Valkyria Chronicles for U.S., Europe

Sega‘s sending word that it is preparing the North American and European release of Senjo no Valkyrie, now dubbed Valkyria Chronicles.

Further details on the title’s story, gameplay, and a couple of screenshots are available in the full article.

A Miyazaki-esque backdrop, Cell-shaded anime sprites, and a Panzerkampfwagen IV. It’s easy to see that we’re pretty excited with Sega‘s initial announcement of the PlayStation 3’s upcoming title, Senjo no Valkyrie (Battlefield Valkyrie).

Now, in case you’re worried that this game might be strictly a Japan-only ordeal, we’ve gotten some very good news. Sega has sent out a press wire announcing that the game is also being prepared for a release to North America and Europe under the new name Valkyria Chronicles.

That aside, the company also unveiled some new details regarding its storyline and gameplay mechanics. The game takes place in a fictitious continent based on Europe in the 1930s, a place ruled by two factions: The Empire and the Federation. The game focuses on the neutral country of Gallia, which rests just between these two superpowers.

Players will be thrust into the role of Welkin – we imagine he’s the tank commander from the trailer – along with members of the Federation’s 7th Platoon  as they fight to keep their homeland free of an impending invasion by the Empire.

Valkyria Chronicles will also debut Sega Game Studios Japan’s CANVAS Engine.  This graphics engine will be responsible for the fluid watercolor-like rendering that’s prevalent in most of the game’s battlefields.

Sega further disclosed details on the game’s battle mechanics. Labelled BLiTZ, this gives players the freedom to strategically move around their environment and attack enemies using real-time controls.

We’re not sure what that means exactly, though an anime-style RTS for the PS3 certainly sounds good. Sega Europe’s Marketing Director Gary Knight had this to say regarding his company’s announcement:

Valkyria Chronicles has been enthusiastically requested by European fans. The unique graphics and compelling gameplay are just two reasons why weÂ’re delighted to bring it to them.

Valkyria Chronicles is currently scheduled to launch to Europe and North America this fall. We’ll be wrapping up this bit of good news with a couple of new game screenshots, available for your viewing pleasure below. Enjoy!