Valkyrie of the Battlefield gets western release

So we've previously said we were going to cry if we didn't hear a US release announcement for Valkyrie of the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles; fortunately for us, and for you all as well, we won't have to break out the tears because both SEGA America and SEGA Europe are making our wish come true by bringing the game over to the west. Announced and renamed for the west as Valkyria Chronicles, this PS3-exclusive should be coming our way by autumn 2008.

For the uninitiated, Valkyria Chronicles is a strategy RPG that incorporates the "BLiTZ" battle system. "BLiTZ" takes a unique twist on the traditional turn-based system by injecting bits of real-time movement and actions. As much of a paradox as that may sound, it really does makes sense once you see it in action. The game's gorgeous imagery is probably what gamers have noticed most about the game; the artistic style is brought out by SEGA's CANVAS engine which is said to take full advantage of the PS3's processing capabilities.

The game is set in a fictional world, and follows the story of a soldier named Welkin. The major conflict is a familiar backdrop with two huge forces waging war: "The Empire" and "The Federation." A smaller neutral country named Gallia, has the most unfortunate position of being right in between these two huge factions. What will happen as a result of this? We don't know, but we're certainly curious. Be assured, we'll be keeping a close watch on this one.