Squad 7 return in Valkyria Chronicles 4, free with any DLC
Squad 7, move out!
For a while, I was a bit worried that the PC version of Valkyria Chronicles 4 would forever be missing some of its console-version DLC, but Sega have finally done us good. The final two add-on chapters launched this week, and are free for anyone who pre-ordered the game or bought any other bit of DLC. A United Front With Squad 7 and Advance Ops add new side-chapters to the game, and allow you to recruit six of the heroes from the first game to your squad along with Squad 7's tank, the Edelweiss. Good to see the crew back together, even if it took a while.
Between these two free-ish DLC packs you get another four missions to fight through, though the United Front chapter is significantly longer. Completing the Squad 7 missions gets you Welkin (and the Edelweiss), Alicia, Isara, Largo and Rosie, while Advance Ops (only a single mission) gets you Edy. Unlike the other DLC which unlocks quite late into the game, these new missions are available after chapter two and are balanced appropriately. They're a good way to bulk up your roster early on, and a must for fans of the first VC. Just try not to get them killed.
If you're hoping to save money and only pick up one DLC in order to score Squad 7 now, I'd recommend going with A Captainless Squad, which is the longest and most involved of the DLC chapters. You get another three battles here and some powerful weaponry if you can hunt down the enemy aces on the new maps. All the other DLCs offer one chapter of two missions each, and the Expert Skirmish pack gives you six endgame challenges. The Two Valkyria also doesn't unlock until you've completed the main game entirely, and lets you control the imperial forces for once. The Squad E, To The Beach DLC is also more expensive, because anime swimsuits?
The two bonus chapters are out now, and are free to anyone who buys one of the four DLC packs, or to anyone who pre-ordered the game. A Captainless Squad is here on Steam for £4/€5/$5. Still on the fence? Steven T Wright's Valkyria Chronicles 4 review breaks it down, although the short version is 'more of the same corny anime World War 2 with bells on'.