Valkyrie Profile

"This game shall be engraved upon your soul!"

Basic Story:
4/5
Set in the days of Norse Mythology, you play as the battle-maiden Lenneth Valkyrie, who is sent on a mission by Odin to gather worthy souls for the upcoming final battle of the gods, Ragnarok. Yes, this is another RPG concerning the end of the world, so nothing that original here. While the general plot seems relatively simple, there's a lot more to it concerning Valkyrie's character development, her interface with the characters, and the overall turn of events in the game. It's difficult to comment on the story line without spoiling, so I'll just say that while the story isn't as elaborate as some RPGs, you won't be disappointed with it. However, if there is anything I have to comment on, it's that this game does an incredible job of portraying each character's emotions when faced with the realizations of death and the values of life. While you can't expect too much character development from Valkyrie's companions, since you do have over twenty characters, the story line that accompanies each character is for the most part, done very well. If you're looking for a light, not serious RPG, this isn't the game for you.

Gameplay:
5/5
Basically, you'll travel across Midgard searching out new characters and dungeons where you can acquire experience and equipment for these characters. Since the end of the world is just around the corner and Odin doesn't want you to waste time, you have a set number of periods to spend in dungeons and acquiring characters each chapter. At first, this seems like a huge limit to the game, but you'll find in later chapters that you'll have extra periods that you really don't need. The game has a set course to follow, but you're completely free to choose what you want to do during the game. Just keep in mind that you are evaluated at the end of each chapter based on the characters you train and send to Asgard and other actions you perform during the chapter.
Rather than take the turn-based approach that so many RPGs rely on, VP has a relatively unique system of assigning each character to a particular button so you can send your entire party to battle at once or separately depending on the circumstances. After a little practice, you'll be able to have your party positioned and timed so that they'll get off a chain of consecutive hits during the round and if you manage to reach 100% on your power meter, you can perform a special 'finishing strike.' The learning curve for this game is a few hours, but since you're forced to constantly alternate characters and use new skills, you'll have plenty of variation during the game.
Battles aren't random, but rather initiated when Valkyrie swings her sword at an enemy, or should the enemy touch you before you get this opportunity. While traveling through the dungeons, you'll pick up plenty of items and be faced with plenty of puzzles, so all of the puzzle-fans have something to enjoy too. The dungeon layout is reminiscent of Act Raiser, another of Enix's masterpieces (SNES). For all of you Star Ocean 2 fans, you have a skill system and Item Creation. Some of the skills are important for battling while others are simply requested skills for Ragnarok and simply help your evaluation.

Audio/Video:
4/5
Don't expect boasting graphics, because it isn't a characteristic of this game. While there are a few exceptional FMV sequences, the overall graphics for the game are two-dimensional sprites. This isn't a three-dimensional game, so don't expect any Final Fantasy VII-IX type graphics. The backgrounds and settings are all done to set the mood of the game and are very detailed. Other than the fact that the graphics are a tad dated, I have no complaints here.
If you've played Star Ocean 2, you should remember the extremely large Voice Collection. Well, Valkyrie Profile also has one (And this one you can actually complete). Each character has his/her own unique set of sounds for battle and the game contains voice dialogue at key events. Many people have complained about the voice actors used. I really didn't have any problems with them and it seems that people complain about voice acting in every game except anything made by Blizzard for the most part (If you want to see bad voice acting, play Resident Evil). The sound effects are good but again, nothing outstanding. The soundtrack for the most part is excellent. It completely fits the mood and scenes.
For those of you curious about the FMV, don't expect many and certainly don't expect much anime despite the introductory movie (If you want an anime RPG, play the Lunar series).

Difficulty:
5/5
RPGs are a little difficult to evaluate in difficulty since it depends how often you spend the time to level up or explore side quests for the better than standard weapons. You won't have to worry about any impossible battles where it's all based on luck, but you will have to alter your strategy and equipment accordingly throughout the game. There are plenty of interesting puzzles that are challenging without leaving you stuck in one place running to find the answer in a walk through. There are also three skill levels to play the game on, but keep in mind you can only get the best ending in Normal and Hard difficulty and the number of dungeons and characters depends on your difficulty. Naturally, you'll get the most characters and dungeons on Hard mode. Once you've completed the game in Hard and finished a side quest, you can access the special bonus dungeon, which will test your skills and efforts further.

Worth Buying/Playing:
Yes
Die-hard RPG fans will definitely want to add this to their collection. Especially if you're a fan of Xenogears, Star Ocean 2 and other serious RPGs. If you've only a played a few RPGs, my recommendation is to give this a rent first since it isn't a game for everyone.

Rank: 9/10
While this game is one of my personal favorites, I understand that it is not a game for everyone. If you're looking for a fun, entertaining game, this probably isn't what you want. If you want a deep, emotional, challenging game, then this is it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/15/01, Updated 08/15/01