Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

"Don't pass this game up this time."

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth for the PSP is a remake of the PSX classic overlooked by many. The game is almost identical to the original PSX version except for a few changes such as quite a few FMV cutscenes, replacing the sprite models used originally. Better quality audio in addition to a widescreen ratio was added in the transition to the PSP. Those along with maybe a few more minor things are the real changes I've seen in the remake. With all that said, on to the review!

Story: 9

The story is pretty unique as far as I can tell and is based on Norse mythology. You play as Valkyrie Lenneth a demigoddess messenger for Odin the King of Gods in Valhalla. Odin sends Lenneth to find dead or dying heroes to join his cause in an upcoming war. This game does an especially good job in portraying the emotions of the characters as they face their deaths however don't expect too much character development with over 20 characters. Still the story for the game, though not very elaborate in comparison to other notable RPGs, is very well-done and enjoyable.

Gameplay: 8

The game is divided into 7 chapters, with 24 periods (in normal mode, 28 in hard) for each chapter. You use one period entering towns and you use two periods everytime you enter a dungeon. The gameplay in Valkyrie Profile varies. You pretty much fly across Midgard on a 3-D world to locations where fallen heroes reside but when you enter a dungeon or town, the game shifts to a 2-D plane and you pretty much sidescroll it and move up and down when entering doors or moving onto stairs. Dungeons are where you level up your characters, and then send them up to Valhalla. There is no real money system in the game as there are no shops in the towns. You receive a form of currency by doing well in each chapter of the game. You can use this to ''buy'' things from the "shop" accessible in your menu. Another thing you get is the Experience Orb. This holds a certain amount of EXP. You can use this to level up your characters quickly, without fighting. You get this by doing well in each chapter and sending gifts up to Odin.

The battles in this game are what make this particular RPG shine from many others. The battle system is turn based but it has quite a twist. Enemies are clearly visible in dungeons and you can attack them by swinging your sword before the battle begins allowing you to attack first in battle or you can freeze them using an ice crystal and avoid the battle altogether. If the enemy gets to your first and the battle begins the enemy will get to attack first. Ok so about the actual battles. You can with with up to four characters (including Lenneth), three fighters in the front and one mage in the back. Each button on the PSP (triangle, square, circle and X) corresponds to a character based on how they are lined up. With proper timing, you can create huge combos. Creating combos fills up a bar in the corner of your screen allowing a character to do their special attack (lots of damage ofcourse). The battles are a bit hectic when first playing the game but in no time at all you'll feel comfortable with it.

Graphics: 9

The graphics for this game are awesome. The sprites are amazingly well-done and add a nice look and feel to the game. The enemy models outside of battle can get repetitive but that shouldn't be a major problem.

Sound: 9

The music for this game is pretty fun to listen to but not really the type of music you'd get stuck in your head and hum in public. Its not all that catchy but flows great with the game and with the improved audio its just all the better to listen to.

Replayability: 7

I probably should have put some of the info from this section into the gameplay section but it seems to fit better here. There are multiple endings and three difficulty settings along with a secret dungeon only accessible after beating hard mode. Its fun testing the game on each difficulty and finding out the differences between each. The battles in the game make it worth playing again over and over so you'll probably be playing this for a while.

Rent or buy: Buy it.

If you're an RPG fan in general, this game is worth buying. This game is fairly unique from most other RPGs but in a good way. If you're not really an RPG fan but want to try something new then I suggest you rent the game but I'm sure you'll like it. This game is a jewel that almost slipped through the cracks but is making a strong return in this remake.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/06