Valkyrie Profile
One thing is for sure; this game is like none other. With that said it’s also worth bringing up that due to that this game is not for everyone. Why is it not for everyone? Well, more or less because if you are a traditional RPGer who likes games only like Final Fantasy then do not touch this game. And with that said if you want a fun game and are into mythology and also do not mind not having your story continually develop and just want to have fun for some time then pick this game up. Odds are you will like it. Of course, you are probably wondering why you’d like it any why Valkyrie Profile is different than all other RPGs. Well, allow me to explain.
First off, Valkyrie Profile stages you as the goddess Valkyrie. For those unfamiliar with Norse Mythology I would suggest you find a site that can provide you with a little background information on mythology so that you don’t feel totally lost going into the game. The reason you are the goddess Valkyrie is because Odin, leader of the Norse gods, has decided to send you to Midgard to find fallen warriors to fight in the Ragnarok. Now, I’m sure I left you in a little bit of confusion with that last statement, but that’s the general picture of what the game is about. You go down to Midgard find someone who has died and then take him or her up to Valhalla with you. But there’s more than that. The dungeons have their own Castlevania-ish feel to them. Probably because they are side-scrollers and you fight dead and demonic looking monsters. However, that’s enough of that. The gameplay and dungeons are very good.
Now as far as the story goes there isn’t a whole lot of it. Trust me it ahs a base story, but more or less for most of the game you go down to Midgard to recruit these dead warriors to join you in fight. You also go to dungeons and defeat impure souls and purify them, pretty much so you can train your fighters. Now there are different chapters in the game and for each chapter you need to have trained a certain amount of these fighters with certain skills and the like and send them to Valhalla. Each of these characters has a little plot to them, but when they join the party that’s the end of their character development. That is pretty much the whole story in a nutshell until the end.
This game has 3 endings, 3 different modes, and many different ways to play through it. It adds to the enjoyment of the game because you can play it twice and pick up things you missed and have fun making a perfect file, if that’s what you want to do.
Though this game lacks in story and character department its gameplay greatly makes up for it. With the great gameplay is its good battle system. Now, it’s tough to describe, but more or less each character and enemy gets one action per round and if you are good you can land combos on your enemy. And if you do enough damage you can use a purify technique (Much like a limit break in that it does massive damage). It takes some adjusting, but trust me when I say it's very possible to get used to and enjoy.
Oh my… I almost forget VP’s awesome soundtrack. Every track fits the feeling that the scenery is trying to set and that is great. But many of the songs play well by themselves also. Though it is not my favorite video game soundtrack, many of the songs are some of my favorite video game songs.
All in all, if you liked what you just read then I’d advise you to make sure you can find Valkyrie Profile somewhere. It’s really worth the effort and time it takes to find it.
Story: 7
Characters: 8
Music: 9
Graphics: 8
Gameplay: 10
Replay Value: 10
Reviewer’s Tilt: 10
Overall: 9
Though not a game you must have in your library, if you like the style of gameplay mentioned in the review it is a must-have. Only one or two areas of the game are lacking and the rest of the game makes up for it. This game shapes up to be one of the best you can have and it’s definitely recommended.
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Valkyrie Profile Reviews
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