An RPG that demands skill from the player.
NOTE: This review was written by me years ago, but it's never been posted on GB, so enjoy!
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It took several years, but Valkyrie Profile 2 is finally here. The original Valkyrie Profile was a game that boldly stood out from the crowd; nothing about the game was conventional. Valkyrie Profile 2, however, plays a bit more like a “traditional” RPG, but it still retains some of the features that made VP1 (and VP: Lenneth) unique, while greatly enhancing that game’s greatest asset: the combat system.
VP2 has a more standard story structure, unlike the anthology-like storyline of VP1. VP2 is centered around Alicia, the princess of Dipan who had the “privilege” of having Silmeria Valkyrie’s soul awaken inside of her after a botched attempt to put the rebellious valkyrie to sleep (courtesy of Odin, the god of gods), hence making Alicia appear to have multiple personalities. This, of course, creeps out the king of Dipan, and he solves the problem by declaring Alicia dead and banishing her to a faraway estate. Odin, realizing his mistake, sends the enforcer valkyrie Hrist to bring Silmeria back to Valhalla. From there, the story unfolds. The story is decent, but the ending will seem confusing, especially if you’ve played VP: Lenneth. If you haven’t played that game, then there are some events you won’t be able to appreciate, so it’s recommended that you play VP1 (or VPL) first.
While some players will undoubtedly be disappointed to learn that the lengthy einherjar storylines are no more, ultimately it was the right move to not include them. It would not have made sense, since the einherjar are already dead and have fought alongside Silmeria. Why would we need to see how the einherjar died if they’ve already become einherjar? Another thing to understand is that collecting einherjar is not what the game is about, since Ragnarok has not occurred yet. Players still have the ability to release einherjar, but instead of sending them off to war, released einherjar are actually given life again and are reborn somewhere on Midgard. By doing this, you will acquire items that permanently raise your party’s stats. Releasing einherjar with good equipment will yield better rewards; don’t be stingy.
Because the goal of VP2 isn’t to gather einherjar for a war between gods, VP2 plays a little more like the standard RPG. The game is more linear now, although there are optional dungeons to complete, as well as the dungeons required to advance the story. Towns now include armories where you purchase equipment, as opposed to creating them out of thin air in VP1. The game is still divided into chapters, but there’s no “Sacred Phase” in between them (again, because there’s no Ragnarok). However, players will still move on a 2D plane, and the platforming elements are still present. The combat system is vastly improved over the original (more on that later).
VP2 introduces the photon system, which is actually nothing like the crystal system from VP1. You can still freeze enemies in place, but now you can trade places with them by shooting enemies while they’re frozen. This game mechanic leads to clever puzzles, especially in the post-game dungeon. Once again, players engage in combat by striking the target with their sword (while avoiding direct contact with them). You no longer have to open treasure chests by crouching first, but some chests still contain traps, and you have to avoid them in the correct way. New to the dungeon design is the use of sealstones, which alter your surroundings in numerous ways, usually in combat. Proper use of the sealstones will make traversing the dungeons easier, but the number and variety of sealstones allows for all kinds of possibilities. Best of all, you can purchase these sealstones for use in other dungeons.
Characters can learn various passive skills like before, but this time, skills are learned via a rune system. Most equipment in the game has a colour assigned to it, and with it, a rune (some items have neither a colour nor a rune). By equipping items with like colours together, you can strengthen the effects of each item bearing that colour. If you equip a certain combination of runes, you can learn skills. You have to figure out which combinations will produce new skills, but once you learn them, the rune combo is always available. The only problem with this system is when you want other characters to learn the same skills. There is no optimization feature, so you have to manually equip and remove each item. It would have been nice if there was a feature where a character could start learning a skill with the known rune combos at the press of a button, as it would save players the trouble of having to equip the runes over and over again across multiple characters.
The combat system is the main appeal of VP2, and it is here where the game shines brightest. Combat plays out more like a strategy RPG than a standard RPG, and also a little like a fighting game (just like VP1, but even more so). Positioning and timing are the keys to winning battles, as well as being able to string together good combos. You have to master the ability to dash around the battlefield, and avoid enemy attack ranges as much as possible. You can also make use of your surroundings to give yourself an advantage, or divide your party into teams to gain an edge (very useful in boss battles). Action Points (AP) govern most of your actions, so you have to take care in what you do. When the actual fighting begins, the camera switches to a side view similar to the combat in VP1.
Like before, each character is assigned to a button on the controller, and pressing a button makes the corresponding character attack with their equipped techniques. Each character (who is not a mage) can attack up to three times per round, depending on the equipped weapon. Get enough hits to fill up the special attack gauge, and you can then pull off a “soul crush”—VP2’s version of a Street Fighter super combo. Soul crushes have been modified so that their availability depends on the weapon equipped; however, there is no AP requirement to use them. Even better is that the attack is guaranteed to get the maximum number of hits. They no longer vary by the enemy’s characteristics or where the attacker is standing. One more thing to note is that the soul crush animations can be skipped this time, which is much appreciated. Also new to the battle system is “break mode,” which allows you to go wild on the enemy without consuming AP. Furthermore, all recovery on attacks is ignored, which means you can mash the buttons for some big damage. Fighting game fans can see the combat system’s resemblance to popular fighting games, but to drive the point further, you can even perform wall combos and off- the-ground combos.
Most battles have a leader that, if defeated, will end the battle immediately. Destroy the leader fast enough, and you’ll earn its exclusive item, plus some extra experience crystals. Players have the ability to cut off enemy parts and acquire items, which can be used to create items. Most enemies have several parts to destroy; one great advantage to destroying parts is the ability to prevent certain attacks from being used. If you want to stop that crab’s claw attack, simply remove its claws. Disrupting the enemy’s mobility is a useful tactic; it’s always satisfying--maybe even sadistic--to cut off a dragon’s wings, rendering it useless in battle, and just leaving it there while you tackle the leader. Enemies have vital parts that, if damaged enough, will instantly kill them. Knowing your characters’ attacks and proper positioning are important if you want to strike weak spots.
The graphics in VP2 are some of the best seen on the PS2. The game moves at a fluid rate at all times and with no load times. The only real flaw with the graphics has more to do with hardware limitations (no anti-aliasing) rather than the fault of the developer. Towns and dungeons alike are stunning, and get better the further you are into the game. Plenty of care was also given to the world map when it wasn’t really needed, given how the map functions. The sound is also good; the voice acting is well done (it’s come a long way since VP1), but some returning characters have different voice actors. Arngrim and Lezard in particular have voice acting that reflects the characters’ personalities more accurately. The music, once again composed by Motoi Sakuraba, is great, but is of a different style from the one used in VP1. There is no doubt that some will prefer the VP1 soundtrack, but the VP2 soundtrack is worth a listen.
This issue needs to be addressed—the need to “powerlevel,” which is the act of dedicating time to raise your characters’ levels by battling enemies repeatedly. In what instance would one need to powerlevel in VP2? Unless one is trying to obtain the special items before the end of certain chapters, there is no instance. Powerlevelling is the typical (and often wrong) response when one is faced with a difficult battle in an RPG, but VP2, like other tri-Ace RPGs, offers better alternatives. If players use what’s available to them (like the sealstones) and take full advantage of the combat system, they will have an easier time with the game. The fact that some reviews complain about having to level grind to advance indicates that the reviewers did not take the time to learn the game properly, and thus pass along false information to the readers (which is unsurprising; both Star Ocean 3 and VP1 have been victims of misinformation as well). Such reviewers only demonstrate that they lack skill, and rely only on level to advance. Make no mistake—VP2 is not a walk in the park, but if you have the skills, you can overcome even the toughest battles.
So, now that the powerlevelling issue has been cleared up, what’s really wrong with the game? While there are plenty of einherjar to collect (you can’t get all of them on a single save file), and they all have a unique look, many of them share the same voice samples. Some voice samples don’t even fit the character description at all. Einherjar also share attacks and even soul crushes. It’s a minor issue, since einherjar are not the focus of VP2, but it’s a noticeable one. Second, lip-synching is non-existent in the cutscenes. It’s another minor-but-noticeable problem, but it’s a shame considering how great the game’s graphics are. Third, the conclusion of the game really doesn’t do anything except add more questions. However, this may work in the series’ favour, because it means VP3 is a possibility. Lastly is the difficulty curve. When chapter three begins, prepare to be faced with a challenge straightaway. I believe this is where the complaints about having to powerlevel kick in, but at the same time, this is also the point where sealstones are introduced, and become vitally important to one’s progress.
Valkyrie Profile 2 is not a game to be overlooked now that Final Fantasy XII is out. Comparisons between VP2 and FFXII will inevitably be made, but all you need to know is that VP2 is a game that dares to be different, and for that, it deserves to be in any RPG gamer’s collection. It may not be a completely unique beast compared to the original game, but VP2 still sets itself apart from the pack by offering a battle system that demands skill from the player, and sidescrolling action that is uncommon in standard RPGs. And, of course, the game is still based (loosely) on Norse mythology, one of VP1’s claims to fame. It may have taken several years for us to get our hands on Valkyrie Profile 2, but the wait, as they say, was worth it.