Valkyrie Profile

NOTE: This review was written by me years ago, but it's never been posted on GB, so enjoy!

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When Valkyrie Profile was first released for the original PlayStation, it slipped through the cracks for a number of reasons: it was released at around the same time as the much-anticipated Chrono Cross; tri-Ace was still an unknown developer who had only one other PlayStation game to their credit; and Enix, who published VP, shipped a very small quantity of discs, well under 100,000. The latter was somewhat understandable, as RPGs were still not known to be million-sellers, even after the release of Final Fantasy VII.

Even though VP sales were low, the reviews spoke for themselves. Most agreed that VP truly was a different kind of RPG, and it played very well. What separated VP from everything else at the time was its decent voice acting in an RPG (the cast was very recognizable), outstanding music, some of the best 2D graphics ever seen, an uncommon story (and how the story was presented), and a unique combat system. Electronic Gaming Monthly (#134) said of VP (paraphrase): “While everyone else tried to imitate Final Fantasy, tri-Ace made something original.”

For those who have not played the original VP, the objective of the game is to gather warriors for the impending battle between gods—Ragnarok. The game is divided into eight chapters, and in each one, the player (as the goddess Valkyrie) must recruit warriors (called Einherjar) suitable for the war to end all wars. Unlike most other RPGs, time really does mean something here; Ragnarok is fast approaching, and einherjar must be gathered and sent to Asgard before time runs out. Time is measured in periods, rather than minutes and seconds; it’s important to make this distinction, because it’s very easy to dismiss an RPG that’s limited by time (remember, the more hours, the better). Time passes only when you perform specific actions, and you’re always given enough time to do whatever you need. You will always have “redundant” periods, which can be used however you wish. Some reviews have misled readers into thinking that due to the time limit, you could end up in a situation where you cannot finish the game because your party is underpowered, and that is absolutely false.

Players can train einherjar by visiting dungeons and fighting various undead creatures. Solving puzzles and finding divine treasures also yields experience. Experience points earned in this way are stored in a pool, and can be distributed however one wishes. The EXP pool comes in handy for new recruits who are behind in level. Equipment can be acquired either in dungeons or in the player’s own menu. Most new players are too used to the idea that you buy your equipment at a store, and that’s okay. In VP, most of your equipment and items are created right in the menu, and the list is always updated after each chapter. The things you can make aren’t basic stuff, either; for example, you can create items that protect you from aliments, or you can make an item that boosts your power considerably. Of course, creating items come at a price—in this case, materialize points (MP). MP is the “currency” in VP, and it is not acquired through typical means, like combat.

One special thing to note about the dungeons is that instead of the typical overhead or behind-the-back view, dungeons play out like a side-scrolling action game. Players can run, jump, slide, crouch, and climb their way through each level. They can also strike an enemy in their path—there are no random encounters, which would have been ridiculous for this type of gameplay. At the end of each dungeon is a boss who, when defeated, will drop sacred treasures that belong to the top god, Odin. You can send these items to Odin, thus raising your evaluation level, or you can keep them and use them for your quest (here’s a hint: keep the items).

Combat in VP is semi-turn-based; the einherjar and the enemy will take turns attacking each other, but the actions themselves are done in real time. Each einherjar is assigned to a face button, and pressing a button will make the corresponding einherjar attack. Einherjar can take their turns all at once, which means you can unleash combination attacks on your foes. In order to make the most effective combos, you have to know each einherjar’s fighting style (sounds like a fighting game, doesn’t it?). There are several other factors to consider such as the number of attacks available to each einherjar, the properties of each attack, the size and weight of the enemy, and more. One won’t tell from screenshots, but there’s plenty of depth to the combat system. It’s also very flashy, thanks to all of the neat special attacks. There is a lot more to the combat than I’ve described, but you’re reading a review, not a FAQ. Just know that the battle system is the kind where you look forward to encounters, rather than dreading them.

At the end of each chapter, the player will get an update on the war effort. You can check up on the einherjar you’ve sent to see how they’re progressing in the war. If you did not properly prepare them before sending them to war, they can die, so be careful. You will have to send new einherjar regularly to keep the gods happy with your work. Your rewards include MP and items that may include sacred treasure. The closer you are to sending the required einherjar, the better the rewards.

The port of VP: Lenneth is a mixed bag. On the one hand, gamers who missed out on VP the first time have a great opportunity to play it without having to drain their wallets. On the other hand, the developer responsible for the port, Tose, did not attempt to improve the game in any substantial way. In fact, the PSP port isn’t a one hundred percent accurate port. Some functionality in the menu was lost due to the lack of an L2 and R2 button on the PSP; now, if you want to edit einherjar not in the active party, you have to actually swap in the einherjar before you can customize him/her. This problem could have easily been rectified, but apparently, no attempt was made. The sort feature is gone; this means your healing items won’t be easily accessible. The menu itself has been compressed for no apparent reason, though the rest of the game uses every pixel of the screen.

The 2D graphics in the original VP are some of the best graphics ever produced, surpassing even the mighty Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The graphics in the PSP port suffer a bit; they tend to blur when they’re zoomed in, and there’s some slight hiccups in the framerate (not “slowdown,” contrary to what other reviews say). Otherwise, the graphics are still as beautiful as they were on the PlayStation. The new 3D cutscenes are really well done, even if they’re the only new feature added to VPL. Tose has remastered the audio so players will get the same great, uncompromised soundtrack by Motoi Sakuraba. Voice acting has come a long way since 2000, so the voice work in VPL may not seem that great now compared to what one is used to now, but it’s still a solid effort nonetheless. Characters such as Lenneth, Freya, and Arngrim are still great to listen to, while the voice work for characters such as Lawfer is still…strange. Whether the game would have benefited from a re-recording is purely subjective.

The load times in VPL is exaggerated for some reason. It really is not a serious issue. It’s not anything that a PSP player is not used to by now. The load time when accessing the menu varies (averaging about three seconds), but it is only significant when you resume a suspended game. Otherwise, the load times are the same as they were in the original version. Whether the load times are an issue depends on one’s tolerance for load times in PSP games, or even games in general.

Basically, most of the problems with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth stems from what was lost or not included during the transition from PS1 to PSP. Tose is infamous for its various ports, like the Final Fantasy games, and this PSP port doesn’t help their track record. VPL could have been tweaked more for portable gaming, like adding an event skip feature (all RPGs, regardless of platform, should have this feature). However, VP was given a second chance at life, so to speak (but that’s only because its sequel is coming soon). One has to be somewhat grateful to Square Enix for re-releasing an excellent game that was being sold for exorbitant prices on online auctions. The only reason a veteran player should buy VPL is to support tri-Ace, but new players should absolutely pick up this gem of a game. It is unlike any RPG you’ve played before.