Games Happy

Within the late Nineteen Nineties, shortly after the discharge of Star Ocean: The Second Story, the still-relatively-fledgling tri-Ace took a shot at creating its sophomore franchise for Enix. Valkyrie Profile supplied one thing somewhat bit completely different than most different RPGs on the time. And in truth, greater than twenty years later, VP’s unusual narrative construction and distinctive gameplay stylings nonetheless largely stay peerless to today.

Impressed by Norse mythology, Valkyrie Profile follows the titular Valkyrie Lenneth as she recruits the souls of slain warriors generally known as Einherjar to organize for the approaching of Ragnarok. With glorious sprite work, cool fight, great music, and surprisingly strong English localization & voice appearing for the time, the sport went on to be a vital success.

Extra not too long ago, in December 2022, amidst the deluge of about 15 different Sq. Enix titles, Valkyrie Profile was re-released for PlayStation consoles, bringing the traditional RPG to fashionable audiences.

While you consider Japanese RPGs and the commonly-found parts that comprise them, what do you consider? A slowly rising unified social gathering of charming & colourful characters? A hero’s quest to avoid wasting the world? Charismatic villains, a story-focused narrative, character ranges, and stats?

Valkyrie Profile definitely has among the hallmarks of a standard Japanese RPG, in a approach. However it is usually so basically distinct in so many different methods, each huge & small, that it’s genuinely troublesome to checklist a equally styled up to date that’s straightforward to match it to. Valkyrie Profile would not have a standard social gathering; it would not have a traditionally-structured narrative; it would not have conventional fight — both turn-based or in any other case.

From its combo-focused battle system, to its period-based chapters, to its vignette-structure narrative and generally complicated Analysis techniques, Valkyrie Profile is not like the rest.

The guts of Valkyrie Profile shines by the quite a few and great vignette-style tales of its many Einherjar characters. Valkyrie Profile does have a considerably conventional foremost narrative relating to Lenneth, however that is really partially (and purposefully) hidden within the sport itself, and the best way this story is introduced to the participant is under no circumstances typical. As a substitute, all through nearly all of the sport, Lenneth’s story takes a again seat to that of the quite a few characters she recruits to her facet as a “Goddess of Loss of life”.

Since all of the Einherjar that be a part of Valkyrie’s ranks essentially must be the spirits of the slain, meaning all of the vignettes, inevitably, contain loss of life. However Valkyrie Profile avoids being merely dreary and morbid relating to the fates of those characters. Whereas no vignette exceeds 10-Quarter-hour in size (besides probably Yumei’s), they every supply a short however highly effective glimpse of the lives of (largely) extraordinary individuals earlier than they meet an premature destiny.

These theater-of-tragedy vignettes are usually not overwrought with exposition and are astonishingly transferring, even of their quick length. From the shrine priestess who provides up her life in order that her foster dad and mom will be reunited with their baby, or the hesitant samurai reduce down by a villager defending his household, Valkyrie Profile’s vignettes remind us that life is fleeting, generally painful, but additionally lovely. These spotlight the sorrow felt by these left behind when a liked one has handed, but additionally the consolation we discover within the relationships we type in life. These scenes spotlight a wide range of several types of individuals, but additionally emphasize the essence of life and humanity.

Worldbuilding will not be fairly the main target in these vignettes both. Whereas loads of fashionable video games, I really feel, are so decided to attach disparate plot threads into an interconnected narrative resulting in some grand epic finale, the vignettes in Valkyrie Profile are usually not involved with the world at massive. Certain, there are some small connections between a handful of the assorted tales, however these story snippets are intentionally and deeply private, greater than the rest.

Though the scenes in Valkyrie Profile are rendered solely utilizing sprite artwork, character portraits, and textual content packing containers, these are nonetheless extremely considerate in how the dialogue is introduced to the participant. Valkyrie Profile is aware of when to let scenes breathe, and it is aware of when characters must be talking or be silent. Distinctive sprite animations and character portraits are skillfully used on the most acceptable moments to let phrases linger, and their meanings persist. In an period earlier than choreographed cutscenes turned the norm, Valkyrie Profile’s scene route is good. This is not some cheaply made visible novel with static portraits and overdone dialogue.

Going again to the story of Lenneth herself, really progressing this plotline is not-at-all conventional, and even may simply be referred to as obtuse. Do not get me unsuitable, at instances, Valkyrie Profile is *bizarre*, particularly in the way it handles accessing the sport’s “true ending”. With no information, it’s tough to come across this naturally. It entails flagging sure scenes at sure instances, in addition to fastidiously monitoring a “Seal” worth to be inside a sure vary.

Regardless of the complexity, I really significantly respect the ambition right here in how Lenneth’s ending is tied to a sport mechanic. Lenneth is a servant of Odin, the All-Father, however being utterly loyal to him prevents her from studying in regards to the fact of the world, and herself. You need to be disloyal sufficient to be taught extra about Lenneth’s hidden previous, however not too untrue to have Freya solid judgment on you. Though it is tough to navigate, particularly on a primary playthrough, I believe that is in the end a way more attention-grabbing tackle reaching a real ending path than hypothetically merely having to pick a key dialogue selection right here & there, as another RPGs do.

Regardless, Lenneth’s story is an emotionally satisfying one as she begins to slide previous the oppressive reigns of Odin and reignites her love for humanity. When To the Final Drop of my Blood begins to play as you strategy the sport’s finale, I simply need to punch the air or run by a brick wall. It is cathartic.

Valkyrie Profile’s fight system and gameplay sub-systems are also only a bit completely different than virtually the rest within the style. It is not turn-based, round-based, phase-based, grid-based, cooldown-focused, character motion, or social gathering motion. Possibly one of the simplest ways to explain it’s a timing-based combo system virtually reminiscient of a side-scrolling preventing sport. Every of the 4 social gathering characters is tied to a controller face button, and you will need to activate their skills with correct cadence to realize the very best combo potential. If executed correctly, you possibly can entry among the characters ending strikes.

There are additionally loads of cool and peculiar subsystems behind the fight (which I’ve praised tri-Ace for up to now). A very powerful of those is how it’s important to ship characters to Valhalla to struggle for the gods of their countless wars. Because of this your social gathering make-up will range all through the course of the sport. In contrast to most RPGs the place your social gathering is ultimately set together with your favourite characters of your selection, in VP you aren’t solely coaching up characters to slot in with your personal playstyle, but additionally to suit the wants of Freya and the Aesir. There are many ability subsystems and a pseudo-crafting system, too. Some particular weapons, when you can handle to seek out to craft them, may even take down sure bosses in a single hit. When you be taught the tips to the commerce, you possibly can blow Valkyrie Profile’s issue curve broad open, which I’ve all the time had an appreciation for.

Valkyrie Profile’s sequel and spinoff, Silmeria and Covenant of the Plume respectively, are each glorious in their very own proper, in some methods even surpassing the unique. (And sure Silmeria is de facto each a sequel and a prequel. Issues get bizarre!). Silmeria specifically has glorious presentation and fight mechanics, plus an attention-grabbing rune system, though its Einherjar are successfully relegated to models added to the social gathering, with no vignettes to introduce them.

Outdoors of its glorious presentation and storytelling, one huge cause Valkyrie Profile nonetheless resonates with me so strongly is that — even now practically 25 years later — it nonetheless does so many issues in its narrative construction and gameplay techniques that nobody else had been in a position to replicate. There are a couple of video games which have tried to emulate among the stylings, similar to Indivisible or Exist Archive, however these video games’ inspirations are both too shallow to be notable, are dragged down by vital flaws elsewhere, or at worst, miss the purpose utterly

Talking nuts and bolts for a second, there are particular parts of the newly-released PlayStation remasters which are admittedly disappointing. These do not embody the high-quality portrait artwork seen within the cell launch of the Valkyrie Profile, nor are among the bug fixes discovered within the North American PS1 model (since fashionable incarnations of Valkyrie Profile are successfully primarily based on the Japanese model.) However to me, these are minor blemishes on a sport meaning a lot to me.

I am keen on Valkyrie Profile, its sentimental storytelling, and its bold sport design. I am glad Sq. Enix determined to revisit it with a contemporary port, as I might hate for this traditional to be misplaced to the annals of time ceaselessly. Possibly at some point we’ll lastly get one other respectable follow-up to hold on the franchise legacy, however till then, my lasting recollections and fondness for Valkyrie Profile will all the time be there.