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Valkyrie Profile is Back

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 59 / 62
Date: July 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

A lot of people haven't played the original Valkyrie Profile. Check around here and you'll easily see it going for more than $100. It's ridiculous to pay that much. Greedy gamers and collectors are like that, and they know some consumers will pay. However, if you're not up for collecting the original copy, you could easily shell out the money for this version. It's basically a port of the original Playstation version with a few tweaks here and there. It beats paying some greedy collector over one-hundred dollars, doesn't it? Valkyrie Profile is a unique RPG experience that if you missed six years ago, now you'll have your chance to play it.

Players of the original often express their love affair with this game and it isn't entirely hard to see why. Our main hero, Lenneth, is a Valkyrie. Lenneth serves Odin, the leader of the Gods. In the world of Asgard, a sacred war has broken out among the Gods. Odin needs brave souls from humans to form an army to fight. It's Lenneth's job to go to the mortal world of Midgard and find the brave souls of humans to send to Odin.

The game spans eight chapters to get you through the game. There is a time limit, however. Everything you do from resting to trumping through dungeons takes time. If you're feeling very brave and gutless, you could rest for all eight chapters and then take on the final boss. Your average gamer, however, doesn't want to do that, and so you just might opt to go and find those souls. You can recruit up to fifteen souls (despite that you probably won't need all fifteen), and only three can enter battle at a time with Lenneth.

As you crawl through dungeons, you'll get the feel of playing some kind of action/adventure game. For one, you'll go through dungeons running around, jumping on platforms and shooting ice-crystals, which can also be used to make platforms. Sometimes it just feels weird but you'll quickly adapt to it. Sometimes crawling through dungeons feels like a pain because some of the controls are so awkward. Each dungeon is also crawling with monsters. Battles are contact-based so if you touch a monster you'll be hurled into battle where you'll control each character with the use of the buttons on your PSP. Each button controls one character. The battle system feels refreshing and original at times. It also calls for a bit more strategy. By timing button presses you can string together combos, and you can also use magic by pressing the select button in battle. You won't use magic often (and pressing the select button to use magic just feels weird), and stringing together combos is usually enough to thwart any opponent.

Experience points are divided among your characters how you see fit. You will, of course find it better to spend them on your current party. Although, you might want to consider spending some experience points on your outside souls because Odin will be wanting strong souls. Not weak ones. Depending on how you do this may also affect the ending of the game. To get the better ending you will have to send Odin strong souls. There are a multitude of endings for you to get as well. Seeing as how on average it'll only take you twenty hours to complete the game, going for the different endings is pretty worthwhile.

The best thing about Valkyrie Profile is the music. Some of the best I've heard in an RPG before. The soundtrack, beautifully conducted, is what makes this game really worthwhile in the end. It always has the right music at the right time.

Valkyrie Profile also has multiple endings and diffculty levels. Your actions make a difference in the ending you get. Even better, some endings and souls can't be obtained unless you're willing to play on different difficulty levels. This brings Valkyrie Profile's replay value way up.

There are a couple of things that keep Valkyrie Profile from being as fantastic as other RPGs. For one, the story, while fantastic, is very slow. A lot of cutscenes are long and spend a lot of time talking and rehashing conversations that have already taken place. Some cutscenes have voice acting. Some voices are really good, sounding just the way you want them to sound. Others sound a little too over-dramatic and over the top at times. Still, for what it's worth the voice acting is perfect.

However, my biggest gripe with the game is how the recruiting system works. I didn't play the originl Playstation version, you see, and the game does a horrible job at explaining how to recruit souls. They do a horrible job at explaining how to organize and manage your party. In other words, the learning curve to this game is pretty steep. You may need some outside help to get you going. By the time you yourself learn the bells and whistles of recruiting, you'll come to see that your team isn't nearly as good as they could be. Luckily though, once you get it down you can really make a power house team. I just wish that they had explained it better.

The game also takes a very long time to load. Several PSP games suffer from this, but Valkyrie Profile suffers a great deal from it. It takes a few seconds to open the menu and to get things going within the menu. For example, the game has to load every time you equip a character, use an item, etc. The load times are horribly long, but they stack up really quickly, especially with how much you're in the menu. To accompany the often annoying load times, you'll also be faced with slowdown at some parts. So while it's a port it isn't a fantastic port. Some of the mechanics didn't make it over to the PSP all that well. Still, it beats shelling out more than one-hundred dollars from a greedy collector.

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a fantastic experience for those who want to re-experience it and for those new to the game itself. It's not as good as the Playstation original, and it may be another port for the PSP, but it's still an overall rewarding experience.

On the Positive Side
+A port of one of the Playstation's most sought after RPGs
+Engaging and perplexing storyline
+Great Gameplay Mechanics...
+Fantastic Soundtrack
+Multiple endings and difficulty levels make for replay
+The games short length also makes for replay value
+Beautiful Artwork

On the Negative Side
-Long load times
-The gameplay mechanics don't get an in-depth explanation making for a steep learning curve
-Long drawn out cutscenes make the pacing of the story really slow

A moving story.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Graphics: 7/10.
Well, we are talking about a PS1 port. So don't expect much here. But the new CGs are nice, and even the old PS1 sprites are actually pretty nicely animated. And the super/special moves (PWS) are rather nice, too.

Sound: 6/10.
The dialoguing is very annoying at first. It's very much apparent the moment you start up the game, when you have to go through the prologue. Once you get used to it, it's not bad. The sound effects seem a bit primitive too, but again, this is a rather old game. Btw, as the fans will quickly note, the game uses the same voice actors as Pokemon. :D

Gameplay: 7/10
It's an interesting mix of platforming, puzzles, turn based and real time combat. Personally, I did not enjoy the platforming part. That genera was never my favorite, and the PSP's diagonal insensitivity makes some of the jumps a pain to do. The combat is rather fun and original. But after about mid game, your characters are so over-leveled and over-equipped, almost all of the battles except for a few boss battles become trivial.

Replay: 8/10
There's a lot to do here. And the chances are, that on your first game, you've missed out the "A" ending, the true ending. The standard "B" ending is pretty mundane. And there are quite a few characters in the game, and you probably will not get to explore all of them until you replay the game. Personally, I'm a story driven player, so once I know the plot, I have little interest in replaying the game, but I think many players don't mind going through the story again- and for such players, the replay value should be fairly high.

Story: 9/10
A most excellent story. The many characters that you come across have rather poignant stories, and you learn that each of them, are small reflections of your main character. The plot is weaved very nicely, although it is somewhat slow in the beginning. My only negative that's keeping this from being a 10/10, is the very last scene- it somewhat left me unfulfilled. But I hear that's a matter of opinion.

The best RPG for the PSP so far...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Valkyrie Profile was an RPG that came out during the later days of the PSX. While it never achieved massive success, it went on to become an RPG classic and has garnered a very loyal following.

Fast forward to 2006, and we see the re-release of this awesome RPG for the PSP. However, don't make the mistake of writing this off as a plain old port.

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth includes "new" high quality CG movies that help immerse you in the story. The graphics consist of highly detailed sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds; when seen on the vivid PSP screen, it just makes the game look downright beautiful. Some of the combos are just awesome to look at.

The battle system is a mix of real-time and turn-based fighting that is surprisingly intuitive; newcomers and old pro's will have no problem getting used to it. At first glance, it might look simple, but as you progress through the game, you'll find a depth to it that makes it quite fun.

The main story, itself, is very well developed...even if this RPG doesn't follow the traditional linear way of telling it. One of the things I enjoyed most about this game is the character "episodes" you see when you collect a new soul to help in the battle to save Valhalla.

If you enjoy RPGs, or feel adventurous enough...I highly recommend you buy this game. It's definitely a must have PSP game.

An original RPG that helps alleviate from the cluster of cliche titles out there!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

With so many cliche RPGs riddling the market over the past few years, Valkyrie Profile is a welcome installment in any RPG fan's library. Tri-Ace(the developers) chose to make this game something that many have strove for yet few have reached; that is original and still compelling.

To help the reader find just what they are looking for I will separate this review into 5 parts: Graphics, Storyline, Battle system, originality, and audio.

*Graphics*
The new CG sequences that have been added to VP: Lenneth are absolutely stunning. They occur quite frequently as well, and you can watch each one of them whenever you want from the main screen! The character sprites are also highly detailed as well as the environments and enemies.

*Storyline*
Valkyrie Profile's plot is a welcome entry in the genre in that it is a fresh idea. Just a summary of the game proves that point (you play as Lenneth, a valkyrie who Odin has charged with collecting the dead to become Einjeriar in the battle of Ragnarok) The entire game is working up to one moment at the end of time, and Lenneth must act quickly to collect as many souls as possible. This makes things all the more interesting by adding time limits to the game. Don't worry, there's more than enough time to do it all, you just have to be tactical in your approach. Also, with so many different characters it is usually hard to develop each one of them, i.e. Radiata Stories, but Tri-Ace does an excellent job of letting the player connect on an entirely new level with each one.

*Battle system*
VP: Lenneth also houses a unique battle system that is easy to learn, but takes the entire game to master. The effects in battle are dazzling, my personal favorite is Nibelung Valesti, and every character has a certain strength and weakness. There are also a TON of distinct weapons, armor, and accessories to bring to battle.

*Originality*
There's almost no purpose to this category if you've read the ones above it, but I feel that I must stress just how original this game is! One interesting aspect that is pulled off nicely is that the game is a side-scroller. This makes for some mind-bending puzzles throughout the entire game. There are also three different endings for the game, but the best one is almost impossible to get, and I personally had to use a guide to do it!

*Audio*
This game features an excellent soundtrack that seems to reverberate throughout your being the entire game. From fast paced dungeons to creepy hovels to war-torn towns the music is always well-done. The voice-acting is also fairly well put together as well.

And there you have it, a 5-step breakdown of the artwork that is Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. If you get anything from this review, I hope it is the appreciation of what Tri-Ace spent so long to put together, and if love RPGs and are in need of a challenge you definitely need to pick it up for yourself!

Rent Before You Buy

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Back in '99, I owned the original copy of VP, but sold it to Game Stop to purchase Suikoden II a mere three days after the purchase. The amateurish voice acting really grated on my nerves, as well as having a "time limit" to play the game, topped with a lack of true world exploration and character interactment.

Over a course of seven years, I heard the game was EXCELLENT from many gamers, so I thought I had really missed out on something special due to my quick judgment. The original game, retailing at an astounding 100+ dollars made the title even more alluring. Years later, I picked up Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, thinking I would never play the original and this would be the next best thing. As fate would have it, VP was ported to the Playstation Portable!
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this game. Playing felt like a chore.
For those of you who sold your copy with the same mindset I had, or have always been curious about the title, but refuse to pay a ridiculous price for the original...you may want to rent this first before you buy.

Here are the Pros and Cons of this game:

Pros:
-A unique revision of Norse Mythology. You can really use this game as a tool to cause Norse Myth buffs to "spin on their eyebrows" and the liberties taken with the Pantheon (Heh,heh)
-20+ recruitable characters
-Clean CGI visuals
-No random battles
-No need to worry about "money farming" to purchase arms and items

(*More of a personal "pro", for those of you who have played the PS2 prequel before this...Brahms. Oh, LAWD, Brahms! <3*)

Cons:
-PAINFULLY repetitive
-Lackluster sound track
-Bad voice acting (with the exception of the new CGI cut scenes), poorly delivered lines.
-Timed.
-Little to no world exploration
-Not much of a story, really. Why were the Aesir and Vanir fighting one another? I was disappointed by the lack of appearance by Hel, Goddess of the Norse Underworld (..Hel).
-Virtually no character interaction. Coupled with the lackluster story, this feels very hollow and boring if you're accustomed to playing traditional RPGs, and this missing element really formed my opinion about the game. Lenneth is the only character that really shares her thoughts (which is usually the same "ice princess" kind of attitude).
I liked VP2: Silmeria in this respect, as a certain degree of camaraderie was felt between Alicia and the core Einherjar. Many "main" characters were flat, had virtually no dialog or purpose, and back stories and motives went unexplained, even if one has played the PS2 prequel, VP2: Silmeria. For example, how and when did Lezard come to become so sickly enamored with Lenneth? What was the depth of Brahms's and Silmeria's relationship? Lezard and Mystina? During a certain event in the game, you'll be asking yourself, "Why are Arngrim and Mystina even emotionally affected by this?"
-One DUD of an ending. (I received the "A Ending", i.e. the "best" ending)
-Voices CANNOT be muted
-Cutscenes involving einherjar recruitment can't be skipped, and can be quite lengthy.
-Items cannot be sufficiently organized. Searching your inventory for an Elixir can be a real annoyance if one has too many items
-Providing you meticulously preened your Seal Rating during certain chapters to receive the "A Ending", the 3 final bosses on Asgard Hill have an extreme advantage against you (As much as I'm ashamed to admit in this review, I wasn't able to defeat Bloodbane and reach the true final boss, and had to resort watching the ending via YouTube, despite cutting down every single boss and enemy I had encountered with relative ease--except the Mandragora in the Forest of the Elves. Oh, GOD, AVOID THE MANDRAGORA! RUN or use a Tome of Alchemy if you encounter them!)

All in all, rent this game before you buy. The original PSone version certainly isn't worth a price tag the size of friggin' Jotnar (a little Norse Mythos geekery for you guys). You might consider playing the prequel for the PS2, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria instead. That game too, has its rough spots, but can be enjoyable nonetheless.

For those of you who are Square-Enix fans, looking to play the good 'ol classics of Enix and Tri-Ace, I recommend Star Ocean 2 (which is being ported to the PSP with major improvements). It's a real blast!

NOTE: *If any other reviewer can shed light or correct me on some of the things I've said about story elements or characters, I would be greatly appreciative and edit my review accordingly.*

I like how idiots complain about this game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 14
Date: October 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The introduction ISN'T boring, it ISN'T long, and it IS one of the best introductions to a game made by Enix/SE. If you don't like the omg 25 min to wste on into2111!!!1, then don't buy another RPG for as long as you live. RPGs are supposed to have stories, and this one is no different. If you don't like it, take it back and get a refund... don't play RPG's like this if you can't stand words. Go play some GTA or something--- oh wait, theres words in that too.

My review for Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I really enjoy this game. I enjoy how the battle system is in this game. The graphics are great on the PSP. I am still in the middle of playing this game, and am enjoying it greatly. Also the plot is very enjoyable.

A Better Deal than You Might Think

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lenneth is more than a port of a seminal RPG for the PSOne. The aesthetic improvements in the current edition are substantial. New cut scenes make the basic game graphics seem almost primitive by comparison. What's more, the sound, soundtrack, voices and effects are leagues better than those in the original, and a preview of the prequel, Valkyrie Profile 2, is also included. If style matters to you as much as substance, then you'll like what you see and hear.

A few minor qualms: Unfortunately, Lenneth PSP doesn't incorporate the improvements in the American PSX edition (the most important of which is *visual confirmation of the weapon the protagonist is carrying*). Since Lenneth PSP was ported from the Japanese edition, the PSP version's improvements are built on an earlier revision of the game. Also: Basic gameplay graphics and mechanics have remained fundamentally unchanged, which is why some of the battles feel dated.

That said, the remapping of the controls is not refreshing, but neither is it obtrusive or limiting. And while the game is not new, it remains fresh and innovative if you don't find the old school mechanics daunting. Given the rarity and singular niche of the original game, this current version remains an excellent deal.

(Dramatic pause.) Why do I say Lenneth is an excellent deal when it seems to be OOP and various vultures on eBay and elsewhere are selling the PSP version for as much as $90? Because what they don't want you to know is this: The company that published Lenneth still sells it. You heard me correctly: the game is still in print! Why no second-party vendor has had it in stock for five months is a mystery (Amazon: take note!), but I received my own copy last week for the original price and in perfect condition.

If you love RPGs, get this one while you can. Take a break from Persona 3 and Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness. Rediscover this elegant post-feminist exploration of Nordic myth -- at turns majestic and morbid -- before it disappears. It isn't as rare as vultures want you to believe, but if you wait too long, it is likely to slip from your grasp.

AAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 31
Date: August 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Pretty much sums up how I felt after 15 minutes of introductory waffle, hellishly annoying bingy bongy music and (admittedly very pretty) cut scenes, totally emotionless voice overs, impossibly slow conversations that served little or no point.

And to be honest at that point it was either switch off the psp or throw it against a wall. I decided to switch it off.
Now I'm a big fan of adventure games, played untold legends 1 till it gave up on me (literally left hanging around with nothing to do and no more quests on offer).

From what I can gather, the in game graphics for Valkyrie (after 15 minutes [though it seemed like much longer]) I'd seen some really cool character graphics - bit like tekken DR in-game graphics - and some of those horrible 2d munchkin japanese rpg graphics, which are the in-game stuff.
So the bit you play looks like it's 20 years old and should be on a gba, the cutscenes are nice but there will no doubt be far too many of those - ie: 5 minutes of slow cut scenes for every encounter.

I can't say this is a proper review as I couldn't stand this title long enough to get to any actual gameplay and there's no way I'm sitting through that intro again.

My advice, if you like the long winded old style walk-and-talk for three hours before actually doing anything, japanese rpgs. Get this (or better still go to an antiques shop and find an old text adventure).
If you prefer a game where you actually play the character and do stuff - avoid this like the plague.
I've got high hopes for dungeon siege when it comes out (but then I had high hopes for valkyrie too :-( ), but for now untold legends 2 is okay, not as good as it should have been but a helluva lot more fun than valkyrie.

I would like to point out that I've never played on a ps2, xbox or game cube - so this is the first time I've seen a valkyrie profile game. I didn't have any preconceptions, obviously if I had I'd never have gone anywhere near this title in the first place :-)

Great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: October 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

if anyone has played any of the final fantasy games then im sure they would love it. It dosent have the greatest graphics but it is sure worth playing. The only thing that made me want to pull out my hair was how long the begining was!!

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