It’s been a long time since Square Enix did anything with the Valkyrie Profile series. Outside the mobile outing with Valkyrie: Anatomy in 2016 the last time there was any activity on the mainline front was in 2008 Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plumeand before that a PlayStation Portable port of the original Valkyrie Profile in 2006. Nearly 15 years later, the company has decided to revisit what was left on the dusty shelves of history with a new, full-featured console release in Valkyrie Elysium.
Set to launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and eventually PC, Valkyrie Elysium recharges the Japanese action RPG series for this new generation. To illustrate the ins and outs of their new title, Square Enix has deemed it necessary to release a demo on PlayStation Network. It covers Valkyrie Elysium‘s first chapter and offers a closer look at the combat systems and fast-paced gameplay. As a bonus, saved data from the demo can be carried over to the final release when it launches on September 29.
As for demos, those for Valkyrie Elysium is not something to shrug your shoulders about. Clocking in at over two hours, it’s packed with tutorials to guide you through the action-combat systems and start a story steeped in Norse mythology. It’s part of the course for the series, but as a newcomer, to know what Valkyrie Elysium will be in the long run is very important.
Controlling a Valkyrie is the core concept here, as you’ll be spending a lot of your time cutting through enemies with a sword that loves heavy attacks and ultimate moves. One of the main mechanisms associated with your Valkyrie is the Einherjar – a warrior summoned to your side by spending a supply known as Soul Gauge. Einherjars are temporary and only accompany you for a limited time, but you can return them to battle once your meter is full again. If you need help, an automatic help function can also be turned on in the settings. In the demo, at least up to four Einherjars can be equipped with the capacity for two active simultaneously.
A skill called Soul Chain allows the player to platform around and explore surrounding locations and even take on enemies. The Soul Chain gimmick also feeds on combos and the like, making it a unique addition to the usual action RPG move set. Into the combat system Valkyrie Elysium offers another function with the addition of Divine Arts of magic. Combine elements with the Einherjar for a greater chance to deal more damage to the enemies on the field. By meeting the Elemental Crush bar and tackling the enemy’s weaknesses, your enemies can stun and submit. It has the beginnings of a complicated system that is sure to develop over time in the full game. Figuring out those weaknesses, switching weapons and casting spells in conjunction with the summoned Einherjar makes for an exciting battle pace.
On the visual front, Valkyrie Elysium is a significant step up from the previous games in the series, not only because of its next-generation hardware, but also in relation to other recent Square Enix titles. The character models are finely detailed and the muted colors match the overall tone that the story seems to be aiming for. The performance in the demo was also positive, with a smooth experience in both combat and field exploration. The presentation will be crowned with new music by composer Motoi Sakuraba – famous for his work in the previous Valkyrie games as well as the Stars Ocean and Stories from series.
After the tutorial, the demo will walk you through the main quest system, where you’ll be tasked with discovering the story and picking up a few side missions along the way. There’s a look at some other features that will be available in the full release such as items, weapons, and other gear, along with some sort of skill tree. You collect gems from downed enemies to spend on the upgrade paths mentioned above, including skills and weapon powerups. It’s basic modern RPG elements, but effective at showing the amount of customization likely to be on the way.
General Valkyrie Elysium is going to be another solid outing from Square Enix. While the series was dormant for some time, it just might have been for the best. The development team has done their best and put together an interesting action-RPG experience that I’d love to see more of soon.
TechRaptor viewed Valkyrie Elysium on PlayStation 5 using a demo downloaded by the writer. It is also available on PlayStation 4.
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