Valkyrie Elysium

One of the most unexpected – but greatly appreciated – bits of news we’ve gotten this year is that Square Enix is bringing back one of its most criminally underappreciated JRPG series. Valkyrie Elysium promises to deliver the same quality plot and mature themes as its predecessors – all thanks to the power that only next-gen consoles can provide.

While all the signs point towards an epic revival, there are some issues that might need to be ironed out before the game can achieve its full potential. There’s also a considerable number of players for whom Valkyrie Elysium might be their first foray into the series, and just how good is the experience going to be for them?

Profile Redefined

If you’re a fan of JRPGs, there’s a high chance that you’ve heard of the Valkyrie Profile series. The franchise has been dormant on home consoles since the PS2 days, which means that players have had to limit themselves to the impressively ambitious handheld titles.

The story of Valkyrie Elysium takes place in humanity’s darkest era. At the brink of extinction, the last humans make unexpected contact with the Nordic deities, which might or might not help them in their fight for survival.

It all sounds like your standard JRPG affair – after all, it doesn’t sound all too dissimilar from the plot of one of the Shin Megami Tensei games. However, the Valkyrie Profile series has always offered a unique take on combat tactics and random encounters that made it unique among its JRPG peers.

That said, fans of the PS2 titles might be up for a surprise once they boot up Valkyrie Elysium. The game has an entirely new battle system that follows Square Enix’s efforts to make their games feel more cinematic. Now, battles don’t interrupt the flow of exploration – which is an approach that we’ve seen before in other Square Enix RPGs like Final Fantasy XV.

Enchanting Exploration

Even though there hasn’t been a Valkyrie Profile game on home consoles in a while, the visual department of Valkyrie Elysium might be one of the most disappointing areas of the game so far.

Character models look uninspired, to say the least. Granted, the bland, generic anime designs might be somewhat to blame for this, but still, we’ve seen better visuals from titles like Xenoblade 2, and that’s a Nintendo Switch game.

Environments also look lackluster and drab. The color palette of most areas comes in different shades of gray and brown – you’ll feel like you’re playing a PS3-era title with all the murky colors and disappointing attention to detail. For a fantastical adventure set in a world where the divine and the mundane meet, Valkyrie Elysium looks all too uninteresting to attract new players.

As it is now, Valkyrie Elysium is a title that might only appeal to long-time fans of the series. It’s been a while since the series returned to home consoles, and if this title is any indication of the future of the series in next-gen consoles, Square Enix might need to up their game for the upcoming entries if they wish to compete against their other, much superior JRPG offerings.

Pros

• Well-written plot and some endearing characters
• Revamped battle system feels much more dynamic than before
• Tons of content to explore

Cons

• Visually uninteresting
• Lackluster character design
• Janky animations