Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Square Enix - Square Enix
Sony PSP
Release date: 2006-07-19
Video Game
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Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Date undefinedExcellent sequel/prequel in the Valkyre series, the PSP shines at this console interpretation of the game. Fun, challenging and no need to play previous or later Valkyre series to appreciate.
Violence is on par for this style of game and I would recommend it to any age that understands sometimes fighting for whats right is the only means.
I look forward to more of the series in the future albeit PSP or any Playstation console version.
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Date undefinedalthought the graphics are a bit lame at times and the voices can make you want to kill your self the game over all is a great buy for the hardcore rpg player the cut scenes are nicely done and the story is very deep it starts off a bit slow but give it time and you wont be able to put it down.
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Date undefinedBack 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.*
