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Platform
: PlayStation
Developer
: Tri-Ace
Publisher
: Enix
Players
: 1
Format
: 2 CDs |
Enix has always been known for bringing
us the goods from Japan, and they've done it again!
When I was first looking around for an RPG to burn a few months back, I wasn't
sure what to burn. In my mind then, Valkyrie Profile was just another game
sitting on the shelf with the fancy cover art. The third time I saw it for
rental I thought, "Thats it. I'm gonna burn it." And let me tell you,
if I had a choice to either burn Valkyrie Profile or something such as Star
Ocean, I'd go with Valkyrie Profile. The graphics themselves, while 2D, are very
sleek and attractive. Castles and buildings have a nice sense of realism to
them, which adds a lot of depth to a game. The character sprites are all nice
looking, with the standard ho-hum attack animations, but there is an exception
here... OFten you'll get the opportunity to "purify wierd soul." When
you do this, a character will often fly into an attacking frenzy that makes Omni
Slash and Lionheart look like childs play! Arngrim, who wields a large (and I
mean large!) is able to final blast, which does mega damage when he has awesome
weapons (we're talking upwards of 50'000 damage). The monster sprites look very
impressive as well, but some look a little... Strange... I was impressed greatly
by the sprites of such monsters like the zombie dragon or the necrophiliac.
Environments you run through are very detailed, every little piece of every wall
seems unique. The music in Valkyrie Profile can be somewhat catchy, but the game
has some tracks you'd like to dismantle But for the most part the music fits the
scene (notice how I said most!). Now the voices are really something unique.
From Suo screaming "Admirable skill, but still no match for me!" to
the Valkyrie herself yelling "Nibelung Valesti" when she prepares to
assault the opponents. Certain bosses have voices as well, one being the
gigantic Barbarossa. The problem with his voice though is that it is all raspy
and
horrible during combat. When in the field (or towns/dungeons characters often
speak back and forth to each other. If you were to close your eyes when they do
so, it seems as if your
near an actualy conversation. Very good job here, Tri-Ace.
The sound generates at least 5 points on the overall Sound/Music score, music
grabbing a measly 2.5 points for the certain tracks that don't go with the game
(some sound like metal or something...)! The storyline in Valkyrie Profile
isn't incredible, it doesn't make my jaw drop in awe... Hell,
Final Fantasy VI's spectacular story makes Valkyrie Profile's
dull story seem like a child's short story or something. None the less, it has
it's good points, and I'm not going to give away any spoilers... As for
replayability, you will NEVER have the same game twice. Remember that. There is
a lot of innovation in this game... Too bad there weren't any mini games, or
we'd be looking at a game that would be at least 10 times more addictive! In the
end, I was somewhat
satisfied, but I wanted more. In my eyes, Valkyrie Profile 2 is not impossible.
FINAL VERDICT
Graphics: 10/10
Sound & Music: 7.5/10
Storyline: 9/10
Replayability: 9.5/10
Innovation: 9/10
Overall: 45/50 = 90%
Final Comment: For a totally new, fun experience, play Valkyrie Profile.
- UPRC
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