Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
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  1. netjak
    73
    Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria was tweaked where it shouldn't have been, and was left alone where it needed tweaks. It's still a fun time, but it's unquestionably a step down from its classic predecessor.
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  2. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    70
    It's just too bad that such an intricate--albeit slightly flawed--game is covered in a beautiful wrapper that you can't explore beyond a 2D plane. [Oct. 2006, p.84]
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  3. Game Revolution
    67
    Taking a cult hit and squeezing it into a more conventional mold was a bad choice, but still, Valkyrie Profile 2: SIlmeria is worthy of a third entry, which will hopefully be something along the lines of Valkyie Profile 3: Lenneth 2, call me crazy.
  5. G4 TV
    60
    At its core the game is fiendishly clever. Like the game's baroque visuals, the mechanics are equally ornate – nearly diabolically so. It's a shame to discover such a meticulously crafted game cobbled together with duct-tape.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PS2 Game of 2006
36
#36 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
40
#40 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 113
  3. Negative: 5 out of 113
  1. pandaman3608
    Aug 18, 2012
    10
    This game is probably one of the most clever RPG's I've ever played. It makes you think it's a prequel, but then there's all these twists inThis game is probably one of the most clever RPG's I've ever played. It makes you think it's a prequel, but then there's all these twists in the plot that make you question the validity of that. These twists are what basically make the story so great in the first place. The music, again composed by Motoi Sakuraba, is fantastic, the graphics are gorgeous, and the combat is addicting. My only concern is that the character design, though meticulously detailed, is very wooden because the lip-synching is just terrible. Other than that, if you loved the first Valkyrie Profile, you're definitely gonna love this game.… Full Review »
  2. Caestus
    Aug 23, 2013
    9
    Valkyrie Profile Silmeria has an awesome and deep battle system with lot of possibilities. Graphics are fabulous and the OST has many goodValkyrie Profile Silmeria has an awesome and deep battle system with lot of possibilities. Graphics are fabulous and the OST has many good tracks in it. Great game with a great battle system.… Full Review »
  3. frankfartmouth
    Feb 15, 2011
    7
    Along with Okami, Odin Sphere, and Final Fantasy X, this is one of the most visually stunning games to come out for the PS2, or for anyAlong with Okami, Odin Sphere, and Final Fantasy X, this is one of the most visually stunning games to come out for the PS2, or for any system, last or current gen. It's also really refreshing to see side scrolling brought back to the front burner like this. A wonderful throwback to the old school days, but still feels fresh and precise by modern standards. The music is also terrific, impressively ranging from stirring, Celtic village themes to the haunting, minimalistic sounds of a possessed woods or serpentine cavern.

    Getting to everything else, however, the praise begins to thin out. The battle system (the backbone of any RPG), while not without merit, is too easily gamed through repetitive, cookie-cutter tactics. I got to a point eventually where I could win just about any battle by simply breaking off a member of my group, placing him or her behind my enemy, and leading it around in circles to keep my attack gauge full and avoid hits. Some people argue that if a game has an easily exploitable flaw like this, you should just not use it and enjoy the game in a you-know-what-they-were-trying-to-get-at kind of way, but that doesn't make sense to me. That's like saying you should ignore bad acting in a film because you know they were actually trying to give a good performance. Games are judged by the depth and completeness of their design. That's their commodity. If the flaw is there, I'm going to exploit it.

    The story, too, is a bit lacking. Not terrible, but it takes too long to get to the major turns. And the dialogue is a bit Final Fantasy 4-ish, with hot-headed, 1D characters who form inextricable bonds over one firelit night at camp, but still retain a petty, soap opera bend to their interactions. That would have been fine in 1991, but at the tail end of the PS2 era, it feels stale and trite. The voice acting, too, while overall pretty acceptable, is at times laughably bad, almost in a good way. Especially some of the battle chatter from Lezard. Sometimes it was hard to tell whether they were being facetious or not. I say not, but I still got a laugh out of some of it, so I guess it's kind of a wash. Overall, a game that's just kind of all over the place. Terrific, Good, OK, and sometimes Pretty Bad. But mostly, it's just Pretty Good. I finished it at a fairly good clip, never really felt bored even when I knew the battles were a foregone win, and always enjoyed what I was seeing and hearing. I just wish they'd done something about that running around in circles thing.    … Full Review »
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