Valkyrie Elysium

Valkyrie Elysium is quite a fun action title. The complexity and elements of its combat make it very entertaining to rid Midgard of fearsome beasts. Unfortunately, it has some technical problems that affect the experience.

For many, Valkyrie Elysium may be average at best. However, what ticks it up a notch for me are the themes, elements, and pieces of the Valkyrie franchise that I know and love. Many games have tried to copy the series, only to fall short and become little more than superficial knock-offs that take the combat and little else. Developer SoleiL has managed to take the soul of the Valkyrie games and put it into a new vessel. It may look and play differently, but it certainly has the heart of the series in it. Though Valkyrie Elysium is much better than I’d expected, I’m hopeful the next entry in the series will be less restrained and “safe,” opting for crazier and flashier instead. In the meantime, I’ll continue trying to will Valkyrie Profile 3: Hrist into existence. Maybe this time, it’ll work.

Despite not having the budget of an AAA, Valkyrie Elysium has a solid combat system that breathes new life into this series. There are aspects that need improvement, but this is still a great experience.

This entry to the Valkyrie series makes a graceful shift into the action RPG genre while only stumbling in a few small ways.

Valkyrie Elysium has an incredibly fun combat system at its base along with some light platforming and RPG elements, however it doesn’t go too far beyond that. The rote story is held up by good twists and likable characters, but I can’t help but see massive potential just beyond what the game presents. Still, if you’re an action game junkie like me, this is well worth your time and more.

Valkyrie Elysium is an enjoyable action JRPG suffering from clear problems regarding its camera system and more granular details. Yet its core combat is undeniably stellar, with transparently depicted customization and upgrading. Additionally, its cast and narrative are light but effective, paving the way for a satisfying adventure if you don’t embrace critical presumptions. Despite my initial disappointments with this entry’s lack of clear connective tissue to the franchise’s origins, I genuinely love my time with this title. I hope its gameplay elements are used as a basis and improved upon for future installments.

It’s a solid experience that feels like an extension of its ancestor, and both newcomers and old fans should check it out. However, I also fear there’s not quite enough to latch on to, and it may be lost in the shuffle of all the other games out this fall. Much like another Square Enix action-RPG this year, I do wish it had pushed itself just a little further.

Overall, Valkyrie Elysium is a great, although rough around-the-edges, action RPG, whose biggest strength lies in its dynamic combat system and in the charisma of some of its characters.

Although the story is pretty boring there is much fun to be found thanks to the combat systems and plenty of secrets to uncover in this bleak world. That's why Valkyrie Elysium is a fantastic time if you're keen on some fighting action.

Valkyrie Eysium lives and dies by its fast paced combat system, and it's worth trying for that one alone. It's a distinctly low budget effort from Square Enix, but still a game with a soul, even if with a lot of room for improvements. If you like fast paced hack''n'slash games in the vein of the ones from Platinum Games, give this a try.

Valkyrie Elysium is a competent action game with a solid battle system and some interesting RPG tweaks but the shallow narrative and the feeble reference to the original games might turn fans of the franchise off.

Valkyrie Elysium was supposed to be a major comeback for the franchise and it really tries. However, we have a game with good deep and fun gameplay but the story is largely wasted. The new players will feel good but we could have had something better.

While some elements of Valkyrie Elysium are disappointingly lackluster, in the end, the combat is excellent. That alone was enough to keep me engaged through the game’s dozen or so hours. I have a pretty long wish list for future games, like more impressive visual design and more interesting missions. But the real-time action? It’s a keeper.