Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2) > Reviews (4)

Valkyrie Profile 2 (VP2) is the sequel to the PS1 game Valkyrie Profile (which is available on the PSP in the UK). The story revolves around Alicia, who is possessed by the soul of the valkyrie Silmeria, as she tries to reach her home country after many years in exile. She gets caught up in a number of affairs and along the ways twists in the story occur.

The gameplay as with most rpgs is split into two types: Field and Battle. The fields are 2D and Alicia moves like she is in platformer. In towns, you can buy weapons and items and find info on where to go next. In dungeons, you can initiate battles by slashing at enemies or solve puzzles to progress. Alicia has the ability to crystallise and swap places with objects and this ability is used in puzzles. Each dungeon has orbs which affect the battles and often you enter with a whole bunch of negative effects in play. Negating these orbs is vital to progressing in dungeons. Once neutralised, these effects can be transferred to other dungeons and aid you as you play. Once in battle the third dimension comes into play. As the player moves around the battlefield, the enemies do to. Once the enemy reaches the players attack circle, the attack can begin where the player can attack along as they have AP. Normal movement recharges AP, while attacking dashing or using items or magic expends it. The key is to attack at the enemy's weak spot, typically by dashing around it. It's a very complex system but the game does introduce you to the elements at a decent pace.

Visually VP2 is one of the best looking games on the PS2. From the character models to the environments, the game looks amazing. Even with the flat fields, the game is still great to look at. The 3D battle environments work well and give the feel that they aim to. Sound wise, the Motoi Sakuraba composed soundtrack is amazing. The voice over is actually pretty good for this type of game.

In terms of difficulty, the game can get very difficult by the end of chapter 3. The game lasts for around 40 hours and that is before the end of the optional Seraphic Gate dungeon, which can last for 10 hours itself.

VP2 is a great game but is not for everyone. It can be difficult and the story is abit of a mess. However the battle system is amazing and some of the puzzles can be satisfying to solve. One of the great PS2 RPGs. It's also dirt cheap, and recently I acquired a new sealed copy from Tesco for £3. Absolute bargain!