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Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> from Square Enix<\/strong> and Soleil ltd<\/strong> is unfortunately not going to be the title to revitalize and refresh the franchise from yesteryear. What we have here is a game that will be quite polarizing to a lot of gamers but one that nonetheless is still quite fun and honestly, is still worth checking out.<\/p>\n

In Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong>, players will take on the role of the titular Valkyrie. Created by Odin during the end of days, you are Nora, his vassal of peace. His last-ditch effort to save the three realms of Asgard, Midgard and Niflheim. The game brings you up to speed with the happenings in its world by means of a lengthy opening cutscene. In this cutscene, the history of the world is explained and it ends with a great battle between Odin and Fenrir. Odin is gravely wounded and retreats to Valhalla to recover. This is where he creates you, his Valkyrie to do his bidding and save the world.<\/p>\n

Purify the souls of the world<\/h2>\n

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As the Valkyrie, players will venture forth into the realms of Midgard and purify souls. With each soul that you purify, you help Odin recover some of his lost strength. However, things are always never that easy in video games and there\u2019s a lot to get through in Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong>. The entire game will take you around 15 hours to complete or possibly more depending on if you do the side quests or not.<\/p>\n

Players will have to fight through a tutorial which explains the basic gameplay mechanics and then it\u2019s off to Midgard to do Odin\u2019s bidding. At first, you\u2019ll be quite weak having access to only basic attacks. Over time though, you\u2019ll gain new abilities which really enhance your battle capabilities. This includes being able to summon an Einherjar. Einherjar is strong-willed souls that haven\u2019t disappeared into the void just yet. Each one that you summon has its own unique skills and attacks and they can be used to solve puzzles in the game world too.<\/p>\n

Players will also be able to use their Einherjar to infuse their weapons with elemental energy. This is in addition to your normal attacks and magic attacks. Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> follows a third-person hack-and-slash formula that feels very familiar while still incorporating its own flavour into the mix. If you\u2019ve played games such as Devil May Cry and Nier Automata, this game will appeal to you. It might not have the same level of polish as either of those titles but it doesn\u2019t exactly need it to be successful.<\/p>\n

Hack, slash and button bash!<\/h2>\n

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Combat gameplay in Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> involves stringing together combos to defeat foes while exploring larger levels. In between some very light platforming and exploration, there\u2019s a tonne of action because enemies can be found roaming around everywhere. Enemies are varied throughout the game but they do share similar models albeit with different colours or embellishments.
The levels you go through can feature the main story quest as well as unlockable side quests. The side quests do need to be launched separately via the world menu when you\u2019re in Valhalla but play out in the same area as the main quests. Each region, therefore, has a main quest and multiple side quests and completing the side quests nets you some tasty rewards.<\/p>\n

Defeating foes and completing side quests, as well as destroying certain objects in the environment, will reward you with gems and other items. Gems will be used to upgrade your weapons and skills throughout the game. Players will also unlock new weapons and new magic abilities as they defeat tougher foes and open treasure chests in the game. The weapon variation is great because using the same attacks over and over with the same weapon does become a tad repetitive over time.<\/p>\n

Players can assign two different weapons to the directional pad at a time and can equip these weapons on the fly by pressing the relevant button. Changing up your weapons and using a different one also helps to increase your proficiency with the new weapon. Thus, you need to balance using each weapon adequately enough if you want to be proficient with all of them.<\/p>\n

Upgrading your weapons not only increases their damage but it also unlocks new skills for you to perform with them. This is very Devil May Cry-esque and fans of that franchise will feel right at home here because of this. Heck you can even use a gameplay mechanic that feels almost like you\u2019re using Devil Mar Cry Nero\u2019s Devil Bringer arm to pull yourself towards an enemy<\/p>\n

Key elements<\/h2>\n

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Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> also features some really tough boss battles. Bosses need to be approached with caution and using the right element against them is key to victory. If you\u2019ve racked up enough damage against them with the right element, you can induce a state known as \u201cCrushed\u201d to them. This is extremely similar to Final Fantasy 13\u2019s stagger gauge. Once crushed, the boss can then be attacked in its weakened state and you can deal far more damage to it. The same gameplay mechanic also applies to normal enemies but for the most part, normal enemies are defeated before ever being crushed. This happens often unless you specifically use an elemental magic attack against them.<\/p>\n

Therein lies Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong>\u2019s biggest problem. Enemies are seemingly worthless fodder for you to button-bash through. There isn\u2019t really much of a challenge here and if you use the correct elemental magic or correct weapon imbued with the right element, you\u2019ll destroy everything in no time flat. While initially fun, this becomes slightly tedious and annoying later on. The new attacks and abilities do breathe some life into the game but when you\u2019ve played similar titles such as Scarlet Nexus, Final Fantasy XV, Tales of Arise and more, Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> feels decidedly lacklustre and formulaic. Like it\u2019s incorporated the basics from the greats and then barely innovated on it all. A dish with just some mayo on the side and no real spice.<\/p>\n

Graphically, with Unreal Engine powering the game, everything in it looks great. The effects are flashy and the environments are beautiful. There are some areas that could have used a bit more polish in the game but for the most part, it\u2019s visually pleasing to play through. The soundtrack is fine but there\u2019s nothing really stand out or is super catchy here and that\u2019s a tad disappointing.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict<\/h2>\n

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Overall, Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> falls into the trap of following in the footsteps of some really great JRPG action titles but then faltering in the major gameplay aspect of story and storytelling. The side quests are very straightforward but there isn\u2019t much real role-playing going on here nor is the story all that complex. It\u2019s an action game button-bashing grind that a certain niche of gamers will love while others will find tedious, formulaic and repetitive. If you were a fan of the old-school Valkyrie Profile games and their turn-based combat, this is quite a departure from that and might upset you because of its new fast-paced action hack-and-slash focus. With all the above said though, Valkyrie Elysium<\/strong> is still an enjoyable game and if you can give it a try first, you really should.<\/p>\n