An Action RPG worth fighting for
09/18/22 — by Justin Muslemi (PSN: xHawKx)
Well, here we are. Finally. We get another installment in the Valkyrie series since, what, 20 or so years? With the release of Valkyrie Elysium only a couple weeks away, Square Enix has graced us with a demo (which SE oddly did NOT advertise, at least, not very well) so we could get a feel for its action-packed sequel. How do the beginning couple hours look and feel so far? I’ve dug into the demo to let you all know just that! Let’s get started!
So to start things off, Square lets us play the entirety of the first chapter, which include a couple of boss fights. The game starts with a cutscene, then you’re put into the Castle as Odin speaks to you about how you’ve been created to purify the world, as well as tasked with saving it. You’re then cast into the game world, and this is where all your exploration and combat will take place. Speaking of the combat, let me just tell you, this is by and far the BEST part of the game so far, and might become one of my favorite action RPG games of the year.
So let’s start with the basics. Valkyrie is equipped with your common sword. She also has access to magic spells called Divine Arts, which in the demo included lightning, fire, earth, and healing spells. Using these takes a rune away, which you can quickly gain back from landing hits in combat. You’re given 3 runes in the demo. Now, the little twist Valkyrie Elysium puts on the magic is quite neat. If you hit an enemy with a spell that they are weak to, they’ll go into what’s called a ‘crushed state’ where they become stunned for a time. This is where you can take advantage and deal MAJOR damage to your foes. I’m happy to report combat as a whole feels extremely good. The action is fast, responsive, and most importantly……a hell of a lot of fun.
So, do you remember where I talked about putting the enemy in a ‘crushed state’ with your magic? Well, complimenting this are spirits of warriors you can summon called Einherjars. This kind of reminded me a bit of Folkore. But the difference here, is the Einherjars stay and fight with you for FAR longer. The tutorial in the beginning of the game lets you play with two of them–a swordsman and a huntress. The interesting thing here is each of them has their own elemental property. By summoning them, they automatically imbue your weapon with their magical property. Einherjars also make your magical spells extra powerful (the one that they’ve imbued your blade with), causing enemies that are currently being crushed to become stunned for far longer. It’s certainly a nice touch. They also hint that your summons will help you with environmental puzzles, with your Archer creating a platform out of ice, allowing you to cross.
Graphically? I mean……..this game certainly isn’t going to win any awards in that department. Certain parts look pretty good, but not great. Namely the characters and enemies that inhabit the world. The overall art style is aesthetically pleasing, but overall environmental design and quality of the textures is definitely lacking. Still, it’s absolutely not an ugly game by ANY means. In fact, I’ve taken a couple of screenshots of Valkyrie standing on cliffs staring out into the world, and I can say it put a smile on my face.
Valkyrie Elysium also shows that it has lots of growth potential. I obtained another type of sword after defeating the second boss. It was much quicker and was stronger against certain enemies. It gives you a glimpse of how you can further improve Valkyrie. You’re able to upgrade your weapons, to give it more attack power, as well as unlock new moves with said weapons. As of the demo, there are 3 different skill trees you can use your gems to improve: Attack-Defend-Support. I almost forgot, you do get a grappling device called the Soul Chain, which not only allow you to grapple on an enemy to quickly close the distance and keep on the offensive, but also to discover hidden paths that, so far, only lead to treasure chests and things called ‘Hollow Blossoms’.
With the release so close, it’s probably not likely SE is going to drastically improve the textures. But that’s ok. That’s not what I remember most about this demo. Not even close. I really think you owe it to try this demo for yourselves, if you’re even a SMALL fan of Action RPG’s, I believe you’ll come out of this demo wanting much, much more. From its rock-solid framerate to silky smooth and fun gameplay, to its subtle but interesting story, along with letting you loose with magic and summons, I think come September 29th, Valkyrie Elysium will leave fans of this genre extremely impressed.
