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New Blood #8 : Valkyrie Profile (Lenneth)
 Aaron Gray
Games of old are a dime a dozen, but very few are classics. One game that is a classic is Valkyrie Profile. Not many knew this game existed back in the days of the first Playstation because it came out too late when the PS past its prime time.
Ancient Revived
So what better way to catch more fans than to give Valkyrie Profile a second chance? Re-released as Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), the game is as good as it was back then.
You take control of a Valkyrie named Lenneth, and you have been summoned by lord Odin of Asgard to collect souls of fallen warriors (a.k.a. Einherjar) from the mortal plane. These souls are important to Asgard as they would be fighting on the side of the Norse gods against hordes of demons, giants and other evil beings foretold in the coming of Ragnarok. Time is not on your side, however as the said doomsday is fast approaching.
Sounds straightforward enough, but there’s more than meets the eye. Other than locating and extracting the souls from the fallen warriors, you will also have side quests to complete. Some of them are optional, but completing them might yield you better items than you could ever buy or find.
Although the game is strictly two-dimensional, there are many instances where you need to solve clever puzzles. As you progress further, some of them will become quite challenging. The battle sequence is quite breath-taking.
By now, you should have already realised that Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is no run-of-the-mill action platformer. There are RPG elements incorporated into the game, where you’ll get to increase stats by levelling up. Party members can also be equipped with weapons, armours and accessories you have. Items can be found or transmuted from Lenneth’s power of Transmulation (at the cost of Materialise Points), allowing you to replenish your stocks from time to time. Levelling up is fairly easy once you have the right team members and equipments. You will find enemies to fight in caves, forests and abandoned mines to gain experience and items. These locations are usually found between towns and cities you’ll be exploring. Sometimes, clearing these areas yield bonuses. I’ll let you find those out yourself ;).
Unlike standard RPGs, enemy forms are shown. This allows you to avoid battles you deem unnecessary, especially if you’re running low on health and need to escape. Whenever you’re not in a battle, you can command Lenneth to walk, run, jump and even shoot crystals which will freeze enemies in their tracks for a limited time. Once an enemy freezes, you can jump on and use them as stepladders.
In battle sequences, the usual turn-based RPG rule applies here. But here’s the best part: instead of selecting a move from one of your party members, each one is actually tied to an action button. Pressing one button multiple times would cause your selected fighter to rush and attack in succession. The best part of this system is that you can chain the attacks from other party members as well. Do also notice the “Hit Meter”, attached to the left side of the enemy’s HP (health points) bar. When you land enough hits on an opponent, the bar will trigger a devastating move called “Purify Weird Soul”. Each character has his or her own ‘final attack’ moves.
Depending on your overall progress, you will attain one of three endings. If you’re looking for replay value, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth definitely has it.
Overview
Not bad for a game that’s more than half a decade old. The born-again Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth still comes across as one of the most fun and challenging games I’ve played in recent years. The portable handheld version enhances the game’s visual and audio properties as new CGI animated cut-scenes have been added.
 To Aaron, old is gold. Share your favourite old games with him at
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