Valkyrie Elysium Reviews
Valkyrie Elysium is a game of two halves. The level design and objectives feel at least two generations old and the characters and storyline are more like placeholders than the finished article. There's no capital F feelings here or much in the way of narrative justification, but if you're okay with that and you just want fifteen to twenty hours of fast, frantic, fluid combat then we can just about recommend this one.
Valkyrie Elysium brings the 20-year-old franchise to the PlayStation 4 and 5, switching out turn-based combat for hack 'n slash battles, and while the experience is fun, you just can't shake the feeling that we've seen this before.
In spite of those who since the announcement have criticized the choice of Square Enix to set aside the turn-based combat system of Valkyrie Profile, the spin-off packaged by Soleil has entertained us with a solid and varied playful dough, a satisfactory level of challenge and a lot of strategy.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Valkyrie Elysium is an action-oriented spin-off of the famous J-RPG saga, sadly nothing gives full satisfaction. The exploration is very linear despite the gigantic levels. The RPG aspect is reduced to a minimum.
Review in French | Read full review
Valkyrie Elysium's character action combat and usage of Valkyrie series themes and elements make it an above-average action RPG, but it sometimes lacks ambition.
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.
While the combat to this Valkyrie Profile action RPG spin-off is top notch, the rest of the game ranges from mediocre to merely serviceable.
Fans of the series were excited when Valkyrie Elysium was revealed, and a modern take on the loved franchise could have done it wonders. Unfortunately, the archaic level design and grubby visuals make the adventure feel like it would be more at home back on the PS3. Combat is its saving grace, dancing between combos and activating magic abilities on elemental foes in satisfying fashion. The Einherjar who fight alongside you add a nice touch, enhancing combat and adding some much-needed levity to the boring narrative. Mindless, enjoyable combat is here in spades, but it's not enough to make Valkyrie Elysium a reboot that I'd strongly recommend to anybody.
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 brings new life to a lapsed series via a commendable action-RPG engine.
Soulless yet almost serviceable as a light hack 'n slash Valkyrie Profile spinoff, Elysium is a 15-hour chore of ugly visuals, repetitive combat, and a mundane plot.
Valkyrie Elysium's strong combat can't fully overshadow an otherwise lifeless and mundane experience.
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.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This 15-hour trip through humanity's end of days will leave you envying the dead.
Essentially a character action game, Valkyrie Elysium does little to worry the heavy hitters in the genre such as Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. But while many of its components are simply adequate, its frenetic combat elevates it from mediocrity. There’s great fun to be had here, summoning Einherjar, using your Soul Chain to zip around the battlefield and making use of more advanced skills to decimate your opponents. Ultimately, it’s not going to set anyone’s world on fire, but it’s definitely worth spending some time with.
Valkyrie Elysium has some pretty sad lows, but it does have a few highs that make it endearing. The developer clearly has a lot of talent at making stylish 3D action games on a shoe-string budget and they got the most important parts right.
Odd design choices lead to a not so stellar action game with an unfortunately generic, asset-y world design. [i]Valkyrie Elysium[i/] has great moments but is stuck in a mediocre shell that is missing the unique draws of the previous entries in the series. Once the story gets moving it's a good Valkyrie story, but a lack of polish leaves this game floundering instead of standing tall.
In the process of renovation, Valkyrie Elysium changed genre and sacrificed its RPG essence to become an action RPG that takes us back to the golden age of hack and slash. Unfortunately, its simple story and limited exploration can make you lose interest in continuing to play until the end.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Nonetheless, I found myself utterly captivated by this game, which takes so many creative risks in the name of its vision. The limited “story” in favour of a deeper narrative working on a more subtle level, downbeat and muted visuals, and graceful rather than visceral combat are all things that are lauded in video games, however appropriate to the experience that the developer is crafting. But this team stuck with the vision, and we should be thankful for that. If you do enjoy the likes of theatre, opera, and ballet, then Valkyrie Elysium belongs to the incredibly small group of titles that share a similarity to those art forms, and that’s more than a nice to have, it’s the kind of art we need to see more developers experimenting with.