Valkyrie Elysium is not only the latest entry in the long-running series that started with Valkyrie Profile two decades ago, but it's also an attempt at a revival - a theme that also works as a metaphor for the series. As a Valkyrie, players must help Odin in saving a dying world from Ragnarok. Through chapters, each set up as stages, Valkyrie traverses multiple ruins and cities, encounters monsters straight from Norse mythology, and runs into several characters that help give more weight to Valkyrie Elysium's storyline. While it's ittedly great to have a new Valkyrie game on home consoles, Valkyrie Elysium isn't wholly stuck in the past - it's also appealing to those who may be completely new to the series.
As a sequel to Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Elysium has a lot of the features found in previous games, especially when it comes to a story steeped in Norse myth and familiar-looking character designs. The gameplay loop - in which Valkyrie spends time in Asgard with Odin before diving back into story-related missions - mostly works. Having to revisit areas to complete side quests can get repetitive and also tack on hours to Valkyrie Elysium's strangely short playtime, but the rewards can make the repetition worthwhile. Weapon enhancements and upgrades are also enjoyable and using Einherjar (recruitable characters) and Divine Arts in combat is a highlight.
Combat is really Valkyrie Elysium's greatest strength. It's frenetic and fluid and there are plenty of new moves and weapons to unlock that can keep battles feeling fresh. The changes in combat may divide longtime fans, but it's actually well done. In fact, so much attention to detail was provided to its combat and battle-related systems that it's a shame that Valkyrie Elysium's storyline regarding Ragnarök feels so flat. The characters don't seem nearly as well-developed as they should be, and the story is adequate but nothing special. In many ways, it feels like a musou game where the point isn't the characters or stories - it's the combat - even if it's missing the hordes of enemies musou games have. Even the way the chapters are broken up into stages and the way they require revisits to complete side quests feels more like a Dragon Quest Heroes game than a more traditional action RPG. For a game that seems to be prioritizing combat, though, Valkyrie Elysium certainly delivers.
The biggest obstacle may be Valkyrie Elysium's reliance on Norse myth. This has been with the series from the beginning, but it feels much less original now that the MCU's Thor and Loki are part of the zeitgeist and games like God of War have embraced the Norse gods as well. This isn't Valkyrie Elysium's fault, really, but it may deter some players who feel fatigued by Norse myth's ever-growing presence in pop culture. It also makes the game's story feel generic, and that's really the biggest issue with Valkyrie Elysium - its environments, gameplay mechanics, and story all come across as bland. Most of it doesn't feel nearly as good as it should be, even if none of it is actually bad.
Valkyrie Elysium is a lot of fun, and maybe that's good enough. It's a shame that a new Valkyrie Profile game isn't more than simply adequate, especially after all this time, but anyone looking for a quick and engaging action RPG will leave satisfied. It may not be a masterpiece, but Valkyrie Elysium is still entertaining and enjoyable.
Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 copy of Valkyrie Elysium for the purpose of this review.
