Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria - A Unique RPG

One of the most unique RPG's of all time was released several years ago on the Playstation console. This game followed the Norse mythology and put a new spin on traditional RPG's. What is this game I speak of? Valkyrie Profile. Recently, the second installment of this popular game has been released, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria takes place hundreds of years before the events of the original Valkyrie Profile. This epic story follows a tale of abandonment, war, revenge, and strength. The story begins with the God, Odin, banishing one of his 3 Valkyrie servants, Silmeria. The Valkyries serve Odin by collecting the souls of the courageous fallen ones and sending them to Valhalla. But Silmeria decides to disobey Odin. This angers the God so he sends Silmeria to be reincarnated inside a mortal human, where she will remain dormant.

Unfortunately, something goes wrong and Silmeria is not dormant inside the human she was placed in. The human is the Princess Alicia of Dipan. Poor Alicia now has 2 souls within her, hers and Silmeria's. This makes Alicia exhibit two different personalities. This King of Dipan thinks Alicia is either mad or possessed. The King tells everyone Alicia is dead and sends the poor Princess to a far away castle.

Odin soon learns that Silmeria is not dormant. So he sends his most powerful Valkyrie to get Silmeria out of Alicia and send her back to Valhalla. This dangerous Valkyrie's name is Hrist. When approached by Hrist the frightened Alicia and the defiant Silmeria flee ...both with vengeance on their minds.

This second installment of the Valkyrie Profile series is a bit different than the first. Some changes are good, while others are not so good. First off, expect beautiful graphics and superb lighting effects. Remember, this game is on Playstation 2, not the original Playstation like the first Valkyrie Profile!

Next, this game has a new and re-invented 3-D battle system. Each character on the screen has the ability to move about and even dash at the enemies. AP (attack points) are used up with each move and need to be replenished. If you take out the enemy leader, you immediately win the battle and gain massive rewards! Players also have the ability to use various combo attacks and level up their characters with a new and highly in-depth skill system. Other new features are the Seal Stones and the Photon Action System. These features play a huge role in the game, but I don't want to give too much away!

Some other changes are a tad annoying. First, you can no longer use divine points to make items; you must collect them in the field. Second, the Einherjar that aid you in battle no longer have a story behind them nor do they have the dramatic cut scenes about how they came to their death. Not sure what I'm talking about? Well you'll just have to play the game. The story behind the main characters, however, are excellent and highly in-depth as more about the main characters is revealed as you play through.

While Einherjar's had a huge role in the first game, it's not so big in the second. However, in Valkyrie Profile 2, you do have the option of resurrecting the Einherjar back to their human form. This really angers Odin...

A last point to think about is the progress of the game. You can play at your leisure. In the previous game, Ragnarok was plummeting towards the planet bringing imminent death so you had to move along in the game. In total, this game should take you at least 50 hours to complete.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is available on Playstation 2. It has an ESRB rating of T for teen. This is because the game features fantasy violence, alcohol reference, suggestive themes, and mild language. If you want to get all of the secrets, a strategy guide is available.