Recent reviews by Etro

As much as I love the Valkyrie series, I must say I was mostly disappointed with this game. I'll try to give unbiased opinions here, and will not sugarcoat anything bad I've seen.
I waited until I finished the game (no platinum, I'm not a ♥♥♥♥♥♥), but I saw that there is an ending I am yet to get, so I'll edit if it changes my opinion. I'll divide the review by topics.

They are not new gen whatsoever, but who cares? Graphics don't define a game.

It is... ok. Whilst action RPGs are so proeminent nowadays, the combo system is decent and the tag-team mechanics with the Einherjars is quite nice. However, the goods are good, but the lows are very low. The camera in this game is just like Dark Souls, and if you have played it, you know this is not a compliment AT ALL. The common enemies attacks, while not impossible to predict, are quite hard to parry or dodge due to no wind-up. Some of them are almost instant. Some enemies are obnoxious to fight (like the mandrakes), and the combat is so hectic sometimes that you get easily hit by stuff off-screen, or even by the enemy you're fighting due to the sheer amount of effects (like Taika's Ifrit Embrace). If you lock-on an enemy, good luck. The lock-on has no depth, as in, if you push the stick forward or backwards, it doesn't change the target, only swiping it sideways. The boss battles are also decent. They have their mechanics, but some of the attacks are either too fast or too delayed, so it's kinda hard to dodge or parry. Some enemies have multiple hitable limbs and the camera doesn't help at all.
The effects, particles, everything are detailed enough to notice, and I give props to them for that.
Magic is broken. Always use magic. But the enemies can dodge them, so use with care.

I, for one, am not picky with things. But after playing all the other Valkyrie games... only 4 Einherjars? Where is the flexibility? This was one of the lowest lows, but I can understand why: all other Einherjars in the other games were mostly "fodder" since you'd use around 3 or 4 and give the rest to Valhalla and call a day. Why make so many new Einherjars if only 4 would appear in the story, after all?
I really, really, really had good expectations for their stories as well. They could be developed so much, yet all we got were some lines of text being voiced. No images. No fighting. No seeing actual events. It was boring to say the least. I did hear all of them, and it would be so much better if we had a sidequest showing the past or something.

Oh boy. I am not someone that is too fond about the story of most games, but I've always given some care to Valkyrie's. But this one... it's bad. Just... plain bad. The story is slow to develop, and once you think it is picking up the pace, it gives you a middle finger and tells you to wait. Valkyrie only starts to develop around 3/4 of the game, but at this point you probably just want to end the game and won't care about her story anymore. Her Einherjars play a decent role on her development, but it's just... too late. The game seems to have three endings and I've gotten two of them, one being so bland, abrupt and unexpected that I couldn't help but laugh through the credits. I am yet to get the third ending, and I plead to the gods that it is good.
The story could develop in a neat mid-Ragnarok Norse fantasy, but the lack of development, even between the first two characters, makes it slow and boring.

If you have played FFXIII, you'll know what I'm saying. Valkyrie Elysium has closed "corridor" maps and I can see it not pleasing everyone. The exploration is just some side routes you go for a chest or an item, sometimes (and I mean it) a puzzle. Sidequests are Nioh-esque, you just come back to a specific portion of the map, do something, sidequest ends. Einherjar "development" is through these, but as I said, no cutscenes or past showing. Just you killing some stuff and the Einherjar commenting on something.
There's no open world, don't come expecting this.

It feels somewhat fluid and you can get every upgrade in a single playthrough. Around the middle of the game you get super difficult sidequests (to the upgrade state you're in) and the damage might feel unbalanced, but by the end you'll steamroll through everything. Unfortunately the sheer amount of weapons from past games is gone, and we're stuck with just a few.

Being frank, it could be a little more minimalistic, but the UI/HUD doesn't hinder you gameplay by any means and everything is well explained. The game has two tutorials, in fact, one being the actual tutorial and the second being all the pop-ins you get when you start getting stuff (like your first Einherjar puzzle). Most of the pop-ins should be just disabled because you've gone through the tutorial already.
The enemy executions are in a weird place. I've tried both automatic and not automatic, but it feels the same, sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't.
Game has many languages, so that's nice too.

It feels repetitive when you're walking around the map, changing when battles happen. Character themes and boss fights are super good: after all, it's the master Motoi Sakuraba (from Dark Souls) that we're talking about. But some tracks feel... empty because you probably won't give two cents about most of the characters. Overall, it's a good soundtrack and the final boss track (of the not-apparent true ending) S L A P S.

Valkyrie Elysium came trying to embrace a new population of players, but it did a mediocre job at best. In my ratings, I have weighted "Combat" and "Story" with "Einherjar".

I RECOMMEND IT, BUT BUY ON SALE. Don't pay full price AT ALL.
The game is mediocre and should be treated as a pastime.
Now, I shall keep playing it, because Valkyrie's smile warms my heart.
I hope you have enjoyed my insights.

The best game to make you lose hair while playing due to stress.

I see boobs, I buy

10/10

Played a couple hours and I totally recommend it.

+Good gameplay.
+Cool graphics.
+Modding [weebness intensifies]
+Can play any song you want.
+She can fly. (Yes, that's a +1, not every game you can fly you see)
+Not expensive.
+No pressure on newbies.

-MY EYES, IT HURTS. Don't play it for a long time.
-No Multiplayer (yet, maybe?)

Rate it 9/10 because in some songs the notes and the song itself aren't good synced.

Tip: don't play any Pendulum songs when you are learning. It's pretty hard.