Update of our American import test carried out on November 22, 2006
There are 3 valkyries, angels of war in charge of collecting the valiant souls fallen in battle, whom they consider worthy of joining Valhalla to fight alongside Odin, when Ragnarok comes. But these three virgins in armor must never exist simultaneously. When one is active, the other two are in deep sleep. After Lenneth, this second episode logically makes us live an adventure under the eyes of another valkyrie, the younger sister Silmeria. As a result, these events take place a hundred years in the past, a choice that seems clear to those who have dabbled in the first episode and the many questions it left unanswered. We distinguished in particular captive Silmeria in the castle of Brahms, the latter even making reference to Arngrim in past events that we were eager to discover in this Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria chronologically earlier. From this point of view, Square Enix makes us happy by connecting as much as possible Valkyrie Profile Lenneth et Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria. Hrist, the 3rd valkyrie sister, retains her role as the dark avatar who sows trouble in the game. The lost city of Dipan of Lenneth becomes for Silmeria the kingdom of Dipan, with its ambitious king Barbarossa whose ghost served as Lenneth, and his three traitor mages. Before stopping with the revelations, let's point out that a certain Lezard Valeth will also be part of your team...
Dry your tears, princess
Troubles are still the deep intentions of Odin and his subordinate Freja, and that, Silmeria the youngest of the valkyries, seemed to have him figured out before Lenneth. In Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, no question of Ragnarok so no end of the world, time limit, or division into chapters and sequences. Square-Enix performs a return to normal, in a course that could not be more classic RPG: village / shopping and dungeons / experience. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing considering the confusing side of Lenneth's adventures. If anyone will claim that the division into sequences and the inevitable approach of Ragnarok contributed to the atmosphere of Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, its real substance resided rather in the work on the narration, in its unforgettable music, and in the innate sense of tragedy of each of the sketches which presided over the death of a fighter or a fighter. In Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, it's not like that anymore, because its atmosphere has become traditional, too. The tragedy is over! Life is good in Crell Monferaigne, Dipan and in all the other towns in the world of Valkyrie profiles. We are not in the best of both worlds either, but if this time the atmosphere remains striking, it is more thanks to a breathtaking realization and no longer by an icy frame and considerable emotional power, as in the first. However, the fine team that accompanies Alicia/Silmeria does not spend its time dancing by the fire while patting each other on the back, the staging remains on the whole sober, like the relationships between the protagonists. , sometimes wary, sometimes distant, with a lot of eye contact. But unlike Lenneth, Silmeria won't make you cry, that's for sure.
Dance Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, the active valkyrie is the dark and mysterious Hrist. How is it then that we embody Silmeria, you will ask me with a round eye? Revolted against her boss, Silmeria had no choice but to take refuge in her soul in the body of the young princess of Dipan, Alicia. The mixture of the two women, the first strong and authoritarian, with the second, shy and reserved, therefore offers an amusing result as well as some misunderstandings since it is sometimes difficult for her companions to know which of Silmeria or Alicia is in the process of to communicate. Overall, it's the valkyrie who has the upper hand, taking control of the schizophrenic young beauty whenever she wants.
Outer beauty
Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria is technically amazing. Retaining a linear movement, it mixes 2D and 3D in a stunning way with a number of sublime details, and very successful natural effects. Sand, rock, water or snow, each natural element has been worked and integrated with a meticulousness that commands respect, always pushing the good old PlayStation 2 a little further to its best limits. Alicia constantly evolves in absolutely fabulous settings. And as we have already said, it is the realization that causes immersion in Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, rather than narrative extravagance and dramatic sense. On the sound side, Sakuraba also becomes more reasonable and measured in his compositions. The work is generally convincing with fairly discreet ambient music but still an excellent rock dynamic for the fights.
Moreover, the heart of Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, these are definitely the fights. tri-Ace lets loose once again by combining the spectacular, the brutal and the subtle. Just that. Once contact has been made with the opposing spectrum, the four characters, still responding to one of the four geometric buttons, move as they please in the combat area, in a fairly interesting semi-real-time system. Indeed, as long as you do not touch the stick, the scene remains frozen. It is by moving that time unfolds and that the enemies act on their side. The balance is based on the management of the AP gauge which corresponds to the number of actions you have to perform before having to recharge it. And obviously, it will not be possible to raise this gauge by remaining motionless (or rather if, by pressing R3, but during this time the action takes place). The interest of this system therefore lies in the management of its movements, because the monster's field of action is visible by a red zone, in which you must imperatively avoid setting foot. A challenge, because even if the character you lead manages to turn around the opponent, it will not be the same for the rest of the troop that follows your lead. But the small subtlety lies in a dash whose length can be determined, and which allows you to jump over an enemy zone with a brisk step. Obviously consuming part of the AP gauge, this dash becomes essential to get out of certain situations. The assaults themselves are always done by happily hammering the keys to chain the "Frigid Damsel" and other battle cries. The objective is to maximize enough hits, without hitting the void due to bad timing, to reach 100% combo and have the right to execute the majestic Soul Crush. To complete the whole thing, the use of the menu (magics and items) is done sparingly with an imperative period of time before you can dive back into it. Globally, Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria is provided with a well-balanced difficulty, however it is the bosses who mark the stages quickly and perhaps highlight a certain requirement in the way of managing its characters. Because in Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, most special abilities do not arise by magic. In fact, too passive evolution of your units is very likely to lead you into a dead end.
Level up
This is the small downside to all this martial splendor. Without enjoying an ultra-complex system, we have to admit that the best skills are not easy to obtain naturally. Most are obtained by completing symbol charts that depend on each part of your body gear. It's complex, and it requires concessions as well as research. And in the end, we have the feeling that Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria is one of those games from which it is a little too difficult to suck the substantive marrow without the help of a well-informed guide. A symptom from which the first opus already suffered, for all other reasons, however. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, with its construction that seems so crystal clear on the surface, has yet to challenge you. The dungeons establish a system of very varied positive or negative special effects which spread in an area according to the magic sphere in your possession. These spheres can be recovered on bases also provided to "buy" them against special and very rare crystals. The acquisition of these spheres, as well as your ability to develop them to your advantage and the disadvantage of enemies, is one of the many keys to breaking the lock of success in Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria, and as much to say that once again, tri Ace has not made a game for beginners. Even the phases of displacements were entitled to a deepening, since the pile of crystals of Lenneth gives way to the power of substitution of Silmeria. When it crystallizes an enemy, throwing another crystal on it swaps your position with that of the opponent! Knowing that the shots of crystals ricochet off the ceiling and on the walls, you can imagine the possibilities offered and the ingenuity to deploy to reach that damn chest perched up there. A good way in any case to energize the very linear side of the movements in 2D.
Finally, we must return to the bitter disappearance of the tragic dimension of the series. The characters to be recruited are much more numerous than in Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, but it is not a feat insofar as we appropriate them much more harmlessly. It happens at the place of their death, by touching their weapon. The dead gladiator swears allegiance to you, and poof, nothing. The brief story of his life and his death is possibly told to you in a small text lost in his status. And that's it. No more memorable sketches, no more emotion, no more empathy. Hello laziness. sacrilege? It's just clear that Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria no longer has the same objective as its predecessor. Put away your handkerchief, here there are no more tears to shed.
