Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance hit PSN here in the US on Jan 21th thanks to XSEED localizing the update of the original sequel to the first Valhalla Knights, which hit the PSP in October of 2008. Don’t worry. You did read that right. Battle Stance is the update to the already solid sequel. If you played either the series debut or the original sequel, you’re still in for a treat as this new release for PSN is somewhat of a director’s cut and an update all in one. And thanks to the PSP’s initial lack of solid RPGs, Valhalla Knights gathered a bit of a cult following by importers and domestic gamers alike. But enough catch up; let’s get into this sequel update.
Starting out you must choose your hero and customize his face, hair type, name and profession. It’s all standard fare with warrior, thief and mage being just some of your options. Your occupational choices are Warrior, which of course has the strongest attack. The Mage supplies the highest magical attack and defense. There’s the Priest which is particularly effective in the treatment, support spells, and increases resistance for others. The Thief is able to move quickly and sneak past enemies. Thieves can also quickly restore vitality. Monks have more life hit points and are skillful and quick in battle. Monks also have the advantage of leveling faster than other classes. All in all, you can choose from 5 different races, each with two sexes, meaning there are a total of 10 character models. I did the math for you there. You’re welcome.
After selecting your character, you’re off to the intro and back story of your hero (who you named). The intro to VK2 will surprise most by hooking you in pretty early. While that’s the point of any intro, the PSP still has a hard time hooking classic RPG fans. Sadly though, some might fall off the Valhalla love train due to the length of cut-scenes. Personally I like the depth of story, but there are a lot of gamers out there who just want to play. It’s right here where VK2 distinguishes itself as a classic JRPG. If you like Japanese-style RPGs that mix drawn-out storylines with engaging turn-based battles, you’re in for a good time here.
Everything JRPG players are used to is present. You wake up in the local Inn and begin your journey. Head out of the Inn and get your stereotypical rundown of the town and where everything is. After getting your first task from the Guild, you’re off to start battling monsters outside of the village. The first enemies you encounter are intentionally easy and if you’re an obsessive grinder, you can pick up some levels here early. With mosquitos and rabbits as monsters, things can feel a little slow, but they soon pick up. For those who didn’t check out the first release of VK2 (is this right?), I’ll save the story since that’s half of what this game is.
Battle Stance features some pretty decent visuals. The game’s environments are quite detailed and the interiors of large buildings are fully 3D rendered. Also I have to give some credit for the little stuff like reflections in the marble floors. Character models look good, and we’re not just talking ‘nice for a PSP game’. Marvelous Entertainment, the original Japanese developer, spent some time making sure the PSP put in some work to push the visuals. With looks often being thrown on the back-burner with handheld titles, it’s always nice to find a looker hidden in the bunch.
Not everything here came out smelling like roses, however. In this case, it didn’t come out sounding like roses. It’s an audio reference, people. Environmental sounds and music seem to be on a loop and infinitely repetitive. Since all the dialog is done in speech bubbles, there’s nothing to break up the repetition. But this is more searching for faults than anything since the rest of this title meets all of my JRPG needs.
Overall, Battle Stance is what Valhalla Knights 2 should have been in the first place. The visuals are above par and the gameplay itself was enough to keep me occupied and coming back for more. The story, like the original, may not hold the attention of everyone who picks this one up, but it certainly did the job for me. Unlike the previous releases, you don’t have to hunt around at specialty game shops or Amazon as this one is now available on PSN. If you like Japanese RPGs, you’re in for a treat.
Graphics | Audio | Gameplay | Replay | Genre | Final |
