Why Elysium Was Such A Disappointment- Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Review

People have been telling me for years to play Valkyrie Profile, but I never got around to it. How does playing Valkyrie Profile Lenneth after Elysium affect my enjoyment?
#valkyrieprofile #valkyrieelysium #squareenix #digitalhauntology

[@FlorisDVijfde]

1:12 "1997" you must mean 1979.

[@digitalhauntology]

Hahaha, good catch. I completely missed that. I’ve pinned your comment. Thank you for watching 🙏🏼

[@FlorisDVijfde]

@@digitalhauntology No biggie. Should you be able to give it a shot you will not regret playing Valkyrie Profile 2. It's my favorite game of all time, while I'm not hooked on JRPG's generally. It has the best soundtrack too, while Motoi Sakuraba's score on VP1 and Elysium are also very impressive. Unfortunately it's PS2 only, they never bothered releasing it on newer consoles even though it pretty much has PS3 quality graphics. Tri Ace had a knack for inventive and intruigeing combat systems. Resonance of Fate is another good one. I'm going to wait for sale for both Lenneth and Elysium. Elysium is strictly a SquEnix affair, Tri Ace is clearly sorely missed but it still has a very graceful Sakuraba score. I hope the Valkyrie Profile series eventually will get the sequel the fans have been waiting for over a decade.

[@digitalhauntology]

It’s definitely on my radar after these two games, and I’ve heard from a lot of people that VP2 is in that sweet spot of having been pretty modern for the time it came out. As soon as I can figure out the best way of capturing the game, I will get around to it. People speak very highly of that one.

[@Hydra360ci]

Tell u what... Squaresoft's must play classic... is Chrono Trigger. (though...Dragon Ball Z is what you'll likely think of...)

[@digitalhauntology]

Chrono Trigger is definitely a classic.

[@Yiazmats]

man I wish vp2 silmeria was available in the new hardware, that game was also awesome

[@digitalhauntology]

It definitely needs to be freed from the PS2. Thanks for watching!

[@mathewhosier9739]

I've bought and played this game 3 times in the last 23 years, on the ps1 in 2001, on the psp in 2008 and on the ps5 in 2023 but it was never really it's storytelling that I fell in love with, don't get me wrong, the story, characters and world do a good enough job but for me it was always the combat, progression systems, level design and exploration that made me fall in love with this game, this game has an extremely unique and experimental fusion of gameplay mechanics, melding both the metroidvania and turn based RPG genres into one but with an extremely unique battle system having elements of fighting games with combo attacks, so it's almost like a 3 in one package, 1 part fighting, one part metroidvania and one part turn based RPG, a very unique melding of genres, so popular that even lab zero games tried to recreate the magic with their 2019 title Indivisible but they leaned much harder in the metroidvania direction but had just as many recruitable characters that were actually acquired in a very similar fashion, but lab zero didn't go far enough in the RPG direction removing many of the progression mechanics that made valkyrie profile so fun, still a good game but not good enough seeing as how Indivisible was their final game as they shut down their studio with just skull girlz and Indivisible as their only two titles

[@digitalhauntology]

The battles system is definitely the highlight of the original game. Thanks for watching!

[@OmegazeroX20]

I’m on the same boat as you played it on the ps1,psp & ps4/5 got it platinum for both I just love the game to much and was sad when indivisible didn’t get more characters and got shut down cause I love that game as well and how the combat is just like VP

[@bongchoof]

If you haven't played 2 yet, it takes a different approach. The einherjar there have their own stories too but they tie more deeply into the world. The backstory page for each of them is like one big puzzle where putting certain pieces together grants unique dialogue. I think it's really neat and each one still feels like a character without the spiel they have in the 1st game.

[@digitalhauntology]

I haven’t gotten around to VP2 yet. I intend to, but it will probably be a bit later. From everything I’ve seen and heard, it looks like it’s right up my alley. Thanks for watching!

[@bongchoof]

@@digitalhauntology Yeah, I played VP 1 after playing VP 2 and liked it but lordy the platforming is maddening. It is MUCH better in 2.

[@digitalhauntology]

@@bongchoof Yeah, the platforming was a little undercooked. Thankfully the rerelease had the rewind function. Saved me a lot of frustration haha.

[@creatorsfreedom6734]

i google each month for any news if Valk 2 getting a remaster

[@digitalhauntology]

Fingers crossed!

[@NiohArcadia]

Thankyou for making this video. I had VP on my Playstation Wishlist for a while and was on the fense of getting it first over Elysium but now after watching this I'll definitely getting VP first. It's on sale for 13$ at the time of me writing this so that's cool. Also I like your appraoch. Please keep making videos, I really like this one. 😊

[@digitalhauntology]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video. And seriously thank you for the kind words. VP is a cult classic for a reason. If anything you saw in the video fired off something in your brain, pick it up. Thank you for watching!

[@obsolescentmystic2527]

I love your channel and think you deserve way more subs. The mix of criticism, personal introspection in relation to how you engage with the games themselves is exactly the kind of thing I dig lately. You should play Silmeria. I believe it is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, has one of my favorite combat systems and it just stands out in a lot of ways.

[@digitalhauntology]

Really kind words, thank you so much 🙏🏼 I try to write the way that I would talk to my friends about games, so I’m glad that you find it interesting. I will definitely play Silmeria in the near future. Once I snag a copy and figure out the best way to capture some decent footage, it’s on the top of a pretty long list. Thank you for watching!

[@NiohArcadia]

Update from last comment. A week ago. I got Lenneth and am having lots of fun. Do youself a favor and play it first. Again so glad i watched this video before that. Take it from me guys play it first. Or get Elysium idk I'm not your dad.

[@digitalhauntology]

I’m glad the video helped you out in that regard. Lenneth is definitely a cool game. Glad to see you back here, my friend.

[@NiohArcadia]

@@digitalhauntology No problem 😊 I will humbly wait for your next video. Please take the time you need.

[@digitalhauntology]

I appreciate it. The holidays kind of put me behind schedule. But the next video is incoming, and I think I'll start putting them out a faster clip soon.

[@monn-tan]

Elysium could've been a good game if they have the budget. The old valkyrie profile games are made with love. The quality of storytelling, character struggles, and the music are a true work of art (including anatomia.) I felt thats whats missing elysisum. However, even though the game is average, I still give my support to the devs. I'm grateful of them trying. I've been a long time fan of VP, and I hope to see another VP title someday.

[@digitalhauntology]

I agree. Elysium is far from terrible. Just an average action game with a few cool features. Hopefully this isn’t the last we hear from the series

[@AkaiKnight]

“MAY IT BE ENGRAVED UPON YOUR SOUL” Those battle quips went hard tho 😂

[@digitalhauntology]

They certainly do. Just maybe not so much the 400th time 😂 Thank you for watching

[@IgnizNova]

Elysium was an insult, it felt horrible, it felt cheap, it felt like the first time you try one of those super acid chewing gums but with no way to spit it, it made me feel betrayed ...

[@digitalhauntology]

You're definitely not alone in that opinion. I think the long time fans got hit the worst. Thank you for watching though!

[@WASTEOIDx]

Dude the will Smith clips got me laughing at work. I know how you feel about games feeling less than accessible. Just started persona 5 and I've never even touched a traditional turn based jrpg.

[@digitalhauntology]

Haha, I’m glad you enjoyed those. I wasn’t sure how they’d land. Persona 5 is pretty straightforward for the most part, but it does take quite a while for all of the systems to open up and to know if you’re playing the game optimally. Huge fan of P5 though 🙏🏼

[@KittyKatt_Luna80s]

What got me chuckling was the 16-year-old mermaid (it says that on the VP wiki) Yumei's love interest, Fuyuki, having Ash Ketchum's English voice (a 10-year-old boy voice) when it's implied he's a teenage boy of about 14-16! It doesn't sound right.

[@digitalhauntology]

Yeah it’s a little off lol. The Japanese dub was a little less silly, but this one still had its charm. Thank you for watching!

[@Kimberliearcher]

I think it's gonna be impossible to create a 3d version of all of these PWS, that gonna burn the budget and development time

[@digitalhauntology]

Yeah, I definitely could see that being an issue. I still liked Elysium, but I get where some of the complaints were coming from now. Thank you for watching!

[@Getdown8319]

When I first saw this game I thought it looked like ass. Then when I saw tri-ace wasn’t involved I was out. Both VP1&2 are in my top 10 all time games too. But it’s because of tri-ace.

[@digitalhauntology]

Very understandable. This game shares very little in common with the tri-ace games. This is a hack and slash action game that uses some elements of the VP series as set dressing. Think musou games like Dragon Quest Warriors or Persona 5 Strikers. It’s a decent action game, but it may not be what you are looking for. Thank you for watching!

[@grouchygamer2404]

For me is disappointing because it feels like I'm playing devil may cry with a summon system and they're doing the same now to final fantasy XVI.

[@digitalhauntology]

I hear you. They are definitely doing that. I’m hoping FFXVI turns out solid. Final Fantasy has been going more and more action RPG for years, but I kinda dug FF7R’s ATB/action hybrid the most. Only time will tell if it works out for the new game. Thank you for watching!

[@AD3SPG]

While I was open minded with FF XVI being straight action packed and doing every side quest it was very back tracking many times and felt awkward, and also my biggest nit pick was the element strong vs weak was thrown out the window but I enjoyed it overall with bosses and story. ( and they just released some free cosmetic dlc )

[@obsolescentmystic2527]

Also, you should check out the PS4 exclusive game Tri-Ace did called Exist Archive. It's just Valkyrie Profile but sci-fi.

[@digitalhauntology]

Damn, I never even heard of that one. I must be slipping. Added to the list of things to check out! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@EdreesesPieces]

Man, this was a FANTASTIC video. You are extremely eloquent at describing what I feel about Elysium and how it uses the source material in shallow ways, or to justify its design choices, where the original game did it to make a better game. Thank you so much for putting it into words in a way I couldn't. Especially the simpsons analogy with the Shining episode, because that same thing happened to me. Actually it happened to me at least in 20 difference instances since I was raised on the Simpsons, heh.

[@digitalhauntology]

Hey, thanks for the kind words! Yeah it was such a clear repurposing of the source material, without truly digging into what made people love the franchise. And yeah, you are not alone. The Simpsons was my cultural primer for years 😆 Thank you for watching!

[@jameswallace3413]

Hey man, keep up the hard work. Thank you for the video. I woudlve brought up the fact that without a guide most if not all people wouldn’t have gotten the good ending of the story. That bugged me as a kid playing this where the internet wasn’t as fully establish as it is now. You do everything the right way as the game kind of guides you to do and you get some lame ass anti climatic ending where you just beat the crap out of the giant and that’s it. Other then that great job man.

[@digitalhauntology]

Thank you 🙏🏼 I’m glad you liked the video. You bring up a good point. This was my first play through and I had been warned to go for the true ending, so I never did a “normal” playthrough, so I never had the experience you’re talking about. But I get it, and that sounds rough haha. Thanks for watching!

[@kaitanz297]

The only good thing about Elysium is that it also gave us a port of Lenneth. Granted, the port is of the worst version and was very obviously a lazy ROM dump. Trophies were nice, but the mobile version has hi-res menus, backgrounds, and tons of QoL... Why couldn't they give us that, at least? Anyway, enjoyed the video. VP 2 is better (Yeah, I said it) so hopefully you enjoy it.

[@digitalhauntology]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video. This one has been out for a while and I’m never sure how these things will hold up. I totally agree that awareness after Elysium really paved the way for the modern port, and yeah it’s not the best version of the game for sure. But I was super happy to get a chance to check the game out. I keep hearing that VP2 is the best in the series and I hope to get around to it in the near future. Thank you for watching!

[@tokitokupe]

I can understand that it must be kinda hard playing this game in 2023, graphics are old, the game does not give enough advice etc, i played it first time in 2000 and as this day valkyrie profile is the most astonished and satisfaying game i have ever played, never a story as touched my this hard, love the character, love the story, love the system at that time, it was really a masterpiece when it came out.

[@digitalhauntology]

I wish I could have played the game when it was new. I’m sure it would have definitely left more of an impact. I dug the game playing it now. But there were just a few things that pushed me away from truly loving it. Super happy to have the opportunity to play it though. The fact that it is so affordable after this many years and the added bonus of having a few quality of life improvements make it a no brainer for anyone interested. I’m glad more people have the chance to check it out. It definitely deserves its cult classic status. The combat alone is worth digging into it. Thank you for watching!

[@mcbill7352]

I just started playing and I think the game is beautiful

[@Mochazelice]

The fact that I put more hours into VP1 than Elysium is just, urgh. I'm gonna pretend Elysium doesn't exists at all. Would be really nice if they port VP2 to current console with the rewind function in VP1.

[@digitalhauntology]

Yeah, isn't really the game that a lot of VP fans wanted. It's mindless fun, but way too different and missing a lot of the point. I'd love a VP2 port. Fingers crossed. Thanks for watching.

[@antoniobanderas5316]

Lezard was a menace.

[@digitalhauntology]

Absolute mad lad. Thanks for watching!

[@antoniobanderas5316]

This game was an anime lowers dream. There was no way of watching anime and this helped a lot.

[@hangingon]

I recently got a Odin and just out this and Valkyrie 2 from the PSP on it. The new Valkyrie game was absolutely horrible. I blasted thru it and instantly forgot it. What a horrible way to bring that franchise to the newer gen consoles.

[@Gracebk4tq]

Elysium should had been it's own IP

[@digitalhauntology]

Definitely would have been a better move. Soleil (the developer of Elysium) put out Wanted: Dead around this same time frame. Check that one out if you haven’t. It’s wacky, but I really enjoyed a lot of it.

[@fredriknylander3776]

This game felt like a late replacement skin-swap

[@JarrodLamp]

I love Valkyrie Elysium art style and music gameplay is fun. Still way better Forspoken I find FF16 was little boring. I beaten Valkyrie Elysium 3 time this year I really don't play games like that if i don't like them.

[@BeanieKhalifa]

Funny how he skipped your comment but keeps putting sht on others. I honestly hate this type of youtuber because they post based on what others want, not what the game is. Comparing a Nintendo game to today era is the main point of today era. They so fking lost in the past. Yet they didn't have much in the past. We now have the gaming systems we all asked for, but you still have people complaining like a btch 😂

[@KadeofCavarsh]

Cool take on two games but I noticed you didn't play VP2: Silmeria which is a shining gem of a game... Don't be ashamed for using guides, some games can be too cryptic about what to do or acquiring certain secrets.

[@digitalhauntology]

I appreciate it. Learning with every video. I haven't gotten around to Silmeria yet, but I plan on getting around to it once I have a solid way of capturing footage. And I don't have too much issue with using guides, I'd just prefer not to. But there was a lot of old school design philosophy going around in this game haha. Thank you for watching!

[@KadeofCavarsh]

@@digitalhauntology agreed. I only beat Silmeria for the first time just last year and I've owned a physical copy since 2006. I didn't understand it well when I was younger and now that I'm in my semi late 30s I understand it so well it became my favorite PS2 JRPG next to Grandia II and Suikoden V

[@KadeofCavarsh]

@@digitalhauntology have you heard of Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume? (Nintendo DS Tactical RPG) Almost no one covers it, I think it might be a hidden gem that got overlooked. I own it but haven't gotten around to playing it

[@digitalhauntology]

@@KadeofCavarsh I have heard of the DS title. And I have really only heard good things. Apparently its systems tie directly into its narrative in some pretty cool ways. And in response to your earlier comment, I'm right in the club with you. I just turned 36 this year- so this is definitely an old man gaming channel, and all are welcome. Grandia II and Suikoden V are both rad games. I think I was a little more mainstream back in the day as my favorite RPGs from that era were FFX and Persona 3, but i've gone back to try some of the stuff that I missed out on more recently.

[@KadeofCavarsh]

@@digitalhauntology ha, you and I are doing the same thing 😅 I have Romancing SaGa and Grandia Xtreme to still play on my PS2 one of these days. I just cleared Shining Tears for PS2 for the first time last year 🤣 another i began in 2006 but didn't get through. FFX was my 2nd ever played PS2 game in 2003, I understand totally 😅

[@loudradialem5233]

I liked this video except the latter part where you rant about how you need a guide to get the True End. My problem with it is you don't need to get the True End to enjoy this game. It's meant for a second playthrough. I listened to your complaint about having a busy life now, but you don't have to play the True End. Beat whatever end and watch the others on KZbin. It's this attitude that makes companies develop handholding streamlined games! These games are the majority now, you have a wide selection to choose, you don't need to rant about it!

[@retroshark8]

​@@digitalhauntologyWell I'm just glad that you appreciated it and had some fun... This game is actually my No.3(first being FFVI and then FFVIII.) And it's probably one of few games that I finished at least a few times... As for the endings... The first time I played through this game, I got the ending B(the one that most people on their first playtrough get) after that I got the ending A(True ending) and I did follow a guide, but when I played trough this game again I got the ending A without any problems... It still feels like I don't understand some stuff about this game, but I think I would be more than willing to replay it.

[@digitalhauntology]

@@retroshark8 That’s rad that you enjoyed it so much. It was definitely a cool game to experience, and while it may not be exactly what I was looking for- I get why people loved it so much. As far as the endings go, I could totally see being able to get around to the A ending after playing around with it. But I could tell pretty early on that this was game that I was only likely to play once. I hope you continue to enjoy the game every time you revisit it. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@retroshark8]

@@digitalhauntology Thank you too for at least giving it a chance.

[@rennilena4378]

Short answer: it's Devil may Valkyrie

[@digitalhauntology]

That’s definitely one way of putting it. Thanks for watching!

[@mauricesteel4995]

Valkyrie May Cry.

[@CynicalGamingBlogTerry309]

So you played the garbage reboot and the sadistic, unpolished masterpiece that is the original. I hated Valkyrie Profile when I first played it and this is coming from someone who played the series long before Elysium was a thing so you could say that I have a lot of experience with it. You say that you aren't a fan of the series and honestly I don't blame you, you played Valkyrie Profile before you played Valkyrie Profile 2 and Valkyrie Profile is a hard pill to swallow. It has fantastic world building, a great soundtrack and a solid combat system but the issues that the game has like you mention in the video pushed me away as well. Much like you, I was on the fence about tri-Ace, I also had a period where I outright disliked their games. Little did I realize that they would eventually turn out to be my all time favorite game developer. If it wasn't for my sheer curiosity that ultimately made me want to give the sequel a try, I possibly would have felt the same way today about tri-Ace. I saw some of the cutscenes from Valkyrie Profile 2 prior to getting it and I was immediately compelled to play it, even with my dislike of the original, I just wanted to see where the sequel would take things so I picked up the game, man it was the best decision I ever made. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is a completely different beast of a game, it is nothing like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth at all, so much so that at the time it was the game Valkyrie Elysium is today, people hated it for being so drastically different from the original. The entire structure of the game is completely different, in fact einherjar weren't originally planned to be in the game, that's how different it is. The thing is that when you play Valkyrie Profile 2, you realize the reason why the einherjar aren't as important, because you're playing as a different Valkyrie who already recruited all of her einherjar many years ago but she has yet to awaken them from their slumber and the only way to do so is to find objects connected to them, which is her special power that Lenneth does not have. The result of this? Well the einherjar are kinda like generic soldiers. A lot of people were turned off by this when the game came out but despite all of this, there's a lot of attention to detail given to each of the einherjar that most people do not give them credit for, the problem is that to fully appreciate them, you have to do a lot of deep diving into their biography and form battle parties with certain einherjar because the einherjar will converse with each other in battle and you learn more about them that way instead of watching a cutscene because the game isn't centered around them anymore, they are a side story in 2 and you could write an entire novel about their backstories and the events that occurred during their lifetime I kid you not. The downside is that they mostly share the same moveset and finishing moves. Thing is though that the einherjar are only side characters. Valkyrie Profile 2 has a main cast that each have unique moves of their own separate from the einherjar, so you still have that same diversity that the first game had but this time you're not using only einherjar in battles. Combat is completely different, the most unique combat system ever, too complex to explain, you just have to see for yourself. Soundtrack is absolutely sublime, like I personally consider it to be a better soundtrack to the first game as it carries the entire game on its back despite the fact that the rest of the game is also fantastic. Voice Acting is actually good in Valkyrie Profile 2, one of the best english dubs there is I dare say, a far cry from the first game in that regard. Valkyrie Profile 2 is THE game that made me not only a Valkyrie Profile fan but it also made me a tri-Ace fan, it's their magnum opus by a long shot and if you have any doubts about tri-Ace's capabilities, Valkyrie Profile 2 will prove that they are one of the more capable JRPG developers out there. If I could describe tri-Ace in one word, it would be "Misunderstood", they are one of the few game developers out there that takes risks with their games and while some of them don't pay off like the first Valkyrie Profile, others do like Valkyrie Profile 2 but despite all of this, Valkyrie Profile 2 completely fell under the radar and has yet to get a re-release. There's also Covenant Of The Plume, yet another fantastic game but it's a tactical RPG, once again, no re-release. I fear that these two games will be ignored because few people actually talk about them or acknowledges their existence which is what annoys me the most. When I saw the ending of Valkyrie Profile 2, I was left wanting more, not only that but I felt immediately compelled to go back to play the first Valkyrie Profile, with a guide this time and man, what a saga. Valkyrie Profile complimented Valkyrie Profile 2 so damn well and really helped to flesh out the game's world. The sheer contrast between the two games is colossal but that's what makes them work in harmony together perfectly. I learned to love Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth after that because I had the weight of Valkyrie Profile 2's experience behind me, I was now eager to dive into Valkyrie Profile's world as opposed to wanting to understand what the fuck was going on and struggling to get to the point of understanding the game's story. Of course I followed up with Covenant Of The Plume, loved that game as well. Then I saw the trailer for Elysium, I didn't even need to play the game (I did eventually), I already knew that this was nothing like Valkyrie Profile, it was betrayal. Valkyrie Elysium angers me because it represents what modern gaming has become, soulless and empty bootleg adaptations of previous games, either that or the same regurgitated copy/paste tripe we get every year. Thankfully though, I washed the horrible taste in my mouth with Star Ocean The Divine Force which showed me that tri-Ace have still got it and Soleil have no business making a tri-Ace game.

[@digitalhauntology]

First, thank you for watching and taking the time to write such a fleshed out comment! It is greatly appreciated. You and a few other people have completely sold me on Silmeria and Covenant of the Plume. Although I did say that I'm not really a fan of the two games that I have played on this channel, it does not mean that I didn't enjoy them for what they were, but I certainly had some issues with both experiences that stopped them from becoming some of my favorites. I've looked into Simeria just enough (I don't want to spoil it too much) to get the vibe that it looks right up my alley. I plan on covering both games in the near future- I really just need to find a good way of capturing the footage before I get around to it. But from what I've gathered, even though VP2 had some rough reception at launch, it has become the real cult classic in this series. I'm glad that they didn't use Valkyrie Profile in the title for Elysium- as it definitely doesn't seem to stack up with the rest of the series. But I did enjoy it enough as a middling action game. I definitely have a similar feeling about a lot of the games that have been coming out of the modern industry, so much so I wrote a 30 minute or so essay about exactly that in my Security Breach video- so feel free to check that out (or not) if you want to check out a video from someone that shares your perspective. Again, thanks for checking out the channel. I won't get around to Silmeria for a bit, but hopefully you'll see the video when I get around to it.

[@CynicalGamingBlogTerry309]

@@digitalhauntology Valkyrie Profile 2 can best be described as a game made for people who didn't enjoy the original Valkyrie Profile.

[@YuaraMeyzing]

VP2 was a grindfest game but still worth Playing. Your Comments are on point btw

[@antoniobanderas5316]

Pc port is an atrocious thing.

[@YuaraMeyzing]

IDK. Armand here looks like a gen-z soyboy. But.... It's how they made. Still played the game

[@teckkaGirl]

Voice acting was exceptional in Valkyrie Profile, however, your voice acting is something less than to be desired.

[@digitalhauntology]

Sorry you didn’t like it. Poor taste aside. The grammar in this comment left much to be desired, but do you I guess.