Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (Nintendo DS)

[aruljothi]

Release Date: 03/17/2009
ESRB Rating: Teen
Genre: RPG
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: tri-Ace

We're a long way from the days when actual Valkyries starred in Valkyrie Profile. In fact, we've gotten to the point where the tables have been turned. Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume stars Wylfred, a revenge-driven warrior willing to do whatever it takes to kill the titular battle maidens. And unlike other entries in the series, he does so in a tactical RPG, exacting his revenge one grid at a time.

When it comes to this latest entry in the ten-year old Valkyrie Profile franchise, you have to give tri-Ace credit for trying something new; few would be willing to put such a radical spin on one of their top franchises. And tri-Ace is plunging into unfamiliar waters, developing its very first SRPG on a system it's never worked with before. The result of all this risk-taking is a product that's not without its ragged edges, but does manage to redeem itself by bringing its own, unique spin to its chosen genre.

It begins by going a long way toward restoring the fundamental character of the series, which was lost when its staid predecessor Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria jettisoned much of what made the series a cult classic in the first place. After the pain of seeing Valkyrie Profile reduced to an utterly ordinary RPG, it is a great relief to see signature features (like the fast-paced soundtrack or the ability to choose your own destiny) make their triumphant return for the sequel.

Much like the first game, your choices will do much to affect the overall outcome of the game. You'll have to make these choices wisely, because your decisions won't just affect which characters you get to recruit, or the difficulty of the levels. They'll also affect whether or not Odin's servant Freya obliterates your party, or whether Wylfred ends up getting dragged down to Niflheim for an eternity of torment. Both of which happened to me, by the way, so be careful. Like the first Valkyrie Profile, this is a game that actively encourages you to make the wrong decisions.

Of course, this is perfectly understandable, even expected. While Wylfred isn't exactly evil, he is under the influence of evil forces. At the center of said influence is the Destiny Plume, a corrupted feather that can imbue your characters with great power -- and then kill them. It's an awful thing to use, especially as you watch a party member live out their final moments -- fully aware that you brought this fate down upon them. While killing your party members might not seem like a good idea (they are, after all, a limited resource), their falls do bring with them certain benefits -- in particular, special abilities (such as the power to paralyze every enemy on the map, which is quite useful when you've got multiple foes bearing down on upon you). And if you happen to choose one of the harder story branches, the temptation to use that feather will be strong. Just remember that its use brings heavy consequences.

The rest of the battle system is pure Valkyrie Profile, which is somewhat remarkable given that the signature combat mechanics have been successfully adapted into an SRPG. The combat will be instantly familiar to fans of the previous games; it still requires your characters to coordinate their strikes in order to build up enough energy to release a variety of powerful overdrive attacks. But in order to attack together, your characters must be in range to strike, which is where the tactical element comes in.