Square Enix presented a new action RPG Valkyrie Elysium, which was announced during Sony’s State of Play 2022. This fresh entry to the world of Valkyrie Profile releases for PS4, PS5 and Windows PC sometime this year.
The Valkyrie series is inspired by Norse mythology to depict the end of humanity and their encounters with the gods. While Elysium was developed by Soleil Ltd., the Valkyrie series was originally developed by Tri-Ace and published by Square Enix, with Valkyrie Profile being its first release to Japan in 1999 and the United States in 2000. Valkyrie Anatomia: The Origin was the most released Valkyrie game which was released in 2016 and 2019 to play on iOS and Android devices. Even before Anatomia, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume was only released to play on the Nintendo Switch. This year, Sony welcomes Elysium back to Playstation consoles.
Elysium may not link too closely to the storyline of the Valkyrie series as it was revealed as a “brand-new standalone adventure”. Players follow the role of a valkyrie through an epic story in beautiful environments with a new fast-paced combat system that combines strategy, action and a unique combination of melee and magic. This world is in a distant past where Ragnarok- The End Times- is upon the realms. The protagonist was created by the All-Father as an emissary of redemption and hopes of saving their doomed world. Her challenges will uncover the hidden truth behind the ruined land and impending destruction prophesied by Ragnarok. Ultimately, she will choose how this irrational world meets its end.
While featuring new attack possibilities, Elysium incorporates classic elements from past Valkyrie games such as with the recruitable warriors that can be summoned to the valkyrie’s aid known as the Einherjar.
As teased in the announcement trailer, the art design of the game captures the spirit of the Valkyrie series in a modern way. It will appear especially crisp considering it runs in 4k and 60 FPS on the PS5. The character design was by Yuya Nagai of CyDesignation. The score was composed by Motoi Sakuraba who has worked on the series since Valkyrie Profile.