Sony’s State of Play for March 2022 detailed new and upcoming games from its third-party support studios. Square Enix titles held a huge presence, as expected, for the future of the PS5’s library. One huge surprise during the event came as the last big announcement for the day. A Valkyrie Elysium reveal wasn’t a major surprise for those who watch Japanese IP trademark news, but that’s not me. I was shocked to see a new title for the Valkyrie Profile franchise and very excited as well. If you’re not familiar with the franchise, then let’s do a brief overview. Firstly, however, let’s talk about what we saw from the Square Enix project Valkyrie Elysium as seen in the March State of Play 2022.
What is Valkyrie Elysium? – The New Title from Square Enix
Image Credit: Square Enix
A Valkyrie Elysium reveal truly shocked me. As I saw online later, a trademark in Japan a few months ago signaled this title was coming. Still, I’m very happy to see the news. In the stunning trailer, Square Enix showed off an action RPG that will release in 2022 for PS5 and PS4. The developer also offered a brief synopsis of the game as well. “The Valkyrie series depicts the end of humanity and their encounters with the gods through a unique world inspired by Norse mythology,” Square’s Web Content Editor explained in a blog.
The game takes place in the distant past, in a world where Ragnarok – the End Times – looms large upon the realms. Man, Ragnarok is everywhere, from new Assassin’s Creed Valhalla DLC to Thor films and God of War. With the last of his strength, the All-Father in this world gets one more shot to save it. He creates a lone Valkyrie set to rescue the world from its own destruction. Square Enix promises a detailed story of redemption and surprise. Plus, some 4K 60FPS action for the PS5. All of that sounds good to me.
Series composer Motoi Sakuraba is back as well, which is a fun surprise for the franchise many might not know about. If you’re unfamiliar with the Valkyrie Profile series, then let’s do a little overview.
The Quick History of the Valkyrie Profile Franchise
If you did a quick Google search after the Valkyrie Elysium reveal at the Sony State of Play, then you likely saw that this isn’t a new IP. Square Enix is developing Valkyrie Elysium as the latest entry in the Valkyrie Profile franchise. This series was originally developed by tri-Ace, a studio still develops games today. If you’re a big Star Ocean fan, then you know the name well. The first game in the series, Valkyrie Profile, released on December 22, 1999, in Japan and on August 29, 2000, in North America for PS1.
The first game followed Lenneth, a valkyrie, as she travels through Midgard collecting the souls of slain heroes. As she journeys, she learns more about her original human life, removed from her memory upon becoming a Valkyrie. This theme of self-inspection seems present in the new game as well. The sequel, which is actually a prequel, is titled Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria and takes place hundreds of years before the first game. VP2:S released in 2006 on the PS2 in Japan and 2007 in the West. The next titles, oddly enough, released on Nintendo DS and iOS and Android devices.
The series is definitely worth a reboot, and the Valkyrie Elysium reveal looks like an incredible way to do just that. I’m psyched for the new game, but let me know what you think. If you have thoughts on the finale of this March 2022 State of Play, then let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things gaming, comics, and pop culture.
Featured Image Credit: Square Enix