WorthPlaying: "Oftentimes when it comes to gaming, you have to be careful what you wish for, lest you get it and then realize just how wrong you are about what makes a great game. For a while, I've lamented the fact that most RPGs seem to be getting so easy that there's no incentive for old-fashioned level grinding anymore. I've also found that as much as modern games tout the ability to customize characters, this customization is often limited to little more than assigning skill points and divvying up equipment to already established character archetypes. I thought I wanted a game that left me free to create a party in whatever way I saw fit and forced me to work hard for progress, but then I played Valhalla Knights 2 and discovered just how wrong I was.
The game's premise revolves around a goddess who descended to the planet a thousand years ago. Instead of bringing blessings and peace, however, she wrought destruction across the land and turned people and animals into hostiae, malicious creatures who exist only to hunt and kill. The Witch of the Crystal did battle with the goddess, and while she was unable to kill the immortal being, the goddess was injured in the battle and forced to ascend once again and leave the people in relative peace. In the interceding millennium, a group of soldiers known as the Royal Order of the Lactroni has sprung up with the stated purpose of destroying the goddess and ending the hostiae infestation once and for all. It is that royal order of knights that players join in order to set out on their mission."
This series is destined to be quickly forgotten in the west (it actually has a strong niche in Japan), which is a pity, because there’s a lot to like about these games. They're not for everyone, but JRPG fans looking for something a little different would do well to try these out.
Original-Gamer writes: "With Final Fantasy XIII just under a month away, I decided to keep my time occupied with another RPG to take up that time until then. The game is Valhalla Knights 2 by XSEED Games. Now I've played a couple of games from the PS2 era that XSEED has developed, some good some not that great. But with nothing really hot out for the PSP at the moment, I decided to give it a try."
Marvelous Entertainment published some new screenshots and artwork from Valhalla Knights 2.
