Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is an excellent game and worth revisiting, despite being a slightly below-average port.

While the difficulty isn’t perfect and the platforming is consistently frustrating, the shortcomings are balanced by an enjoyable combat system and one of the most timeless stories found in gaming.

Most of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth holds up exceptionally well, in fact. Even 23 years after its initial release, this is still an excellent game. Sure, there are some minor issues, like awkward platforming, that wouldn’t have been good 23 years ago either, but for the most part, they’re minor issues that don’t take away from a game with fascinating mechanics that are still unique after all these years. If you’re a fan of RPGs and haven’t played Valkyrie Profile, don’t wait 23 years as I did. Make sure to check it out.

In some ways, it can be difficult to be objective about Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. It's one of my favorite games, and barring a terrible port, there's no way I'd really dislike it. Getting the chance to play it again after a few years really drives home that as weird and strange as it is, it's still an absolute classic. You need some tolerance for the oddities of a PS1 title, but if you have that patience, Lenneth is easily one of Tri-Ace's best games and one of the best RPGs out there.

Valkyrie Profile uses the conventions of a dungeon crawler to highlight an aspect of games, and really humanity itself, that often goes understated. The path to our true calling is vague, confusing, and full of trial and error. If you're willing to persevere and think beyond the immediate path before you, however, you reach your full potential. You might like Valkyrie Profile, too!

Valkyrie Profile is a great game, a cult classic that still feels fresh over two decades since its original release.

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth's port is not the best, with the blurry pixels and almost invisible backgrounds in some scenarios it is still the defenitive way to experience this rich RPG, from the charming world to the thrilling story and combat you are in for a big treat!

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a fantastic game for the right audience. If you’re a huge fan of PS1 JRPGs or a returning Valkyrie Profile player, you will have a fantastic time with this game. It’s hard for me to say what newbies to the genre might think of the game, but as someone who’s dropped a thousand hours in Final Fantasy 7 I can say Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is definitely a 10.

At first glance, this game seems like everything I love in a retro RPG. There’s a unique combat and progression system, detailed pixel art, and a fascinating narrative. But most of my biggest issues are in these same areas. The graphics for this release are ill-suited to modern TVs. Progression is obtuse and murky. And the combat quickly wears out its welcome. If you missed out on this game when it first dropped, you’re in luck! It’s been perfectly preserved. But if you’re going in blind, you may be somewhat disappointed with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth.

Valkyrie Profile Lenneth is one of those obscure but famous JRPG titles that deserved a revival, and while the new game was less than fantastic, its predecessor has been remastered for current platforms with the respect it deserves.