Monthly Archives: September 2022
The Emotional Rollercoaster Of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Please note that written part of this article mess is rough and was originally used as a script for the video, I kept it here in case people would rather read than watch the video but there maybe a few errors in the script as a result since some parts of the script I skipped past for numerous reasons, some I have deleted but I may have forgotten others. I recommend watching the video instead.
Original Script For The Video
By now I feel that enough people have played Valkyrie Profile 2 and because of this, I need to get this off my chest once and for all. Now if you read or watched my review of the game, you might have found the personal side of things to feel a bit shallow and there’s a reason for that, as I was aiming to review the game and not spoil the experience for those getting into it. Now you all know by now that I consider Valkyrie Profile 2 to be the greatest game ever made and while my review did mention a few reasons as to why, I never really delved deep into an explanation of what makes this game better than the rest. To do this, I must go into deeper plot details and explain the events that occur later on in the game so I must warn you all that there will be huge spoilers covered here.
Firstly I want to address a few issues the game has in more detail, if you watched the review then you will know exactly what I am talking about in regards to story but to be more specific, the reason why the game’s narrative is such a slow burn is because of the infamous Chapter 3. While Chapter 1 and 2 act as introductory sections, Chapter 3 presents players with what may quite possibly be the worst macguffin hunt of all time. Now I should clarify that Valkyrie Profile 2 is not the only sole offender here as many other games suffer from this trope but Valkyrie Profile 2 does it in the worst way possible as when you reach the end of Chapter 3, you quickly find out that everything you have been doing up until that point has been a complete and utter waste of time from a plot perspective.
From a gameplay perspective however, Chapter 3 is a very important section of the game as it provides an opportunity for players to invest time and learn the complex gameplay systems that the game presents them with, as well as presenting them with some gorgeous landscapes to explore, each accompanied with an equally impressive musical score. I will be touching on the importance of this later but to sum it up briefly, the written narrative of Valkyrie Profile 2 is definitely not the main attraction here. People who play Valkyrie Profile 2 looking for a deep, engaging narrative are going to be bored to death in Chapter 3 and understandably so, the game doesn’t cater to those people in the slightest. Exploration on the other hand is where the game shines the most and I don’t mean this in the sense of having the freedom to go where you please, rather the feeling of wanderlust that comes from investing in the game’s world, be it gazing at the gorgeous landscapes, enveloping yourself in the sublime music or reading into the lore and backstory of the many einherjar you recruit, piecing together a set of events that occurred in years past to illustrate the worlds historical legacy. All of this is vital to get the most out of this experience as it makes the scale of the game feel so much grander than it would had you just perceived it as a set of cutscenes split apart between battles. Valkyrie Profile 2 cannot be viewed as such, though its incessant usage of cutscenes can feel a little deceptive in that regard. This is why it is so important to take your time with this game, it really isn’t a long one as it has been completed in less than an hour by speed runners which is considerably short for a RPG.
Another thing I want to address is the reason why I suggested that people should probably experience Valkyrie Profile 1 first and the reason for this is how Valkyrie Profile 2 ties directly into the first game and does so in two ways. Both games are completely different experiences that are designed to suit the character who is central to the story. While Lenneth’s story is mostly about exploring an enigma, Silmeria’s story opens up considerably by comparison, expecting you to understand the ways of the world and the situations that occurred in the first game. Players who witnessed the C ending of Valkyrie Profile would know that the gods Lenneth serve are not quite as benevolent as the player was led to believe, those who got the B ending spent over 30 hours only to be told that their work is done, implying that their presence in the game was no longer necessary nor welcome, thrown straight into an anti-climactic credits sequence directly afterwards with a brief hint that the game isn’t over and they have to restart the entire game all over again. Upon finishing the A ending of Valkyrie Profile, the truth is revealed, the gods were using you the whole time but it’s too late to do anything as the world is on the brink of annihilation and you have to stop it before it’s too late, this ending is the one that ties directly into the events of Valkyrie Profile 2 which takes us to the second reason why I recommend people to experience the first game beforehand, the fact that while the timeline Valkyrie Profile 2 takes place in is prior to that of the events of Valkyrie Profile 1, it is very much a sequel as it is not a mere retelling of events that happened, it is a changed timeline, influenced from events of the first game.
So what you see in Valkyrie Profile 2 is essentially a time paradox. Not only that but the entire story of Valkyrie Profile 2 revolves around preventing the events of the first game from ever occurring. If you never played the first game, then you will never understand the importance of this as the events that occurred in the original timeline directly lead towards the devastation of Midgard in the first game, which is a notoriously grim world where humans suffer through miserable lives, begging for death, only to find that death may quite possibly be even worse than life. Valkyrie Profile 1’s story is all about questioning not only the meaning but also the value of life and does so in the most brutal and unapologetic way possible to the point that it might as well be considered to be the most depressing game ever created, as while the game never gives players a definitive answer, it does lean closer to that of nihilism and hopelessness to the point that players experiencing it may even be susceptible to dark thoughts themselves. It’s definitely not an experience for everyone but it is one that is necessary in the realm of videogames, one that I respect greatly as it doesn’t sugarcoat anything. When you consider the fact that the main driving force of the second game is to prevent all of this from happening, players who have played the first game will be considerably more invested in the story as they are emotionally driven to stop all of this misery and bring hope to the world… assuming that hope can even exist in the first place.
Part 2 – The Tragic Princess
Valkyrie Profile 2’s story isn’t centered around Lenneth Valkyrie this time round. Instead you play the role of a human princess named Alicia. At first you would think that it would make more sense for the titular Silmeria to play the role of protagonist, however this isn’t the case and by the time you reach the end of the game, you will soon come to understand why Alicia is the protagonist as she is essentially the character that you the player are going to connect with the most. On top of this, her entire character is the core that links everything together, making her an important character. Before I go into detail on later events, I feel that I should give a brief summery of Alicia’s backstory and the events leading up to the climax of the emotional rollercoaster that is Valkyrie Profile 2.
Despite Odin’s attempts to reincarnate Silmeria into a human to punish her for her rebellious intent, the transmigration failed and Silmeria remained conscious within the human body of Alicia, who Silmeria was originally supposed to be. Silmeria did not stay dormant however, her desire to get revenge against Odin for his misdeeds causes her to take an assertive position over Alicia at times and it is implied that Silmeria’s commanding presence was a threat to the royal family’s authority. Because of this, Alicia was forcibly exiled by her parents and lived a life in solitude for many years. Silmeria continued to assert authority over Alicia’s consciousness leaving Alicia completely helpless, essentially making Alicia a slave to Silmeria. Silmeria was eventually found by Hrist and therefore, Alicia is forced into dangerous situations against her will in order to prevent Hrist from killing her and releasing Silmeria’s soul to be brought back to Asgard. Alicia spends the entire first half of the game doing Silmeria’s bidding and this leads her on a hunt for the Dragon Orb which is where chapter 3 takes place.
At the end of chapter 3, it is revealed that Hrist Valkyrie was masquerading as Leone and after stealing the dragon orb from Alicia, it is presumed that she will launch an attack on Dipan due to her earlier threats. In chapter 4, the group arrives in Dipan to confront Hrist but unfortunately they arrive at a timely moment where Hrist is just about to execute the leader of Dipan’s people, King Barbarossa in front of all of his subjects in order to make an example of what befalls those who oppose the gods. Despite having sent Ull to keep Alicia from witnessing her father’s death, Alicia arrives to stop her anyway but before she can do anything, Hrist gives Arngrim the order to activate the guillotine causing Alicia to witness her father’s decapitation.
To make matters worse, the three mages who were assisting Hrist in the execution out of fear take ghoul power in order to prevent Hrist taking them as Einherjar, this includes Alicia’s childhood friend Dallas, who is forced to drink ghoul powder against his will by Walther. After consuming the ghoul powder, the other two mages leave but Dallas stays behind telling Alicia that her father whom she was exiled from at an early age due to her ties to Silmeria, was trying to separate Alicia from Silmeria using unlawful methods in order to make Alicia free from Silmeria’s control so that Alicia could live as a complete person. Dallas also revealed that the king had to sacrifice many lives in order to do so and that his love for his daughter was his motivation for doing it.
Immediately after this revelation, Dallas begins spazzing out in front of Alicia due to the effects of the ghoul powder as Alicia is forced to watch as her childhood friend loses his mind and becomes a demon. Dylan, who is possessed by Brahms’ soul at the time, forces Dallas to flee leaving Alicia to mourn not only one, but two brutal deaths of people she cared for. This immediately causes her to search for her mother, the last person Alicia cares for who stayed in the castle during the attack. Unfortunately for Alicia however, the Queen’s grief over the loss of her husband caused her to take her own life. After one of the guards reveals this information to Alicia, Hrist appears and tells Alicia that she would have killed her mother anyway causing an enraged Alicia to attack Hrist.
It is then that a pivotal point in the game’s story occurs where Alicia and Silmeria are forcibly separated, Brahms’ soul manifests from within Dylan to try and prevent this from happening but is captured by Freya, Lezard also disappears leaving Alicia and Rufus in the ruins of a fallen kingdom. It is at this point that Rufus decides that he is going to go to Yggdrassil in order to attain the power of the gods and fight Odin to save Midgard.
So Alicia has not only lost her family and friends but she has also lost the person who ruled her entire life. This essentially puts Alicia in a state of desperation, having lost everything that mattered to her and with nobody to lead her, Alicia pleads with Rufus to bring her along. Rufus refuses stating that humans cannot reach Yggdrasil but Alicia insists and Rufus decides to take her as far as she can go.
This is a pivotal point in Alicia’s character. It is important to understand that Silmeria’s dominance over Alicia has essentially removed Alicia’s ability to act for herself. She has grown too used to relying on other people as a result and this is why she chooses to go with Rufus, not because she wants to save the world but because without someone to lead her, she would become as helpless as a dog abandoned by its owner. Alicia is now in a position that she has never been in, now sure many of us face the daunting task of having to choose which direction to take our lives in but this is an extremely difficult task for Alicia in particular considering the fact that she has literally zero independence. This is the core of Alicia’s character and is what ultimately leads to what would be her biggest challenge, the events of chapter 5.
Part 3 The Calm Before The Storm
Alicia and Rufus must traverse through the tranquil Forest Of Spirits to reach the gates of Bifrost, leading to Asgard and thus Yggdrassil. The forests are a land left mostly untouched by Humans and it is home to the elves who’s purpose is to protect the gates of Bifrost from mortals and others who dare threaten the Aesir on Midgard. The song titled “The Wavering Of Another Age” plays throughout this dungeon and it is a very calming song with a catchy rhythm. While the song does befit a tranquil forest that has existed for countless years, its primary purpose is to provide a brief moment of respite to lighten the mood after the events of chapter 4.
Upon reaching the gateway to Bifrost, Rufus enters through with ease, Alicia however finds herself unable to go through with him and this causes her to repeatedly bash the gateway in frustration to the point that her hands turn bright red from all the bruising. This is the first time the player sees any form of emotional response from Alicia since before fighting with Hrist and it heavily emphasizes how terrible her current mental state is but why now? Why does she choose now of all times to express her inner frustrations? Because she has finally seen the reality of her situation and therefore her delusions of purpose are finally starting to fade, Alicia has lost all reason to live at this point and the only thing keeping her going is the mission presented to her by Silmeria because it’s the only way she knows how to live. This scene in particular resonates with me on a more personal level as it kind of reflects my own approach to life, just mindlessly flailing my way through it. I’m sure many others can relate to this as well, that feeling of being completely powerless, yet you keep going despite all the odds being stacked against you, which is precisely what this scene illustrates. Though it is true that life can take its toll on all of us, you can clearly see that the circumstances of Alicia’s life throughout this entire game have been particularly grim, which makes this scene hit all the more harder. It is at this point that Alicia tells Rufus to leave her behind because she finally realizes that she is nothing but a burden to him.
By now, Rufus is aware that something is not right with Alicia and because of this, he decides not to leave her behind because deep down he knows that she is reluctant to leave him. Her actions at the gateway spoke louder to him than her current words. She needs to go with him and he knows it… but it’s impossible. Suddenly they are found by one of Heimdall’s men and are rescued by an elven archer. It is at this point where the elf reveals to Alicia that it is impossible for humans to reach Asgard, unless they were to become an einherjar or turn undead. Upon hearing this, Alicia suddenly proposes the idea of becoming undead and Rufus suggests using his ring to prevent Alicia from decaying since the ring is what has kept Rufus alive this whole time as he should have died many years ago from old age. The player then has to go through the most tedious section of the game which involves backtracking all the way to Dipan’s laboratory to get the ghoul powder and back to the Forest Of Spirits. Which just goes to show that while I consider Valkyrie Profile 2 the greatest game ever made, it is far from perfect, the section afterwards further emphasizes this.
This is where we reach what I consider to be the most memorable section of the entire game and the belly of the whale of Alicia’s story. Despite Rufus’ reluctance to go through with this, Alicia immediately swallows the ghoul powder without hesitation, showing just how reckless her current mental state has lead her to become. This leads to what may quite possibly be the most intense portion of the game where Alicia and Rufus both find themselves on the other side of the gateway. Due to the effects of the ghoul powder, Alicia is in a weakened state and seeing no other choice, Rufus removes his ring and places it on Alicia’s finger to prevent her body from fully decaying but in doing so, Rufus collapses due to the ring being the source of his life energy. Without the ring, Rufus will also begin to decay and die, this leaves Alicia with no other option but to make her way through the dreaded Ravine Caverns in order to save Rufus’ life and make it to the realm of the gods.
Part 4 The Bridge Between Heaven And Hell
Ravine Caverns is without a doubt the most intimidating dungeon in the entire game outside of the Seraphic Gate. It is so infamous that popular youtuber DavidVinc put it on his top 10 worst playstation 2 dungeons of all time list and for good reason, you have 8 minutes to get through the longest dungeon you have encountered so far. Now if you bring up the map for this area you will see a single tiny room, that’s where you are and you will see an icon showing the entrance, on the other side you will see the exit and loads of empty space in between. All of that empty space is filled with small rooms similar to the one you are in and there are multiple layers to this map as there are paths that go up and down leading to other rooms, some leading to dead ends, others leading to treasure chests rigged with traps and others lead to sealstones. Put simply, Ravine Caverns is a huge maze and you are not ready for it. Now I’m sure that there are some people who managed to get through this dungeon first time without a guide but I certainly didn’t, I pussied out because I desperately wanted to get through the ordeal of navigating this treacherous maze in one piece. Thankfully you are able to use photons to bypass most enemies but that won’t save you from reaching a dead end having to backtrack to another path in hopes of making it to the end in time. I hate this dungeon with a passion and the game knows that I hate it because… well, the music.
The Ravine Caverns is certainly a grim place, filled with poisonous swamps that will poison your entire party if you step in them. It’s not exactly the most notable dungeon in the game in the visual department but the music is without a doubt the most fitting song I have ever heard for a dungeon. It’s an intense, emotional piece fittingly titled “Life Which Desires Death”. Considering the nature of the game’s story, this title perfectly describes the context of the game’s story at this point and the song perfectly expresses the emotional state of both the protagonist and you as the player, getting through one of the most painful experiences in the game. Only when you understand the context of the game’s story and have experienced the pain of trudging through this horrendous dungeon yourself will you truly appreciate this piece of music.
So all in all, Ravine Caverns is an intense moment for both the player and Alicia, in fact you could take Alicia or the entire narrative out of the equation and this section of the game would still leave a lasting impression on you. It is an emotional journey that invokes a strong sense of panic and desperation that will stick with you throughout the entire dungeon.
Upon reaching the other side of the Ravine Caverns, a scene plays where Alicia is assisting the crippled Rufus all the way to the exit. The irony of the short and scrawny Alicia dragging this tall elf guy is certainly apparent here but that’s kind of the point. This part of the game shows that Alicia has grown as a character and not a single word has been said since the start of this section but no words are needed as you, the player watched her navigate one of the most treacherous and intense dungeons ever, you could feel her struggles and her will to become stronger just by playing the game and taking in the ambience. Valkyrie Profile 2 shows that some things are best expressed without words and Ravine Caverns is pretty much Alicia’s equivalent of Rocky’s training montage which you, the player got to participate in, which further bolsters the player’s connection to Alicia’s character.
Part way through the cutscene, a new song plays titled “Turning Back Is A Mistake”. If you understand the context of the story then the title of this song is also rather fitting as turning back at this point is impossible. This brings about a massive shift in tone as this song heavily emphasizes a state of tranquility. This is further emphasized by the location itself. Bifrost is the bridge that crosses between the realm of mortals and the realm of the gods and what a sight to behold it is. After the many perils that players went through to reach this point of the game, Bifrost provides the player with a brief moment of respite and while there are a few enemies to fight along the way, the dungeon itself is fairly straightforward. There is also a healing point as well as a save point upon entering this location. My one criticism with this section of the game would be the fact that there are several enemies to fight here as while I do love the combat of Valkyrie Profile 2, I would have preferred to have walked through a combat free zone here. Thankfully you can return to this point in the game and take in all the sights without being interrupted by mandatory battles.
Bifrost is best described as being an aesthetic masterpiece and this is thanks to the phenomenal transitions that create a fantastic illusion that players can easily miss. While Bifrost is a very short dungeon that can be traversed very quickly in game, the clever use of transitions in this area does a fantastic job at showcasing the scale of this gigantic bridge. As you approach from the entrance, the bridge slowly begins tilting upward until you reach this unusually trippy visual effect that surrounds the entire bridge, this visual effect allows for a massive transition to be made as if you look very carefully after entering this section of the bridge you will see a sphere in the background. It took me ages to figure out what that sphere was but then I was amazed to find out that it was actually moon, the entire moon was in the distance and I could barely see it due to the weird visual effects that surrounded me.
Needless to say that continuing further along the bridge caused yet another transition to occur, this transition would be the one that transitions from the center of the bridge to the Asgard side, suddenly you are presented with several floating islands in the distance, many of which have water falling through the edges. It quickly becomes apparent to the player that they are miles away from Midgard and have finally made it all the way to Asgard. Now on a personal note, ever since I started playing the first Valkyrie Profile and seeing Asgard for the first time, I wondered to myself, can you actually go there and explore those islands? Sadly the only time you can explore Asgard is right at the end of the game where it is in ruins. So I personally felt that reaching Asgard in Valkyrie Profile 2 was a dream come true, sure it is only a few screens of nothing but gorgeous landscapes with only a single merchant and two dungeon entrances but the moment I arrived in Asgard, I couldn’t help but stand still amongst the flying petals and take it all in.
The music that plays in Asgard titled “A Stable Float” was the perfect track to accompany this section of the game as it somehow manages to be even more more tranquil and relaxing than the music that played in the previous area. Asgard presents the player with a brief moment of respite before they make their final trek to the top of Yggdrassil and what a moment it is. One thing is for certain however, it is not Asgard alone that made this part of the game so impactful, rather the journey as a whole makes reaching this point of the game feel so damn satisfying. I could stand in Asgard and take in its incredible views forever but the game is far from over. The emotional rollercoaster continues.
Part 5 – The Final Climb & Climax Of Chapter 5
With both the Dragon Orb and Brahms soul in the palm of his hand, you would think that Odin would be content with leaving Midgard alone. This is not the case however, as the Sovereigns Rite used to separate Silmeria from Alicia was a forbidden magic that only gods were permitted to use. Now that humans have gained the knowledge on how to perform the Sovereigns Rite, Odin feels that it is necessary to destroy Midgard and dispose of humanity before they become a greater threat, threatening to slay any einherjar who oppose him in the process. Originally however, this was not the case. In the first Valkyrie Profile, the deterioration of Midgard which led to the poor state of the world was caused by the fact that the Dragon Orb was no longer on Midgard. It is likely that the Dragon Orb provided sustenance to the world and without it, a great famine would be brought about that would cause devastation. The people of Coriander began selling their children into slavery, likely in order to afford the rising prices of food. Orphans turn to thievery in order to make a living and help the struggling elderly. Lack of resources brought tension between nations, meaning the demand for mercenaries was higher than ever as war could break out at any moment. All of this was the result of Odin acquiring the Dragon Orb, though this does not become apparent until the end of the first game. In Silmeria, players are expected to know this and therefore, Odin is already set up to be the game’s antagonist. Sensing Alicia and Rufus’ presence, Odin decides to take matters into his own hands, deciding to slay them himself.
The next dungeon, Yggdrassil is without a doubt my favorite dungeon in the entire game. Unlike the Ravine Caverns it isn’t an ordeal to get through but at the same time, it isn’t a total cakewalk as Yggdrasil makes full use of the game’s photon system, offering some somewhat tricky platforming to mix things up. The whole dungeon feels like a really satisfying excursion that showcases every single aspect of Valkyrie Profile 2’s phenomenal design at it’s best. Part of me considers Yggdrasil to be a strong contender for my favorite dungeon in a JRPG for this very reason. The music that plays in this location is titled “No Knowledge Of Wisdom”, a song so powerful that it quickly invokes an exciting feeling but simultaneously illustrates the struggles the player will face as they carry out the daunting task of making their way to the top of this colossal tree.
Visually speaking, the entire dungeon is a spectacle, not that it should come as a surprise at this point but the visual backdrop of this level in particular is so impressive that there is an entire cut scene dedicated specifically towards acknowledging just how incredible it looks, so much so that it serves as the perfect opportunity for Alicia and Rufus to reflect on their entire journey up to this point, using the wondrous landscapes surrounding them to show just how far they have come throughout their journey, reminding players yet again that they have accomplished feats that no mortal could ever hope to achieve. All of this builds up to the climactic finale of the entire story, where Alicia and Rufus team up against Odin. Those who played Valkyrie Profile 1 will relish in the sensation of finally being able to settle the score for all of the terror he has brought to Midgard in the first game. This is the man who tricked the player into doing his dirty work only to find out that you were working for a scumbag who views humans as nothing more than farm animals. You are finally challenging the lord of the gods in what would have been the game’s final confrontation in the game’s original timeline.
Needless to say, the battle ends in Odin’s favor as his powers vastly outclass those of Alicia and Rufus, though interestingly enough, you can actually win the first battle if you are strong enough. The result is always the same regardless of whether or not you are victorious as Alicia and Rufus get the ultimate reality check in the form of a serious beating. Rufus tells Alicia to run away but Alicia refuses to budge, refusing to abandon the dying Rufus. It is at this point that a familiar face shows up. It turns out that Lezard survived the events of chapter 4 and snuck his way to the top of Yggdrassil and seeing no other choice, Alicia begs Lezard to assist her against Odin but what can a mere mage hope to do against the might of the all father himself?
Part 6 – This Is No Mere Mage
It isn’t uncommon to see videogame protagonists as the underdog as it allows for said character to not only be relatable but it also opens up the potential for character growth. A good example of this would be Alicia’s story up to this point. Throughout the game she has played the role of an underdog and has faced many tough adversaries on her way to stop Odin’s tyranny. However it is not by Alicia’s hand that Odin’s reign is brought to an end.
During the fourth chapter of Valkyrie Profile, one of Lenneth’s spiritual concentrations leads her to Flenceberg where she will recruit a mage named Lorenta into the party. This is a critical point in the game’s story that cannot be skipped over if players wish to complete the A ending. It is here where players first encounter a mage named Lezard Valeth. Now considering the fact that Valkyrie Profile takes place many years after the events of the second game, people may be confused as to how Lezard Valeth exists in this world but all shall be explained in due time, for now I wish to cover the events of Lezard’s past, leading up to the events of Valkyrie Profile 2’s final chapter.
In the first Valkyrie Profile, Lezard is best described as being the ultimate underdog with a trick up his sleeve. At first glance, he seems like a delusional madman who’s threatening presence poses no threat to a goddess like Lenneth Valkyrie. As a human, Lezard’s power is no match for Lenneth’s, much like all the other foes she has face in previous chapters. What makes Lezard stand out from the rest however is that he is fully aware of this fact and thus he presents the first major obstacle in Lenneth’s path. Lezard’s depiction in the first Valkyrie Profile is a far cry from the cool-headed mage that he in in the second game. Instead he is portrayed as a despicable madman with a crude and twisted sense of humor, as is shown by his interaction with the captured elf, twisting her words into an implication of sexual desire between her and Lezard’s homunculus, bringing further upset to the helpless elf. Not only does this scene give player’s a taste of Lezard’s disturbing characteristics and his psychological prowess but it also puts Lezard into a position of power right from the get go, a position that players would be quick to assume to be short-lived. This assumption is immediately crushed when Lezard lures his former teacher, Lorenta to his tower where she would suffer tremendous torment, only to face a bitter end. I simply adore this scene as it shows just how calculated and intellegent Lezard truly is, while further showcasing his twisted nature. Despite his deep understanding of how to manipulate the emotions of his victims, it isn’t directly stated whether or not Lezard truly revels in the suffering of others. While it is heavily implied that he does, his actions actually serve a more practical purpose than one might initially believe. Lezard knew that It wouldn’t be enough to simply kill Lorenta or her husband, he had to make sure that his actions brought him enough infamy in order for him to become closer to his prize. As an underdog, Lezard first has to prove his worthiness as a villain, therefore Lezard does what he does best, in order to attract the attention of the one whom he desires most, a trick to lure the unsuspecting heroine into his clutches. This was never about Lorenta, nor was it about torturing elves. All of these horrific acts were merely a means to an end, Lezard beckons Lenneth into his foreboding tower, where the two would finally meet each other face to face.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Sun tsu
It is at this point where Lezard reveals his plans to Lenneth, all the while expressing his adoration for her. This is the first foe who shows a deep interest in Lenneth, not as a goddess but as a person. Lezard clearly knows much a lot about Lenneth, and despite beating him in a fight, Lezard manages to get away, leaving her with a single provocative line in retaliation, showing that despite being defeated in a fight, Lezard ultimately got one up on her by showing her that he knows more about her than she knows herself, Lezard has essentially exploited Lenneth’s ultimate weakness, something she has to contend with throughout the game. In addition, this shows just how confident Lezard is in the face of such a formidable adversary because according to the famous quote of Sun Tsu, those who know their enemy and know themselves need not fear a hundred battles, whereas those that do not know themself or their enemy will succumb in every battle. Lezard is essentially the ultimate foil to Lenneth and thus he is essentially her greatest rival, therefore despite his mortality, he has proven himself to be more powerful than Lenneth could possibly believe and as is typical of a goddess who is known to bring evil to its knees, even she refuses to accept that a mere human could be such a threat to her but little does she realize how far he is willing to go to achieve his ultimate dream.
Later on, a character named Mystina, an acquaintance of Lezard is introduced. It’s heavily implied that Mystina is heavily interested in Lezard, whether it be romatic or lustful is unknown, though she decides to use astral projection to explore his tower with the intent of stalking him. What Mystina finds inside the tower not only blows her mind but she is disgusted to find a homonculus of what appears to be a very young girl, leading to her assumption that Lezard is a pedophile. Now Lenneth is far from being an underaged girl, heck she has expsted for countless years so it’s obvious that Lezard clearly likes women of his own age but it is possible that he may have expressed an interest in minors for research purposes… if you know what I mean. This clearly paints a picture of what type of character Lezard is. He is so sick and twisted that you wouldn’t want to know his secrets even his he told you. This disgusts Mystina so much that her opinion of Lezard changes completely. However, Mystina still believes that Lezard can be of use to her as she recognizes his knowledge better than anyone, so she kidnaps the lifeless homunculus in order to blackmail Lezard, showing that despite not seeing any truly despicable acts from her, she and Lezard are both cut from the same cloth, creating an interesting relationship between the two, a relationship of mutual respect, yet distaste for one another. Both Lezard and Mystina recognize the need to rely on one another in order for them to reach their own agendas, though it goes without saying that Lezard is always one step ahead of her the whole way, with the philosopher’s stone’s knowledge, much like Lenneth, Mystina too is vulnerable to Lezard’s superior intellect. Lezard takes great pleasure divulging the truths of the world to Mystina, after all, he is showcasing his knowledgeable prowess which essentially allows him to stroke his own ego, going even as far as to express his ultimate desire to her, leaving Mystina completely baffled at the idea of a man getting to take ownership of a goddess but before she can react, Lezard casts a spell on the machine she is is in, freezing her to death and cackles madly to himself.
Now for players who saw the B ending, this would be the last time they would see Lezard in the game and if they didn’t enter the Tower Of Lezard Valeth in Chapter 4 or exited it for whatever reason, the mystina recruitment scene wouldn’t have been available either, nor would Mystina be recruitable. This means that in order to view the rest of Lezard’s backstory, you will need to make sure to get the A Ending. The A ending is filled to the brim with story which is a harsh contrast to the game at large. What makes the A ending so interesting however is not Lenneth’s characterization that is brought about by the final scenes, rather Lezard’s sudden appearance that shockingly has him working together with Arngrim and his former victim, Mystina in order to restore Lenneth’s boddy after it was taken by Hrist. This leads to several events, once again showcasing Lezard’s crude sense of humor, while also showcasing his knowledge. It is these traits that ultimately makes Lezard stand out from the other villains in the series and in a way it kind of makes him somewhat of a lovable rogue. Not only is he very much an underdog throughout this entire game being a mere mortal and all but he has the charisma in both Valkyrie Profile 1 and 2 that makes him so compelling, to the point that if you ask any Valkyrie Profile fan who their favorite character is, there’s a good chance that many would say Lezard. In fact I would personally consider Lezard to be my all time favorite character in gaming and I’m hoping that this analysis of his character can help you understand why he is my favorite. There are many insane characters in games such as Albedo from Xenosaga, Kefka from Final Fantasy 6 and Mugetsu from The Bouncer but none of them can even remotely compare to the greatness of Lezard Valeth.
Upon finishing the first Valkyrie Profile, right after the world is destroyed and brought back to life under Lenneth’s control, the end credits roll and a screen saying “fin” shows up, making you think that the game is over and it’s time to turn the game off, those who leave the screen on long enough will be treated to a scene with Brahms. This scene is particularly interesting to me as it suggests that Brahms has ulterior motives which could open up the possibility of a sequel perhaps, who knows? What’s really important is that right after this, Lezard shows up. Now you would assume that Lezard came back under Lenneth’s control as she is the creator but you’d be wrong. While it was thought that the Dragon Orb killed ever single being on midgard, only three survived, Brahms, Silmeria and Lezard. How Brahms and Silmeria survived is unknown but Lezard’s cause of survival was the philosopher’s stone, by destroying it, he was able to protect himself from Loki’s Dragon Orb, allowing him to survive the armageddon that everyone else was crushed by. With his memories in tact and without Lenneth’s hold over him, Lezard is free to do whatever he pleases but as horrifying as that may seem, he is still a mortal human, surely he can’t subjugate a powerful goddess like Lenneth, especially now that she has the power of creation in her hands, what could he possibly do accomplish his dreams?
It is at this point that the primary antagonist of the entire series has been replaced with the true antagonist of the series. Finally after all of the buildup from the first game, Lezard takes up the moniker of main antagonist, from the previous main antagonist no less. I love this as not only has Lezard’s entire backstory built up specifically for this moment but it just goes to show just how meaningless this entire fight was, as you have merely replaced one evil for another. Thus a whole new arc of the story begins and immediately after, the situation is bleak with Alicia not only losing her ring but also Rufus thanks to Lezard’s soul transfusion spell infusing Odin’s soul into Rufus’ body before his death. Luckily for Rufus he is able to communicate with Alicia as a soul, though he requires materialization to become alive again. So from this point on, Alicia is on her own, much like Arthas was when he was separated in Azjol Nerub, Alicia now has to brave the perils of Yggdrassil by herself as she tracks down the ring used to sustain her life back on Midgard so that she can use it to materialize Rufus. Upon doing so, the game presents a brief moment of triumph as a new song plays in Yggdrasil titled “Start Up From Prolonged Darkness” which is full of energy and pumps players up for the second arc of the story, vanquishing the treacherous Lezard once and for all.
Part 7 – A New World Awaits
By the time players reach the final section of the game, Lezard has taken center stage as pretty much everything revolves around him. Alicia, who barely had any of the story revolve around her, save for chapter 4 and 5, finds herself once again as a third wheel in the conflict as Lenneth appears to resolve her differences with her old nemesis. With the power of Gungnir in his hands, Lezard creates his own utopia in the form of a new world tree, proclaiming himself as god and what a utopia this is. The Tower Of Lezard Valeth, which was an important dungeon during the mid portion of the first game serves as Valkyrie Profile 2’s final dungeon. While its appearance is drastically different to that of the first game’s dungeon, it is heavily implied by Mystina that the tower is capable of moving between dimensions and with Lezards new found powers, its likely that he is able to completely alter its appearance to his liking. The Tower Of Lezard Valeth consists of 4 layers, each with its own unique backgrounds and battle arenas as well as different music for each layer. One might argue that the tower is a reflection of Lezard’s subconscious thoughts or his desires and as twisted as he is, this wouldn’t surprise me. While each song that plays inside the dungeon is a different variant of the same song, the tone in both the visuals and the music is so drastically different for each layer, making for a truly unique final dungeon in terms of conceptual design. Each of the four landscapes are gorgeous and the music that accompanies each of them is especially powerful. Both of them help to invoke feelings of terror, dread, sadness and pride, with each layer representing said feeling.
The first layer features a shattered world, full of debris and rubble. Within its background lies a gigantic dragon shaped statue amongst the chaos. The music titled Climax Comming From The Abyss invokes a strong sense of urgency which is somewhat familiar of the first game’s soundtrack in tone but in Valkyrie Profile 2’s style. Being the first layer of the tower makes the feeling of urgency fit all the more because there are three other layers to get through and Lezard isn’t going to wait around for you, this layer may also reflect Lezard’s destructive nature in regards to how he handles his victims.
The second layer, features a vast barren landscape, neighboring a dying woodland with a river flowing through the foreground. the music titled “A Pile Of Griefs” is considerably slower in tempo but many of the notes are considerably more emphasized by comparison, bringing about a foreboding, tense and intimidating atmosphere. This layer likely reflects Lezard’s unwavering confidence and the fear that comes from dealing with a confident adversary envelops you in this layer. Both the music and the landscape capture a feeling of hopelessness, with all the dying fauna unable to thrive in an environment consisting of both extreme heat and water. This is a land where nothing survives but despite this fact the landscape is still gorgeous to look at.
The third layer is a huge contrast to the previous layers, now you are above the clouds and there are several floating islands with waterfalls, accompanied by a gorgeous starry sky in the background, this area has a noticably more tranquil, yet melancholic tone to it, which is further emphasized by the music that plays which is titled “weakness”. This song is arguably one of the game’s more definitive tracks as it carries a feeling of gentleness throughout, which is a feeling that I find the game itself revolves around as a whole. This feeling of gentleness is quickly followed by a more somber tone, hence the melancholy. This layer possibly represents Lezard’s inner frailty as a human, a reflection of the underdog he once was, completely powerless before the goddess he wished to own.
This is fittingly positioned just beneath the fourth and final layer which plays my favorite song in the game titled “ascend into the true faith”. This is hands down the most epic and grandiose piece of music I have ever heard in a videogame, so much so that it was at this moment that I realized that Valkyrie Profile 2 would become my all time favorite game. The landscape appears to be considerably more ornate than the previous layers as both the platforms and the trees are draped in golden nectar with glittering gold particles fluttering from the sea of clouds below. While the music kind of speaks for itself with its sheer epicness, the landscape further emphasizes Lezard’s narcissism, as this is after all his utopia so of course the very top of the tower where he resides is going to be as regal as possible, befiting the coronation of this new god perfectly.
At the very top of this incredible world tree the three Valkyries confront Lezard, only to be completely outmatched by his newfound powers, rendering the once powerful Valkyrie sisters into crystalized toys and I say toys specifically because that’s pretty much what Lenneth is at this point which is evident upon entering Lezard’s inner sanctum where the epic music fades to silence as you are forced to bear witness to Lezard’s moment of triumph as you run through the hallways surrounding the center of the room with nothing but Liam O’Brien’s legendary voice acting to accompany you. This is such a powerful moment in the game as you finally get to see Lezard get what he wants, showcasing not only his colossal ego but also further showcasing his mad obsession with Lenneth as he gloats to her about her being unable to stop him, while simultaneously fawning over her. This follows the final battle of the game where Alicia, Rufus, Arngrim and Brahms team up to free Lenneth from Lezard’s clutches. I should note that there are some plot holes brought about by some of the game’s dialogue at this point with both Lenneth and Alicia claiming that Lezard has destroyed worlds which we never see happen, however this narrative flaw can easily be overlooked when you consider the fact that Gungnir is responsible for the world’s stability and eventually the world would face annihilation is kept away from Asgard, which is enough of a reason to confront Lezard.
Upon releasing Lenneth from her crystal, Alicia absorbs the souls of the 3 fallen Valkyries and undergoes a huge change. Not only does Michelle Ruff completely change her tone of voice to reflect this change but Alicia’s appearance changes also, making Alicia noticeably taller than she once was, showing that she has finally taken control of her life, therefore, it is finally her time to shine so that she can save the lives of others. Now Lezard Valeth, the big bad that had already taken over the entire universe and created his own utopia, is thrown into a state of panic at the sight of this new threat to his reign. These two underdogs who have received ultimate power shall now enter what is quite possibly the most epic confrontation in a videogame ever to decide the fate of the universe. The final boss fight of Valkyrie Profile 2 is simply put phenomenal. Not only does Liam O’Brien deliver some of the hammiest lines you will ever hear him say in any videogame but you also get to listen to the fittingly titled “Unrestrained Struggle” throughout the entire boss fight, a song that is both intense and playful in tone to perfectly match Lezard’s twisted nature, as well as an evil laugh that could even rival that of Joker himself. All of this makes for the greatest final boss battle I have ever experienced in my life and if you happen to lose the fight, Lezard will take great pleasure in detailing the agony that he will put you through as punishment for stealing Lenneth away from him which is a neat little touch. Let’s just say that you really don’t want to lose this battle but you probably should just to witness more hammy voice acting from Liam O’Brien.
Unfortunately however, your reward for beating Lezard is a remarkably bittersweet ending, where Lezard unleashes a final blow that causes Alicia to disappear along with him. Not only that but the game ends with the three guys that were left over as they discuss what to do next. It is a shockingly uneventful ending as the only highlights are the deaths of Alicia, Lezard and Brahms, the other two take the remaining two treasures and head off through the water mirror. It is then that the credits roll and the game is over, that’s it, there’s a brief epilogue after the credits, but it’s nothing substantial. The question is, underneath all of this, what does Valkyrie Profile 2 mean to me?
Part 8 Finale – What Valkyrie Profile 2 Means To Me
It’s important to note that Alicia’s death happens as a result of the reckless pursuit of her desires. Alicia’s fate was sealed the moment she consumed the ghoul powder, she committed a suicidal act and did so without any hesitation or fear but her willpower prevented her from dying until she accomplished what she set out to do which is why she made it clear near the end of the game that she would become the vessel of the 3 valkyries, knowing that she would die in the process. Even with Brahms insistence on becoming the vessel himself, Alicia insisted that she had to be the one. In truth, Alicia’s situation was no different from Brahms’ as she was already undead, just like him, she merely continues to live through willpower alone. Alicia and Brahms death at the end of the game symbolizes that the mission was complete and that both of them could finally accept their fate. The truth is, Alicia wanted to die the whole time as she literally had nothing left to live for but much like Broxigar Saurfang in Warcraft’s War Of The Ancients trilogy, Alicia wasn’t going to just throw her life away for nothing, she wanted to devote the remainder of her life towards saving midgard and was more than willing to die for that purpose, heck she specifically wanted to sacrifice herself for a good cause, even though those around her tried to stop her from doing so. It is here that Alicia’s suicide mission would finally end and the result of this is a world where “man etches fate anew”, hence the subtitle in the logo of the game. So to answer the question, Valkyrie Profile 2 is the retelling of a tragic story, painted in a sublime facade of beauty. Unlike the first game which paints its world in a more transparently grim tone, Valkyrie Profile 2 does not. The narrative themes strongly contrasts with the beauteous presentation of the game but the emotions brought about said presentation heavily reflects the tone of the narrative to the point that you can’t help but feel connected in Alicia’s experience regardless of whether or not you care about written narrative in games. While the same could be said for the first Valkyrie Profile game, I appreciate the second game so much more simply because it told its story a more interesting way due to it’s slightly lighter tone acting as a facade.
It is also important to remember that in the original timeline, it is likely that Alicia’s journey ended at the top of Yggdrassil, failing to accomplish her mission, which leads into the events of the first Valkyrie Profile where the world is dark and grim as a result. Valkyrie Profile 2 is best described as being in a neutral state, which is strongly conveyed by the visual style of the game as unlike other games which use a vibrant colour scheme to bring their environments to life, Valkyrie Profile 2 relies solely darker colours to blend in with its gritty atmosphere. To makes up for it’s lack of vibrancy, Valkyrie Profile 2’s impressive usage of shading, lighting and detail brings the best out of its limited colour scheme, bringing about a rather unique tone, a realistic depiction of a world where everything is neutral, nothing more, nothing less. Valkyrie Profile 2 is not a lighthearted game, nor is it a depressing game, it is set in an imperfect world with a brutal history that just happens to be in a state of tranquility around the time the events of Valkyrie Profile 2 take place. If you bothered to read the biographies of the various einherjar you acquired over the course of the game, you would be well aware of this brutal history and the visual style carries this feeling too, albeit a lot less potent than what the einherjar backstories depict. This is due to the world’s tranquil state, a world that is trapped in a constant state of tension and terror is enjoying a brief moment of respite before the impending doom that would later be seen in the first Valkyrie Profile. This is why experiencing both games back to back is vital to truly appreciate the Valkyrie Profile series as both games work in each other’s favor to create one of the most interesting worlds in videogame history. That being said however, there’s a strong separation between the world and the story. I think that the visuals do a fantastic job at conveying this as its neutral tone feels completely distant from the events of the narrative, save for the Ravine Caverns of course. There are some gorgeous looking landscapes in this game which feels strange when accompanied by such a somber plot but surely there’s a reason for this harsh contrast, one might say that it brings about a depiction of apathy. While the first Valkyrie Profile’s world is clearly in turmoil with its dark tone, the apathy brought about by Valkyrie Profile 2’s atmosphere is far more brutal as it makes Alicia’s suffering feel all the more isolated as the world around her does not express the same amount of pain, whereas the first game’s world does, as everyone is suffering. In that regard Valkyrie Profile comes across exaggeration of bleakness, whereas Valkyrie Profile 2 comes across as the grim reality of isolated suffering in a world where many remain content. Sure the citizens of Dipan suffered the loss of their home but the people of other nations are completely unaffected by the events of chapter 4, continuing on as if nothing ever happened, turning a blind eye to it all in the selfish way that we humans typically do. This also explains why Alicia and Rufus have a strong connection as while his situation is nowhere near as grim as Alicia’s, Rufus goes through struggles of his own, dealing with his own anxieties which is heavily amplified by the death of Rousallier, who appears to be connected to Rufus in some way. By sharing in each other’s pain, they are able to combat the apathy surrounding them. This brings forth a thin layer of hope in their nigh hopeless situation.
What makes the Valkyrie Profile series so great is the fact that it is one of the few JRPG series that actually challenges you to think for yourself rather than have the game tell you what is right and what is wrong. The value of humanity truly is subjective and while the game doesn’t push a negative stance in the main story, the conclusion, coupled with the einherjar backstories strongly suggests that the answer is no. Unlike most JRPG’s whish have a happy ending, Valkyrie Profile 2’s ending is fiercely neutral, in fact the entire ending of the game is spoiled by the game’s subtitle on the logo of the game “The Destinies Mend Rifts In Time As Man Etches Fate Anew”. What does this actually mean you ask? Well it means exactly what it says, mankind shall decide the fate of the world now, it is in their hands since the gods are no more. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well if you read all of the einherjar backstories that occur prior to the events of Valkyrie Profile 1, you will clearly see that even at the height of Midgard’s prosperity, humanity has always suffered and history has a habit of repeating itself, so when you consider that fact, Valkyrie Profile 2’s ending is not a happy ending at all, quite the contrary. It was all for nothing. Sure you killed both tyrants… but it won’t be long before another tyrant shows up. Were the sacrifices worth it in the end? Alicia sacrifices her life for nothing but a pipe dream, and considering the fact that every single playable character in the main story dies at some point, were any of their sacrifices worthwhile? My answer is no. Does this mean that humans are destined to be miserable forever? Well that’s not an easy thing to answer because there’s so much nuance involved. Some of the game’s NPC’s appear to be content with their lives, so you can’t answer with an absolute yes or no. All you can say for certain is that virtually nothing will change and for that reason, the sacrifices were worthless because the real enemy is and always will be humanity. Valkyrie Profile 2 deliberately detaches players from it’s world, sure you can talk to NPC’s to get an understanding of the state of the world but you never truly feel connected to the world because you are constantly getting distracted by the mission presented to you, a pointless suicide mission that would inevitably fail. At the same time however, you can’t help but feel that the journey is worthwhile. Valkyrie Profile 2’s world is absolutely gorgeous for a reason, it is a reflection of our own world. Many of us forget this as we are too distracted by our daily lives to notice just how gorgeous the world truly is. The true value of life comes from the bounties that the world presents to us. The trouble is that many of us never find those bounties because circumstances separate us from the world. If you take all the supernatural stuff out of the equation, instead focusing on the game’s themes as well as the state of the world, it is an accurate reflection of reality, hence the reason why Valkyrie Profile 2’s realistic art style is so fitting as it is suppose to reflect the beauty and harshness of reality, though with a tad of polish and shine to reflect the supernatural aspects that make the game’s universe more interesting. I find the 2d perspective really helps to amplify this as each of the locations are created in separate layers that are blended together, much like a painting in the sense that it is an illusion crafted from a paintbrush where all the layers blend into each other to create a landscape as opposed to a 3D game where the goal tends to be to make the game look as close to real life as possible which doesn’t give off the same feeling that Valkyrie Profile 2’s visuals do and that, along with the games gritty, yet striking art style is what makes Valkyrie Profile 2’s visuals so special to me, hence the reason why I call it a work of art in motion, because it’s environments literally come across as an animated painting.
At the end of the day though, Valkyrie Profile 2 is just a videogame, it’s not supposed to truly mean anything and a lot of what I say here is subjective but the game is thought provoking enough to make me say all of this stuff and ultimately, that is what matters. The Valkyrie Profile series as a whole left a lasting impression on me, particularly Valkyrie Profile 2 and I wanted to share it with you all just so that you can understand just how passionate I am about this game and why it is and always will be my favorite game of all time.
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