ValhallaKnights
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Valhalla Knights 2 feels primitive in new vid
Valhalla Knights 2 is striking PSP later this year. RPG fans may be glad to get a brand new game to play on the handheld, but we can't help but feel underwhelmed by the presentation. After games like Crisis Core have spoiled us with its lush visuals and plentiful voice acting, we have to say that this looks a bit ... primitive. The N64-era textures certainly don't help either.
XSEED inks Marvelous deal, Valhalla Knights II confirmed
Sometimes one set of hands just isn't enough to bring games stateside. At least, that's the thinking over at niche game publisher XSEED, which just signed a co-publishing deal with Harvest Moon virtuoso Marvelous Entertainment. The pair note that the agreement will help let Marvelous set up shop here in the US, while XSEED will help localize "key" titles from the Japanese studio.While the news makes us think that we'll soon be up to our eyeballs in farming sims, XSEED has only thus far confirmed that it will help localize Valhalla Knights II, though the companies note that additional game announcements will follow shortly. The sequel to last year's PSP action RPG Valhalla Knights is expected to ship this fall, with XSEED marketing guru Ken Berry stating belief that the game "will help to set the quality standard high for all future games coming out of this deal." That's certainly a lofty expectation for a sequel to a game that was largely panned by critics last year.
Imports: Pre-order Valhalla Knights 2, get soundtrack
If you live in Japan (most probably not) and plan on picking up Valhalla Knights 2, you might want to pre-order and grab the free soundtrack bonus offer. Titled "Sounds of Valhalla Knights," the soundtrack contains 20 songs from the game, and most of which come from former Square Enix sound editor, Shohiro Nakaoka. Nakaoka has worked as a sound editor on such games as Final Fantasy XII, Front Mission 4, and Xenogears.For those non-Japanese interested in getting this sequel to the fantasy-themed RPG Valhalla Knights, we're hoping that your favorite import sites will carry the pre-order bonus. If not, there's always Ebay.[Via PSPHyper]
Japan receives new additions to budget lineup
Budget conscious importers can cheer as Japan's "The Best" lineup continues to grow. While American gamers rarely get new additions to the Greatest Hits lineup, Japan's offering has been far more generous. The newest batch of titles to enter budget status include the following: Magna Carta Portable Valhalla Knights Super Robot Taisen MX Portable Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 Ubiquitous Evolution It's evident from this update that Japan sure does love their role playing games. The games will be priced at 2800 yen ($23) and will be available starting June 28th. Let's hope that other divisions of Sony will learn and add some more budget titles as well.[Via Siliconera]
Metareview: Valhalla Knights
Valhalla Knights looked so promising when it was first previewed so many months ago. Looks like it'll join the ever-growing collection of RPG failures on our system. The critics, for the most part, have bashed XSEED's latest, telling you to stay far, far away from it: 1UP (35/100) likens the experience to torture: "I can't remember the last time I felt so constricted as a gamer. Sure, running around the dungeons and slashing through enemies is enjoyable enough -- and, dare I say it, even fun at times. But as soon as you attempt to play through Valhalla Knights like its an actual game, it completely falls apart. The viselike grip Valhalla Knights holds." G4 (40/100) thinks the game is too old-school for its own good: "This is not a game for the impatient, especially since there's no in-game help system. When it comes to combat tactics or building a party, you have to learn by doing (and probably dying)." IGN (53/100) wanted to like the game, but couldn't: "Valhalla Knights succeeded at impressing me with fun, real-time combat, completely pissing me off with drawn-out quests and eventually driving me away due to the complete lack of anything resembling story progression." Ouch! Those are some of the harshest reviews we've read in quite some time. Valhalla Knights is now available in stores ... if you dare pick it up!
Throaty Valhalla Knights trailer
Is it just me or does this narrator have something caught in his throat? He sounds like he's trying to hard to do the deep, intimidating announcer voice. C'mon, XSEED: there's no need to fool around like that! The trailer does a good job of selling itself! What do you think fanboys? Are you getting excited? We'll find out for sure when the game comes out on April 17th.
2007 year of the PSP RPG?
The number of RPGs scheduled to come out this year on PSP would not be able to be counted on two hands. In fact, you'd need more than three hands to count them and then you're in Goro territory. Point is, if you're an RPG fan, PSP is the system to own this year. Don't believe me? Well here's the list of RPGs coming out in 2007 according to IGN's release list: JanuaryLegend of the Heroes III: Song of the Ocean FebruaryGurumin: A Monstrous AdventureMonster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner MarchValhalla KnightsDungeons & Dragons: Tactics AprilThe Elder Scrolls Travels: OblivionRiviera Quarter 2Alien Syndrome Quarter 4DC Universe RPG TBA 2007Legend of the River KingFar East of Eden: The Fourth ApocalypseLandstalkerHarvest Moon Boy & GirlCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VIIJeanne d'ArcFinal Fantasy Tactics I don't even want to know what the collective amount of hours all these RPGs would take to beat. Which of these are you looking forward to playing most?
Valhalla Knights US preview online [Update 1]
We've talked about Valhalla Knights before, but as the US release draws ever closer we find ourselves sucking in any available info like a sponge that wears pants but isn't square. IGN just put up a preview of the version and they describe how the gameplay works and what makes the game unique. The biggest emphasis in the game seems to be about choice and players will not just choose their class, but at any given time will be able to choose what mission they go on from the guild. Once they do get to battle, the emphasis is on real-time combat with close or ranged attacks. This non-linear picking up quests in town element and the method of fighting make it sound like it could please Monster Hunter fans. Check out IGN to read more about the game and see screens. [Update 1: Corrected some formatting errors.]
Valhalla Knights English website opens
Valhalla Knights was one of the best games at Tokyo Game Show this year, and although it's coming to the US in the future, details have been very scarce. The official US website for this RPG opened a few days ago, and gives a few tidbits on the game's story and characters. With the "Trailer" and "System" sections of the site currently unavailable, it seems like we'll have more to report on in the coming weeks.
Valhalla Knights details in lengthy interview
GameZone recently interviewed Jimmy Soga, Assistant Localization Producer of the upcoming PSP-exclusive RPG Valhalla Knights. Like in most RPGs, the main hero seems to have lost his memory, and must go on a journey to find out the truth behind his past. And also like in most RPGs, his destiny will most likely intertwine with the fate of the world. Pretty dramatic, no? The interview is very, very long, so for those of you that are too lazy to read it all, here are a few excerpts: Character customization is key: you can customize the main character, and all the playable characters that join your party. "You are able to select the race, gender and job class of additional party members you hire (create)." Each character can carry more than one weapon: "Backup weapons can also be equipped on a character and can be switched out almost instantaneously during battle. For example, if your thief starts running low on HP during melee combat with a sword, you can back him away and switch to a bow and arrow to continue with ranged attacks from a safe distance." The game features a relatively unique leveling mode, where your physical strength and class skill level are independent of each other. So, if you switch classes, you won't lose any of your physical strength. (Read the full interview for a good example.) "Valhalla Knights offers a 2-player versus mode as well as a co-op mode... The co-op mode features 30 co-op missions exclusive to the multi-player mode." So what do you guys think? It seems like the game's going to be loaded with features. The game was one of IGN's favorites at Tokyo Game Show, and I can see why.
Valhalla Knights coming to the US
Back in August, Japanese PSP owners experienced one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs on the handheld yet. Valhalla Knights features impressive graphics and gameplay, with real-time combat and six member teams. IGN called the game one of the best RPGs of
TGS 06: Every PSP game previewed
There are way too many PSP games at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Because not all of us have time to read all the impressions and previews of all the games coming out, PSP Fanboy has created this nifty guide for all the games that were previewed. You'll get a thumbs up or a thumbs down from the major video game news sites. If a game looks like it might be a real winner, we'll award it "The Official PSP Fanboy Entranced Korean Award." These are the games that'll end up in Korea on giant PSPs, luring people to their eventual doom. And, that's pretty cool. Read on to see all the previews!
Valhalla Knights continues PSP's amazing RPG flood
Uh-oh. It looks like there's yet another amazing RPG heading to the PSP from Japan. If the upcoming Jeanne d'Arc isn't enough for you, then you might want to check out Valhalla Knights. From developer K2 (Tenchu series), it's one of the few Japanese RPGs that feature a fully customizable character for you to control. Battles look especially intense, with its real-time combat and six-member parties. The newly-updated official Japanese website has tons of things to look at, such as videos and wallpapers. The game releases on August 30th in Japan, and currently has no release date in the US. Hopefully, that'll change soon.[Via IGN Boards]
