Lenneth

or is a series of role-playing video games created by Masaki Norimoto and Yoshiharu Gotanda, primarily developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix (formerly Enix). The series is notable for featuring elements from Norse mythology.

Common elements

The ''Valkyrie Profile'' series has been distinguished for its inventive gameplay. Aesthetically, the series is known for its muted colors and melancholic ambiance. As the player, one usually takes the role of a valkyrie, one of a host of female figures who choose warriors who may die in battle and lead them into the afterlife, though sometimes one plays as a mortal called upon by the divine beings.

Games

Music

The music of all the ''Valkyrie Profile'' games was composed by Motoi Sakuraba. '' Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria'' has two original soundtracks, Alicia and Silmeria. Each soundtrack is divided into two discs totalling 70 songs from the game. Prior to the release, a special artifact box was released which included a copy of the game, ten musical tracks, a keychain, and a figurine. The in-game score was written as MIDI tracks, allowing it to fit easily onto the DS cartridge. Drawing from the darker themes of the narrative, Sakuraba created a subdued and emotional score that noticeably moved away from his score for ''Silmeria'' while still being separate from his work on ''Valkyrie Profile''. The score included original composition and arranged versions of tracks from Sakuraba's scores for ''Valkyrie Profile''.Motoi Sakuraba (2008-11-05). "''Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume Original Soundtrack'' booklet". (in Japanese) Square Enix. SQEX-10125~6. Retrieved on 2019-07-21. The soundtrack conversion for the DS cartridge was done by sound design studio Noisycroak. A two-disc soundtrack album was published by Square Enix's music label on November 5, 2008. For the album release, Sakuraba used the MIDI originals as reference and redid all the tracks with full orchestration. While faithful to the original, the larger range of sounds resulted in some differences. A twelve-track arrange album, handled by Sakuraba, was published alongside the main soundtrack album. Producer Yoshinori Yamagishi mentioned his favorite way of drawing out emotion in players was through music and sound effects, helping to both immerse new players in the world of the game and play upon the nostalgia of series fans. The game utilizes a mixture of music from the franchise and new compositions.

Printed adaptations

Several manga have been written based on the series. They are ''Valkyrie Profile'', ''Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria'', and ''Valkyrie Profile: The Dark Alchemist''. A manga anthology called ''Valkyrie Profile Enix Supercomic Gekijoh'' is based on the PlayStation Portable version of ''Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth''.

Reception

Overall, the ''Valkyrie Profile'' series received positive critical reception both in Japan and the West. The series has shipped 2.2 million copies by 2016.

Some ''Valkyrie Profile'' games have been included in various lists of top games. In a 2006 reader's poll conducted by ''Famitsu'', the first ''Valkyrie Profile'' was voted the 27th best video game of all time. ''Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth'' received IGN's award for Best PSP RPG of 2006. ''Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria'' received IGN's award for "Best Game No One Played".

References

External links

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{{Square Enix franchises

Square Enix franchises
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 1999