Valkyrie Profile (ヴァルキリープロファイル, Varukirī Purofairu) or Valkyrie (ヴァルキリー, Varukirī) is a series of role-playing video games created by Masaki Norimoto and Yoshiharu Gotanda. These games are mainly developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix, which was once called Enix. The series includes parts from Norse mythology.
Common elements
The Valkyrie Profile series is known for its creative gameplay. Visually, the series uses soft colors and creates a sad or somber mood. Players often take the role of a valkyrie, one of many female characters who choose warriors who are about to die in battle and guide them to the afterlife. Sometimes, players control a mortal who is called by gods to complete a task.
Music
The music for all Valkyrie Profile games was composed by Motoi Sakuraba. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria has two original soundtracks named Alicia and Silmeria. Each soundtrack has two discs with a total of 70 songs from the game. Before the game was released, a special box was made that included the game, ten music tracks, a keychain, and a figurine. The game's music was created using MIDI files, which made it easier to fit on the DS cartridge. Sakuraba used the game's darker themes to create a calm and emotional score that was different from his work on Silmeria and also distinct from his earlier music for Valkyrie Profile. The music included both new songs and rearranged versions of tracks from previous Valkyrie Profile games. The conversion of the soundtrack for the DS was done by the sound design studio Noisycroak. Square Enix's music label released a two-disc soundtrack album on November 5, 2008. Sakuraba used the original MIDI files as a guide to re-create all the tracks with full orchestration. Although it stayed true to the original, the wider variety of sounds led to some changes. A twelve-track arranged album, created by Sakuraba, was released with the main soundtrack album. Producer Yoshinori Yamagishi said he preferred using music and sound effects to help new players feel immersed in the game and to remind fans of the series. The game uses both music from the series and new songs.
Printed adaptations
Several manga books have been created based on the series. These include Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, and Valkyrie Profile: The Dark Alchemist. A collection of stories called Valkyrie Profile Enix Supercomic Gekijoh is based on the version of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth made for the PlayStation Portable.
Reception
The Valkyrie Profile series was well received by critics in Japan and the West. By 2016, the series had sold 2.2 million copies.
Some Valkyrie Profile games were listed among top games. In a 2006 poll by Famitsu, the first Valkyrie Profile was ranked the 27th best video game of all time. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth won IGN's award for Best PSP RPG of 2006. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria received IGN's award for "Best Game No One Played."