The base idea it's not so bad... but the game disappoints every expectation.
On the annopuncement yet i've got some doubts…
Why a turns strategic and not a RPG like the prequels?
However, as a old fan of the saga i've took Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume hoping for the better.
The Intro really warmed me up… simply the best CG movie ever seen on the DS, and the first hour of play sounded dark and out of the schemes just like the saga used us.
This time you'll impersonate a young mercenary named Wylfred. He simply hate the gods and in particular the Valkyrie, the battle maiden that harvests brave warrior's souls to take them to Asgard. The young blames her for the death of the father on the battlefield and the following death of his little sister cause starvation (!)… and don't speak about the madness of his mother for the unbearable pain… well, maybe there's enough to hate the gods.
After the first battle Wylfred is killed, but instead the Valkyrie his peculiar attitude raise the interest of Hel, dark goddess and queen of Utgard. Hel revive Wylfred and gift him with a black plume, seal of a mad pact between them. The young will have a year to reap "Sin" for the plume acting as dreadful as possible and this shall grant him the power to kill a god… a Valkyrie.
The plume had a fearsome power: it can unlock the full potential of a fighter making him an unstoppable killing machine, but at the end of the battle claims the life of the unfortunate.
So it's Wylfred's choice… sacrifice all around him to get his revenge, or try to redeem himself?
Premises are engaging. For a time you'll can choose to play a black hearted bastard, walking battlefield, finding friends to sacrifice later to the plume… really unusual.
This plot is supported by a narrative plan really well wrought, full of various good characters passing trough plot speaking about betrayal, honor, blood… with the delicious taste for the dark typical of prequels.
Unfortunately the game is not good as his premises are.
There are serious issues in the general game mechanics as in the battle management.
Battles are faced in the usual isometric grid with square movement; you can control up to four characters and move by your desire without a predefinite order during your turn.
First thing to know: forget about the one vs one fight.
Enemies are generally stronger than your single characters, so send one of them to brawl alone means certain death. To resolve the problem you'll have the possibility to perform team attack. Simply… if one of your fighter attempts an attack and one or more comrades are in attack range the fight will be performed in team up to four vs one.
Fights follows the rules of the prequels, where each button of the DS control a single character. Up to the player to bast multi combos alternating character's attacks. Combo hits raise the classic meter that grant the team the Soul Crash, a powerful final attack specific for every fighter.
Another thing force you to move your characters in team of four, mortifying every other possible strategy; for all the fight you'll need to harvest "Sin" for the plume. The amount required change for every battle, and can be achieved acting cruelly on enemies hitting them after their life bar gone out.
Useless to say that a one man attack is not enough to obtain all the Sin possible from an enemy (max 100 units), but are necessary team attacks with one or more Soul Crash.
Probably you'll thinking that an amount of 200 Sin can be spilled from two enemies, and later you'll can manage the battle as you wish.
Unfortunately you'll need all the Sin possible, because after the battle you'll receive a prize for your cruel efforts, and at the highest level you'll get powerful items and equipment ESSENTIAL for the prosecution of the game. Otherwise you'll can be at mid game with an army of tin soldiers against a legion of tank.
With some bosses, nearly impossible, plume will come in your aid.
Unlocking the power of an ally will make the worst battle a mere formality, moreover shall awake in you an useful spell good for future use. Beware, at the end of the battle the character will die, exiting permanently from the team… more Sin for the plume.
This risks to reduce your party to some wimps, but alter significantly the gameplay, because the sacrifice of one or more of your allies (on no one of them) navigate the player between the branches of the plot, taking to one of the three possible endings.
It will be pretty impossible not obtain the bad ending on the first play; after you'll can count on the New Game + option that will simply you a bit, but be know that even so is really difficult go trough tha game without some sacrifice.
And we are to the core of the game and it's big flaw.
Sin requirements and the outstanding power of the boss enemies overshadow every other feature of the game. It's useless equip strong equipments, use techniques or skill, empowering characters with spells. The only working strategy is perform team attack, even better if you can first block enemies movement and counterattack. It's a pity, because the game offer wide possibility of customization.
A similar gameplay makes soon the game irritating and boring and absolutely frustrating if you don't want to follow his twisted logic.
Cause this from the review emerges the portrait of a mediocre game… and a great delusion for me that loved the prequels so much.
Good
Plot and characters deliciously dark and mad; A out of the schemes game; Interesting plot branches system; Sound compartment well realized with excellent voice acting during battles; The best CG movies on the DS;
Bad
Are we battling only for reap Sin?; Only a winning strategy possible; Isometric view make juggle combos a pain; Punishing difficulty level; Tend to became boring after few hours: Un worthy of prequels;
Final Mark: 5.5
One word to define it: BITTER!