Valkyrie no Bouken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu (1986)

Preliminary: This seems AMAZING!!! NES controller for controls, Dragon Quest style continents and spells/leveling, Zelda style action-adventure, doesn't seem overly convoluted like a lot of CRPGs, has help online as needed... Also, can't help but notice a woman lead character who isn't undressed at the start or the end... not to mention released before Metroid. Now my worry--why is it not raved about? Hopefully the controls aren't super clunky or the gameplay tedious. From what I'm gathering though, I can grind, there are hotels (inns), you can get Tents (Final Fantasy?!) and other healing items, and there's a StrategyWiki available as needed! I hope I'm not getting myself overly excited! Here goes nothing. (Oh, it is not officially translated to Japanese, but the important parts are already in English plus the point is all the citizens are terrified/controlled so it's Zelda-style lack of hints/clues from citizens)

Look: 8/10 Now that I've actually started playing, I can definitely see the Zelda influence. I like how B and A are assigned certain things, effective UI with that, and the top-down view. Certainly a bit more basic of a Look than, say, Zelda though.

So I'm training away at the first hotel, still hadn't used it yet because doing well with avoiding damage despite the clunkiness, struggling to get more enemies to appear, and suddenly it gets darker! Cool! Great Look to the dusk?-esque time. ~

(Yes, it does seem to be a day/dusk/night/dawn/repeat thing but sure does cycle fast unless I have some setting wrong loll). This easily would've gotten an 8 or higher, because of the world map vibe and RPG-esque look and the great Hydlide-derived UI and more, but uff. That first hotel was ugly lol , originally I had this as an 8 which bumped this to a 3... but alas... I gotta be honest about it even tho I really wanted to like it more

Sound: 7/10 I like the jingle that plays throughout, but dang that low-health beeping.

Play: 6/10 Yessss, I'd been craving a Dragon Quest/JRPG style grind game, and sure enough, right off the bat, the first step is--you'd die if you went straight to the warp zone, so find the nearest healing area (Hotel in this) and grind. Yes sir! It's too bad, though, that it's Zelda-style action-adventure. With Zelda limitations like 4-directional movement and not-so-perfect collision masks for attacks. while the enemies can move diagonally and your hitbox seems larger argh. I'm trying to discern whether, like in Zelda, you can stop and your shield will protect you in that direction? So far, most the challenge in combat has been getting the right angle/lined up vertically with the enemy for attack :-p Then again, that's largely true in Zelda... that one just feels a bit more professional and solid (or I'm just more used to it... bias is a thing)

I like how it's not just a Zelda clone though. Like the Health mechanics and the way you see enemy health bars reminds me more so of the Hydlide series. And obviously, the exploration and continents are much more akin to Dragon Warrior.

Hm, not in love with the way enemies spawn in those clusters, especially since you have to grind a lot (also, tbh, still haven't figured out how I tell what level I am lol). I wish the combat was smoother. Lol that the enemies can go out onto the ocean and back, looks wild when the ocean is pink. Also, in some ways I like that when enemies and things leave a screen, they disappear--can be useful--but mostly was annoying since needed enemies to grind and also items disappeared and doors re-locked etc.

Unfortunately, yeah, the clunky combat (and the messy way enemies spawn) made what should've been delightful grinds hellish. And the lack of clarity on what level I am made me not feel motivated to push through. Hopefully the much better-acclaimed arcade sequel will be better!

Feel: 7/10 Yes to a strong woman lead character! Why is this not talked about?! Oh shoot, I just realized I hadn't known how to change the settings at the beginning. Based on your astrology? sign type or something and your blood type, it determines your starting stats and rate of growth. Not sure what I landed at, presumably whatever the default is. Darn. I wanted to go the mage route I think. And oooo I just realized there are upgrades to my weaponssss . This game is so right for me, I just hope the clunkiness and confusions I have don't get in the way! I ended my first session still not entirely sure how to tell what level I am lol, but I accumulated almost.

One of those games where I wanted to love it, with a lot of potential for concept and gameplay and a passable Look/Sound that wasn't detracting, but the sum of the parts was too tedious.

Attachment: 7/10 I do oddly have this feeling I may return to it when I better understand the level or combat system after the sequels, but most likely wont be. Too bad because I sure was excited for it! Yet another lesson in not getting my hopes up too high too early in a game heh. Still worth a playtest for people very adept at Zelda, the clunky combat wont even faze you probly, but for me... meh.

Completion: to, uh, here lol the first hotel and this much experience though not sure which sign/blood type I chose Playtime: ~35 mins (yes that long and that was one save file... I like grinds but only when the grind is easily repeatable)