Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria PS2

The prequel to 2000's role-playing game on PlayStation, notable for its artistic style and side-scrolling environments, Valkyrie Profile 2 takes place hundreds of years before the events chronicled in the original. The protagonist is Alicia, a conflicted princess who discovers she possesses a rather opinionated second soul. This uninvited guest is the valkyrie Silmeria, forced to reside within Alicia's delicate frame after displeasing the Norse god Odin. After Alicia is banished because of her dual personalities, she and Silmeria must figure out a way to separate their identities and maintain their sanity.

The first step involves Alicia returning to her rightful place in the kingdom she calls home. In a nod to the first game, the developers have retained the same side-scrolling exploration phase that made Valkyrie Profile stand out among its peers. New to the series is what is referred to as the "photon action system," where players can branch out into new areas, solve puzzles, and engage in additional encounters by unleashing or projecting photons at various times throughout the journey. Battles take place from a traditional 3D perspective as party members employ various tactics to defeat groups of monsters.