Not many role-playing games have really lit up the Sony PSP’s widescreen in such a way that recent Valkyrie Profile game has but the number of RPGs already available are enough to keep fans of the genre hoping that more interesting role-playing games will appear one day. Lucky for us, that day has come in the form of Valhalla Knights, a PSP title that not only is a decent role-playing game but also one that tries to do things a bit differently and succeeds.

While the majority of the role-playing games available on the PSP rely on the familiar classic twist of RPGs of old, Valhalla Knights does things a tad differently. For starters, the game allows you to pick from a gender, race (five of them including Dwarf, Elf and human) and eight job classes (from Knight, Mage, Fighter and Thief). Sure, this kind of thing has been seen before on consoles but having the opportunity to customize your character in an RPG for the PSP is a pleasant surprise. Oh, but the surprises don’t end there and there’s a lot more to this game but we’ll get into that in a minute.

Valhalla Knights places you in a world that has seen a moment of peace between the many races after a hero named Rastul rid the world of the Dark Lord and his demon minions. Yet suddenly this realm is overcome by a demon curse that makes the days seem endless and the rumors that the Dark Lord’s return has the many good races worried. Yet there’s hope of a new savior and that just happens to be you. The problem is that you have no idea who you are and the voice that calls itself Noir tells you that you are the direct bloodline of Rastul and it is you who will put an end to the Dark Lord once and for all.

Like most RPGs, though, you don’t go it alone. In fact, you won’t get very far in this game if you don’t find other characters to join you on your main quest to defeat the Dark Lord. Guilds are not only places where you can receive side quests but it is also the place where you can locate and recruit more party members. The cool thing is that you can customize your own party much the way you can customize your own character. That means you can give them their own name, race and skill. It’s entirely up to you what type of characters you would like to have accompanying you on the quest. If you need a Mage to aid your fighter or need a Priest to cure you during battle then you can always head to the guild and recruit one.

You will most certainly need the extra help seeing as the main quest as well as the side quest ranges from easy to very challenging. The majority of the quests are fetch quests such as the first guild side quest called The Golden Wolf (where you’re asked to retrieve the pelt of a mythical Golden Wolf) and many of them will take you to a number of dungeons filled with dangerous monsters. The good news is that there’s a lot to see in this game so you’ll be glad there’s a Metal Gear Solid-like map with visual representation of the enemies position and line-of-sight. It’s very easy to get lost in this game and you’ll certainly be thankful for the magical warp stations you’ll find in the game.

Combat in the game is also something of a highlight seeing as you’ll be able to see the enemy moving around the environment. That means you can avoid a fight, if you wish, or know what you’re up against. Don’t have enough health flasks or have been injured during a fierce battle? Don’t worry; you can always sneak past the enemy as long as they don’t spot you. When you do enter battle it isn’t a typical turn-based affair but rather a real-time battle where you can fight any way you see fit. You can perform a hit and run if you wish or you can charge in and keep swiping … it’s all up to you. The game also gives you the option to switch characters during battle so you can make use of all six of your party member’s skills. As a result, battles are never boring at all.

There are a few flaws in the game and they are major ones, I’m afraid. The camera, for one, is your enemy and hates you so very much. Wrestling with it will not only frustrate but will be one of the reasons you’ll get into many unnecessary battles. This is especially trying if you’re trying to avoid combat due to much damage to your characters or the lack of healing flasks. Secondly, the controls can be very jerky, mainly due to the poor analog control. This makes navigating your character a little awkward.

Still, even with these flaws, the game’s best features shine through. You’ll love the fact that the game includes a wide range of weapons and equipment (all which even alters the appearance of your character). You’ll adore the fact that you can add than one job class to your character, allowing your fighter to have some Priest healing abilities or a Ninja’s ability to successfully sneak past enemies. There’s even a two-player multiplayer mode that allows you to play co-op or go head-to-head in a Versus mode. Plus, the story is not bad once you get past the complex beginning.

As far as the graphics are concerned, Valhalla Knights is one seriously good-looking PSP game. The environments are beautifully detailed as are the character models you can check out in first-person view. There are even some pretty impressive enemies you’ll encounter, including some pretty huge ones that fill the screen. Speaking of filling the screen, the game is great at putting six of your party members as well as the enemies on screen at once during battles. It’s impressive stuff, alright. Sadly, there’s no voice acting but there is a magnificent score and it plays throughout the game rather perfectly. There are even some detailed sound effects that you will definitely hear a lot better if you play the game using earphones.

Valhalla Knights for the PSP is certainly a unique and surprisingly enjoyable RPG that might not be perfect but definitely has all the goods to make this one seriously challenging and fun experience. Oh, I wish the camera wasn’t so jerky and the analog control not so clumsy at times, but when it comes to the game’s battles, story and character customization options, it’s fairly easy to overlook these problems. If you’re in the mood for a decent role-playing game, give this game a try.

Gameplay: 8.2
The real-time battles are actually very enjoyable and even more so if you have a number of characters in your party. While the camera is downright horrible and obscures your view to the point of frustration, the quests are as deep as the character customization options. Expect a somewhat confusing story that builds into an interesting epic.

Graphics: 8.5
One of the prettiest RPGs you will play, Valhalla Knights sports some sharp textures and detailed characters that really stand out. Best yet, the environments look great. Even the dungeons are easy on the eyes as are the numerous monsters you’ll encounter.

Sound: 8.5
While the game’s score doesn’t scream epic, it isn’t bad either and it does give each battle plenty of dramatic tension. There’s no voice acting to be found in this game but the detailed sound effects more than make up for it.

Difficulty: Medium
You’ll be surrounded by hordes of enemies in this game as well as some frightful giants that do a lot of damage. You’ll seriously consider leveling up before tackling the later quests and learn the powerful lesson that heroes that value teamwork live a lot longer.

Concept: 8.5
The game blends dungeon-crawling and fetch quests nicely, but it’s the ability to take your customizable character into real-time battle that sets this game apart. This is also a pretty lengthy game with a lot to do and there’s co-op multiplayer mode you’ll like to share with a friend.

Multiplayer: 7.6
While I have yet to try out the wireless multiplayer mode, you can share this game with a friend in co-op mode but also challenge a friend in a head-to-head Versus mode. It’s great stuff indeed, especially since any gold you might acquire in the multiplayer game can be carried over and used during the single-player game.

Overall: 8.2
Valhalla Knights is an enjoyable portable role-playing game that has all the right elements to make this a unique and enjoyable experience for the PSP. It’s marred only by a few noticeable flaws but, in the end, the interesting story and plenty of great character options make this a solid RPG with a lot to offer.