A great game with a great story, great graphics, and amazing voice acting.
The game does not follow the story line that its predecessor's do. You aren't a god and you aren't someone with god-like abilities. Instead, your a mercenary trying to make money, but always thinking of how to avenge your father who was taken by the Valkyrie.
The story line is unlike the others, for the first time in the series, you get to play a somewhat villainous character. The goddess Hel decides to help you exact revenge upon the Valkyrie, who as we all know, is the protagonist in the other games of the series. And being a villainous character allows you to do villainous things. In Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, you can sacrifice allies to gain special power up abilities for your main character. However, as sacrifice entails, once you input the command, the sacrificed character is gone from your roster.
There are three different story lines that you can follow, that all lead to a different ending. And how to get to these different endings, depends on how many allies you sacrifice for the plume. However, should you sacrifice too many, you will be rewarded with a "Game Over" screen. So make sure you make wise choices.
The graphics are beautiful given the DS's limited hardware. Turning the camera does make the 2D sprites look 3D for a bit, and its a great effect. However, the camera doesn't allow for much movement besides circling around the battle area and you will see what appears to be a clear area, but once you walk over, you're mauled by all manner of beasts.
Voice acting is only heard in battle, which can be perceived as good and bad. The good is should you hear a voice you don't like very much, it's not going to be heard as often as other games with ear grating voice acting. The bad however, is that the voice acting, despite a few annoying voices, is flawless. The pained cries sound believable, the excitement in victory is enjoyable, and the special attack names being called out is fun as well.
So no, this game is not like the other Valkyrie Profile games we've seen in the past, but with multiple endings and a secret dungeon, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume is definitely a game worth playing.