E3 06: Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Preshow Report

The original Valkyrie Profile was released back in 2000 on the PlayStation, and it was a hit with role-playing fans for its gorgeous art style and unique story. The series is set to return in 2006 with Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria on the PlayStation 2. Details have been scant thus far, but we have some information that sheds a bit more light on this upcoming prequel.

Despite being the second game in the series, Valkyrie Profile 2 takes place hundreds of years before the events in the previous game. The main character is a former valkyrie named Silmeria, who once was a servant of Odin. A dispute arose between the two and Odin reincarnated Silmeria as a human. But since Silmeria is without a body, she takes up residence in the body of a young princess. Something went wrong with the reincarnation though, and now the two souls inhabit the same body, which presumably will cause a bit of conflict that you'll have to deal with somehow.

The gameplay follows the path of the previous game, but with a few notable tweaks. First, the battle system has been updated with an Advanced Tactical Combination System, which adds a bit of strategy to the familiar system from the original game. Also new this time around is the Photon Action System, which is used in the side-scrolling exploration sequences between battles. This system apparently allows you to project photons, which will somehow come into play when solving various puzzles and moving about the environments. You'll also be able to use magic sealstones, which will let you manipulate the environments.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is scheduled to be released this year, so be sure to check back often as we bring you more details about the game.