Despite its more modern release at the turn of the century, few people have heard of the action arcade adventure, Valkyrie: The Magical Odyssey. This, truly, is a shame. Valkyrie: The Magical Odyssey was the last creation of an independent French developer called Chili Con Valley, sometimes abbreviated as C2V. It has since gone out of business, but Valkyrie: The Magical Odyssey helped it to go out with a bang, as it is a very well done and active little shareware platform game.
The game was made in France, and some of the translations are cumbersome and difficult, but the game play and gorgeous graphics make up for anything the user might miss in dialogue or back story. The gamer will play the part of the fabled Norse heroine, the Valkyrie…a noble race of winged woman that was believed to usher the souls of fallen warriors to the great hall Valhalla to be received by the All Father Odin. In this tale, however, the Valkyrie has a more self serving goal, and that is saving her homeland of Nanteket. She has to find a magical potion that is located in an area that is off the known charts, and she will encounter
many dangers and adventures along the way. She will also meet over one hundred different characters that will add to the story or the action in one way or another.
The levels in Valkyrie: The Magical Odyssey are enormous and diverse. The scroll functions in multiple directions, so you can get a really good look at the backgrounds. There are some levels that are very colorful, and some that are cold and gloomy, reflecting the Valkyrie’s location. Each of the ten levels has its own theme and som of them feature unique game play, such as swimming in the underwater level instead of competing in the more usual jump and run manner. There are different enemies to go with each unique level, and Valkyrie will also found new and varied weapons as she progresses through the different areas in search of her potion. Game play is very smooth and the characters are all unique and attractive drawn in an anime style. The detail gives great illusion of depth and makes for a an overall very intriguing game, aesthetically speaking.
If you can live through the translation, which really isn’t all that bad, this is going to be a great pick up. Valkyrie: The Magical Odyssey’s major flaw is that it was built by a dying company and was never really properly marketed. It is a really nice play and any gamer will find it lovely and satisfying.
