Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria from 2006 is an action RPG by tri-Ace that expands on the Norse mythology established in the first Valkyrie Profile for the previous console generation. The main heroine is Princess Alicia, in whose body the valkyrie Silmeria is trapped, stripped of her memory and powers, and the player switches between the two personalities for most of the game, which affects both the dialogue and the course of the story heading toward a conflict between gods and humans.

The combat system builds on the proven concept from the first game but moves it into a fully 3D environment — characters move across platforming levels, and in battle the player assigns individual attacks to the controller's four buttons, allowing for flashy combined combos in real time with an emphasis on precise timing and smooth chaining of party attacks. The game also offers an extensive system for collecting and upgrading characters called einherjar, whom Silmeria summons from warriors slain on the battlefield, forming them into her own army.

Critics particularly praised the elaborate and visually striking combat system and graphics, which ranked among the best on the entire PlayStation 2, though the occasionally confusing world structure, branching into many separate chapters, drew criticism. Although the game didn't perform particularly well commercially, among JRPG fans it's still considered one of the most underrated and best-playing titles of its generation, one that helped cement tri-Ace's reputation as a studio with inventive combat systems. The soundtrack, with its epic orchestral motifs, underscores the mythological scope of the story and is among the elements reviewers repeatedly highlighted alongside the combat system itself. The game further offers an extensive weapon-crafting and upgrading system that rewards careful dungeon exploration and the gathering of rare materials.

Why play it: For one of the most underrated and best-playing titles of the PS2 generation, with a visually striking combat system and an epic orchestral score, even though the world structure can occasionally feel confusing.