Dark Rose Valkyrie

40%
Game Brain Score Based on 60 reviews
  • story
  • optimization
  • gameplay
Dark Rose Valkyrie Game Cover
Have some high points, but they soon give way to glaring faults. Not the worst, but difficult to recommend.
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In "Dark Rose Valkyrie," lead a military force to defend humanity from virus-transformed enemies, and investigate your allies to uncover the traitor in your ranks. Customize combos and engage in real-time battles, but manage your team's transformations to avoid fatigue. Your choices will determine who betrays you in this JRPG from the creators of Tales of series.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

40%
Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews
story10 positive mentions
optimization19 negative mentions
  • The game features an intriguing and engaging story premise that keeps players invested.
  • The battle system is satisfying and offers in-depth party customization, allowing for strategic gameplay.
  • The characters, while somewhat stereotypical, have good personalities that add to the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from severe performance issues, including constant stuttering and crashes, making it nearly unplayable.
  • The mechanics, such as the interview system, are overly complicated and can lead to frustration due to their reliance on luck.
  • The lack of character progression and meaningful interactions between squad members detracts from the potential for deeper storytelling.
  • story41 mentions

    The story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its intriguing premise and darker themes compared to other titles in the genre, while others criticize it for being bogged down by grindy missions and a lack of impactful player choices. Although the characters are generally seen as fun and the voice acting adds personality, many players feel that the narrative suffers from pacing issues and predictable elements. Overall, while the story has its merits, it may not fully engage all players due to its execution and reliance on familiar tropes.

    • “The story itself is interesting and has good voiceovers (English and Japanese) that makes the characters have more personality.”
    • “Compared with Neptunia games, where the story is somewhere between dorky jokes, reoccurring running gags, and brain-crushing nonsense, Dark Rose Valkyrie is a serious tale of a world overrun by monsters (chimera) and a task force assembled to stop them.”
    • “To me, it is one of the most captivating JRPG storylines of recent years.”
    • “There are a couple of events that show discord or chemistry, but they are plot devices rather than character development.”
    • “I wanted to like it so bad because the story seemed interesting, but the experience turns horrible after finally getting to explore and fight enemies.”
    • “I did have some gripes about the pacing, as the story is segmented by forced side missions (collect quest, kill monster quest, etc.).”
  • optimization27 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe stuttering issues, unstable frame rates capped at 57 FPS, and frequent crashes across various hardware setups. Many users have attempted fixes, such as disconnecting USB devices, but these solutions have proven ineffective for most. Overall, the performance problems significantly detract from the gaming experience, leading to a consensus that the game is poorly optimized and in need of urgent patches.

    • “Fps is very unstable and it always caps at 57, as though the game is set in this manner. Using different PCs with Intel/GT960/RTX4060 GPUs all end up with the same result because it is an optimization issue.”
    • “Now if the simplicity of the graphics at least meant you'd have a smooth performance... but nope.”
    • “My computer would seem to slow down for a minute or so after closing the game, so I can only imagine what a mess was made out of the port optimization.”
    • “First things first, performance was abysmal - the game was stuttering every second.”
    • “The port is close to unplayable with it stuttering every 2 seconds and crashes. If they are aware of the issue and multiple other people have reported this as a complaint just over a week ago, and still nothing has been done about it, this is what gives this a negative review, purely the port, not the game.”
    • “This game is horribly optimized, buyer beware.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay features a turn-based system with deep mechanics and customization options, but it can be confusing and grindy at times. While some players appreciate the strategic elements and unique mechanics like interviews and part breaks, others find the gameplay lacks polish and can become repetitive. Technical issues, such as aggressive USB polling, have also been noted, impacting the overall experience.

    • “There's also an interview mechanic, where you need to find the lying member of your squad.”
    • “Overall, I think the gameplay is quite fun and strategic.”
    • “The gameplay is very good and is quite difficult.”
    • “The sometimes confusing mechanics (like the interviews) were hard to really get a grasp on.”
    • “It regularly has pretty grindy missions as part of the main story and seems to make some of its mechanics deliberately obtuse.”
    • “The gameplay feels empty.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Dark Rose Valkyrie" is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly as players progress past chapter 4 where boss fights become more challenging. Many reviewers note that the game requires significant investment in upgrading various stats, leading to hours of repetitive gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players who enjoy JRPGs may tolerate the grind, the lack of quality and post-release support has left many feeling frustrated and disappointed.

    • “So with stamina, attack stat, skill, and speed to upgrade, this game is extremely grindy the longer you play it, which is why the level cap is different for each difficulty.”
    • “You will be grinding for hours or even days (if you invested in the wrong stat) starting from chapter 4 because of the two consecutive boss fights.”
    • “Dark Rose Valkyrie had the potential to be a must-have for any JRPG fan, but due to the lack of care for delivering a working quality product, and no post-release patching whatsoever, as well as a tedious chore-like grind, it ended up being the JRPG we really wanted to love but just couldn't.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users praising the art style while others criticize the low-resolution textures and lack of graphical options. Despite the aesthetic appeal, performance issues detract from the experience, as some players report a lack of smoothness even at high settings. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant point of contention among players.

    • “The art style is very nice, the gameplay seems rather... brutal.”
    • “It works fine for me, solid 60fps at 4k with all graphics options enabled, my sound worked fine without changing anything, no issues whatsoever.”
    • “The story is like if you took God Eater, mixed in the setting of Valkyria Chronicles with the art style of Tales of Symphonia.”
    • “The whole thing is a graphic disaster, sporting low-res textures and very few options to make it look somewhat better.”
    • “Now if the simplicity of the graphics at least meant you'd have a smooth performance... but nope.”
    • “3 no graphics change after the port.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting issues such as stutters, mini-freezes, and poor framerates that detract from the overall experience. While it performs reasonably well in borderless-window fullscreen mode, returning focus to the game often results in complete freezes. Overall, despite its potential, the game suffers from numerous bugs leading to frequent crashes and unresponsiveness.

    • “This causes stutters, mini-freezes, poor framerates, and basically a horrible gaming experience that the game itself might not deserve.”
    • “Borderless-window fullscreen is actually something the game is relatively graceful about displaying, but if you let the game go out of focus and then return to it, it freezes completely non-responsive while it 'catches up'.”
    • “Very good game but has too many bugs and it crashes and freezes a lot.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is criticized, with many players feeling that certain design choices detract from the experience, making it appealing only to hardcore fans. Despite attempts to enhance replay value, the execution falls short for a broader audience.

    • “However, the above points completely ruined replayability for all but the most hardcore players.”
    • “I think the game was trying really hard to appeal to replay value, but it's hard to give them props on that front.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is minimal, with interactions primarily serving as plot devices rather than contributing to meaningful growth or depth in the characters.

    • “There are a couple of events that show discord or chemistry, but they are plot devices rather than character development.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the story.”
    • “Despite the potential for deep relationships, the character arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game continues to play even when characters freeze, creating a dissonant experience that may detract from the overall immersion.

    • “Suddenly, all characters freeze but the music keeps playing.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that each dungeon features distinct settings and atmospheres, contributing to a sense of scale and immersion within the game.

    • “Each dungeon has its own unique setting and atmosphere, and they are impressively large.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
    • “The game's environment is rich and detailed, creating a captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

59% average critic score

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