Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Comes To Crunchyroll Game Vault — But That Could Make It Harder To Play
Locked in the vault.
Back in 2023, anime streaming service Crunchyroll launched its Game Vault, offering several mobile games to premium subscribers. This May through early June, Crunchyroll is adding games every week to Game Vault, including some recent hits that deserve more attention. But some of its additions, including a mobile version of a classic Square Enix RPG, might not actually be a good development for players.
The first game coming to Game Vault as part of Crunchyroll’s Ani-May event is Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, a version of the original Valkyrie Profile first released on PlayStation Portable in 2006 that launches April 30. Lenneth was ported to mobile platforms in 2018 and to PlayStation 4 and 5 in 2022 alongside the Valkyrie Profile sequel, Valkyrie Elysium. However, while subscribers may be happy to see the game added, that’s not the case for other potential players. Last week, before Crunchyroll officially announced that it was adding Lenneth to its service, the game was quietly removed from sale on mobile platforms. It’s not clear if the game will be available for purchase again in the future.
Crunchyroll Game Vault is adding some great titles in May, but that could prevent them from appearing elsewhere.
“Currently, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is unavailable for purchase as we are preparing for release via Crunchyroll Game Vault in the near future,” reads a notice on Square Enix’s website. “Users who purchased the mobile version will maintain access to the game, however, this version is no longer being supported and will no longer receive maintenance or bug fixes while it is available via Crunchyroll Game Vault.”
Crunchyroll and Square Enix did not immediately respond to Inverse’s requests for comment.
However you’re able to play it, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is worth your attention. Currently the only version of Valkyrie Profile playable on modern hardware, Lenneth features a new localization of the original game’s script. The mobile version adds updated graphics plus skippable cutscenes and adjustments to its controls that aren’t present in the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game, due to those versions being ported directly from the PSP release.
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth’s mobile port is the best way to play a classic RPG.
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is inspired by Norse mythology, following one valkyrie’s journey through the mortal realm in the lead-up to Ragnarok. It’s a dark, often depressing game starring a group of outcasts, and it also features a battle system unique among RPGs. Each party member is controlled with a different button, and the emphasis on combos makes it feel like a hybrid of RPG and action game.
While Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is the only addition to Game Vault that has a specific release date, Crunchyroll has announced a handful of other games that will be joining it. One of the most interesting additions is Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, an unorthodox life sim that was released just last year. Following the star of the classic Crayon Shin Chan anime, Shiro and the Coal Town takes place over a lazy summer where the young boy discovers an alternate world and splits his time between the bizarre Coal Town and his grandparents’ house in the Japanese countryside. Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is a spinoff of My Summer Vacation games, a long-running series of chill Japanese games that first came to North America with Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation in 2022.
Crunchyroll says the mobile version of Shogun Showdown will be exclusive to its service.
Other notable titles include Shogun Showdown, an excellent turn-based roguelike game released last year on PC. Shogun Showdown centers on manipulating enemy positioning to make the most of a limited number of moves each turn. Its gameplay is straightforward, but keeping your samurai character out of danger while taking down foes is a satisfying challenge. The game’s lo-fi pixel art and simple controls make it a perfect fit for mobile platforms, but Crunchyroll also lists the game as “exclusively” available on Game Vault, meaning it may not be getting a standalone release.
The releases lined up for Game Vault might make Crunchyroll’s subscription a better deal, but they could be a major loss for anyone who’s not a subscriber. Just like Monument Valley 3 being released through Netflix Games, the move keeps excellent titles like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and Shogun Showdown locked behind an expensive subscription rather than allowing players to buy them outright.
