Valkyrie Saga is an indie platformer developed by Public Void and inspired by 3D platformers from the 1990s. With an art style reminiscent of the PlayStation era, where players had to use their imagination to fill in the blocky, low-poly graphics, and a strong emphasis on exploration, the game offers a refreshing experience rare in modern gaming. Rather than handing platforming challenges to players on a silver platter, it naturally integrates them into the world, encouraging organically driven discovery.
The game is deceptively simple at first glance, but players who commit to a deep dive will discover a world packed with secrets. Now that it has released on Nintendo Switch 2, we at Netto's Game Room have had the opportunity to review the full retail release.
Although the PC version has received steady updates since its initial launch in early 2026, adding new story content and quests, this review focuses strictly on what is available in the current console release. I had a blast stepping into this surprisingly serene world, even if a few rough edges dampened the experience.
The Story:
The story in Valkyrie Saga is straightforward: you play as a valkyrie named Roll who has been sent to a floating island to prevent it from crashing into the world below. Upon arriving in this strange land, Roll's main objective is to reach the top of the central tower, though how she will achieve this remains the core question. While she arrives via airship, she cannot simply fly to the top—otherwise there wouldn't be much of a game—so she must explore the land and assist local residents with their problems instead. Helping them grants her new powers and abilities for her quest, though choosing to aid them is ultimately up to the player.
While players might not expect it at first glance, Valkyrie Saga features a morality system with multiple endings based on your choices. Virtually every living creature on the island can be slain in cold blood if you choose, and there are more reasons to do so than you might expect. With a deeper mystery unfolding behind the scenes and pieces of lore scattered across the island, the game encourages you to piece the story together naturally as you progress. It isn't a grand, epic narrative, but it remains engaging enough to complement the gameplay, which is the true highlight of the experience.
Gameplay:
Valkyrie Saga is a classic example of a game with more than meets the eye. As previously mentioned, it draws heavy inspiration from original PlayStation titles, which is most evident in its low-poly visuals. However, my initial thought upon booting it up was simply, "Wow, they even replicated the original PlayStation's load times." I initially questioned why a basic-looking platformer on modern hardware would take so long to load, but the reason became clear almost instantly. When the game loads, the camera focuses on what appears to be level one, only to continuously pan out until it reveals the true start of the stage: a massive, fully seamless world.
Rather than being a traditional linear platformer, Valkyrie Saga is structured much more like a Metroidvania. It takes place across a single, vast, interconnected map packed with secrets and areas to uncover. While there are expansive open spaces to run across—which thankfully can be traversed at high speeds—countless visible objects, buildings, and platforms dot the distant horizon. Although many of these elements appear decorative, almost everything you see serves a purpose, and hidden items or upgrades often await those who take the time to investigate. It is rarely as simple as walking over to pick up an item; forward progress usually requires triggering hidden mechanisms. A wall with a shimmering texture might clearly indicate a secret, but uncovering how to open it is often a surprise. The handful of repetitive non-player characters may offer subtle hints or request specific items, but the game rarely gives direct guidance. Uncovering these secrets is entirely up to the player, encouraging thorough exploration of every corner of the map. Although Roll's movement options are limited early on, the experience opens up significantly as new abilities are acquired.
At the start, Roll can only perform a limited number of actions before needing to touch the ground to reset her stamina. In a platformer that emphasizes aerial movement, this initial restriction feels tight. She begins with only a single jump and wing flap, alongside the ability to plunge her spear into walls to climb vertical surfaces. While this limits her reach early on, discovering hidden upgrades permanently increases her capabilities. A single wing flap eventually expands to two, three, and four, dramatically increasing her vertical mobility. Additional upgrades enhance her glide speed to cross wider gaps, grant a long-distance dash ability, and unlock magic spells, including a vertical gust of air that boosts her upward mid-glide. Chaining these abilities together allows for extensive freedom of movement, though tracking down these upgrades remains a core challenge.
Due to the open nature of the level design, it is not always clear whether you are following an intended path or if a single correct path even exists. On several occasions, I scaled high vantage points and launched across the map to land on rooftops I was likely not meant to reach yet. In other instances, I maneuvered through room-wide hazards to reach an objective before triggering its prerequisites. The game consistently rewards player resourcefulness in these scenarios, reinforcing its emphasis on movement freedom. However, this flexibility can occasionally lead to getting stuck in geometry or high-level zones. The menu includes a dedicated option to warp back to the last save point, alongside a teleportation item, though overestimating your movement options can occasionally force a retreat to earlier areas.
While exploration remains the primary focus, the game also includes basic combat mechanics. Roll's spear can be used to strike enemies and break obstacles in addition to wall-climbing. The combat system remains simple, and engaging with enemies is largely optional. Most hostiles are basic creatures that can be bypassed, though certain airborne or stationary targets must be cleared to reach specific objectives. While the combat stands out as one of the title's less polished elements, it does not significantly detract from the broader focus on exploration.
Needs a Little More Polish:
As much as I enjoyed exploring the world, there's no denying that Valkyrie Saga is a game that still needs a bit more polish. While a lot of minor quirks could be overlooked—such as the strange textures that often cover doors—a handful of issues simply couldn't be avoided.
The biggest problem I encountered is one I was informed is currently being ironed out, though it happens in multiple locations and will clearly take time to fully clean up. Put simply, Roll can become stuck in the ground and completely unable to move. She can't run, jump, or attack; she is simply frozen in place. Your only option in these moments is to use the teleportation item or force a menu respawn, though I strongly recommend the former over the latter. While the respawn option generally works, there were a few instances where it dropped me beneath the map instead, leaving me permanently trapped. If it weren't for the teleport item I discovered early on, these glitches would have ended my playthrough entirely, as there was no other way to escape.
Another issue involved phasing through environmental hazards and getting stuck beneath them. This occurred in areas featuring poisonous water, where touching the surface layer normally triggers an instant death. On multiple occasions, however, I spawned beneath the water's surface. This created an unavoidable trap, as attempting to swim back up through the top layer would also trigger a death. Fortunately, in these cases, you can force a game over to return to the start of the area, though a standard respawn would also resolve it.
Outside of these larger issues, enemies can occasionally become stuck onto Roll's character model, while others can push her beneath the geometry if you aren't careful. While this didn't happen frequently, each instance resulted in a death that sent me back across the map. It felt more like a minor nuisance than a game-breaking flaw, though it certainly proved frustrating after spending thirty minutes climbing a difficult platforming sequence around the central tower.
Beyond the technical glitches, a few design elements could also use refinement. While the vast majority of the game takes place on a single seamless map, certain interior locations can be entered even though their doorways are visually unclear. Instead of looking like entrances, these doors simply resemble flat textures that load a new area upon physical contact. Replacing these with a slightly recessed black threshold would go a long way toward clarifying the environment. Small details like this tend to stand out, and while they don't ruin the overall experience, they could have been handled with a bit more care.
Should you play it?
Valkyrie Saga is a fun little indie title that improves the more you play. When starting out, you might expect a conventional platforming experience, but exploring the seemingly quiet world reveals where the real game lies. It is an experience where nearly every environmental element serves a purpose, offering you the freedom to chart your own path forward. While it may not be groundbreaking, this design approach is a refreshing rarity in modern gaming, allowing you to sit back, relax, and appreciate the journey for what it is.
The rough edges and technical glitches do hold the title back—with a few severe bugs potentially stranding your progress if you lack a recall item—but the core gameplay remains enjoyable. The low-poly PlayStation-era aesthetic might deter some players, yet speeding through these vast open environments and launching into the air evoked fond memories of popular early-2000s fan games that consumed countless hours of my youth. Even so, the game is far from perfect, and despite its charm, the lingering visual and technical flaws are difficult to ignore completely.
Overall, Valkyrie Saga delivers a cozy platforming adventure that encourages players to blaze their own trail. While its rough presentation keeps it from reaching greater heights, it remains an entertaining experience packed with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2
Review Copy was Provided
Available On: Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
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