Valkyrius Windows, X360 game

Valkyrius is now available for pre-order on Desura! Get the game for $7.99 or the special edition game/soundtrack bundle for $12.99 at Indiedb.com.

So what is Valkyrius? At its core, it's a scrolling shooter, shoot-'em-up, or "shmup." But just because it's built on a foundation of classic arcade gameplay doesn't mean you've played a game like this before. While most scrolling shooters gives you the opportunity to blast swarms of enemies while dodging waves of enemy fire, Valkyrius gives you the ability to effortlessly teleport to maximize your evasiveness and destructive potential.

It's this teleportation that sets Valkyrius apart. It spares beginners from frustrations they commonly have with the genre, such as getting backed into a corner or being unable to reach a powerup in time. It gives advanced players another challenge while gunning for high scores, since it creates the potential to cover multiple positions almost simultaneously. And, most importantly, it allows for a new style of enemy fire that would be impossible to navigate in most other games. Sweeping laser beams, swinging energy swords, screen-filling shockwaves, and complicated bullet patterns that the typical shmup fighter would have no hope of dodging all become fair game. At the same time, teleporting isn't the ideal way to avoid every pattern - some are more amenable to classic dodging. This subtlety gives Valkyrius a deal of tactical decisions that the player will learn to make over the course of play.

Speaking of tactics, there are also a few over-arching strategic decisions to make as well, in the form of how to equip your fighter. As you earn points you'll earn funds which can be used to buy credits, weapons, or modules that give your fighter special abilities. Which you choose to buy and equip can impact how you get through the game.

The story of Valkyrius revolves around the protagonist's struggle to fight for what's right in a world gone mad with war. Those who like a bit of story in their games will find out what happens through textbox-based dialogue, while those who just want to get to the action can simply turn the story mode off in the options menu.

Valkyrius adds a new system to a classic formula, creating something both fresh and familiar. If you've read this far, why not head over to Indiedb.com to check it out some screenshots?