How To Complete Subquests In Valkyrie Elysium
In most RPGs, deviating from the main story path can lead to optional content – side quests – which can then be completed for a reward. It’s not that much Valkyrie Elysium rewrites the book on this approach; Rather, it does it in a somewhat obtuse manner that can tempt first-time players into accidentally skipping these side-quests entirely.
Find out how Valkyrie Elysium handles his side quests, see if they’re worth your time, and learn a few tricks of the trade along the way with our rundown of the game’s slightly different style.
Start a subquest
Sometimes the best way to explain something is with a direct example. Let’s take a look ‘Mother’s Ring’, the first subquest (Valkyrie Elysium’s term for side missions). This is the moment when many of us walk away in awe; finally, the narrative impetus and the way the content is accessed actually seem to collide.
About halfway through the first chapter The Valkyrie will encounter a glowing being representing a child seeking a ring belonging to her mother. The Valkyrie gives in to the girl’s request, acknowledging that otherwise her soul will not be cleansed. (At least that’s our reading in the scene.)
This is where it gets confusing. According to the story beat, finding the ring is now an active part of the mission. That’s the feeling behind the moment – that the lost item is found somewhere nearby. This is technically correct, but with one important caveat: You won’t be able to find the ring during the main mission. Instead, you must exit and then return to the quest selection globe in Odin’s palace.
On PlayStation consoles, the square button must then be pressed to view available subquests. On PC (and possibly elsewhere if the game is ported abroad) the button may vary. Despite it, There is a separate screen per Midgardian territory for each sub-quest you unlock. including “Mother’s Ring”.
A separate scenario
At first, your return to Be’elzean territory will feel like you’ve simply returned to the main quest of the chapter. After all, it’s the same card. The lighting seems to be a little different (and will be a little more different during certain subsequent sub-quests). However, you are restricted to a limited portion of the Territorial Map for the duration of a specific sub-questa fact you’ll soon realize as you attempt to turn the other way or venture out of bounds on your way to finding the Ring.
These limits are of course meant to keep players on track, although the limit of their limitation varies considerably. In “A Mother’s Ring” expect linear paths with predictably placed enemies as you progress through a largely linear level. At its end the ring is found; a Divine Art, a common side quest reward, and an excellent one at that, is awarded and the child thanks the Valkyrie and is cleansed.
This is your typical loop. However, the second sub-quest of Chapter One, “Dead Man’s Warning,” feels comparatively more comprehensive. Instead of an earlier spot, this one will take place in the castle town.
We’ll continue our analysis of Valkyrie Elysium’s side quest mechanics with “A Dead Man’s Warning”. Again, you unlocked it during the main quest; and again it will not quite match the here and now then. The Valkyrie is warned about dangerous monsters, but that’s already a given, and defeating the nearby enemies does nothing. You must access it from the world, as with any sub-quest.
Arriving at A Dead Man’s Warning via a separate location on the globe brings the Valkyrie back to where she first read the title warning. The castle town’s enemy layout is completely different, and your goal, as indicated by the objective markers, is to wipe out the monsters that haunt the town’s two watchtower-like buildings.
During the main mission, navigating the rooftops was of secondary importance. Now it is critical to your success. Because of this, it’s important to turn the camera around during subquests to find locations for the Valkyrie to move to, even if they weren’t necessarily important (or even present) beforehand. In general, you should pay attention to possible changes in the landscapefor these can and will be crucial to navigating the newly shuffled “instances” of each territory’s sub-quests.
We recommend completing every sub-quest in Valkyrie Elysium. In doing so, you should be able to bring the protagonist to a suitable level for each chapter. The number of additional gems you get, along with weapon proficiency increases, Einherjar experience, and brand new divine arts all combine to create a stronger and more capable character. Especially on higher difficulties, neglecting sub-quests can result in you replaying the main missions in full instead, and of course that translates into a much greater time-saver.