Commonplace among action-oriented games is a ranking system at the end of each level. Players are notified of just how well they performed, at least insofar as the game's criteria are concerned. Valkyrie Elysium revives Square Enix's Valkyrie series in a big way, including a shift to action RPG status that embraces this form of statistical feedback.

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Of course, most of us are going to look at this as just cause to strive for the best accomplishments for each stage, namely the gilded 'S-Rank.' Therefore, let's take a look at what needs to happen for you to clear Valkyrie Elysium's chapters in style.

All S-Rank Criteria, Explained

Valkyrie Elysium

Achieving S-Rank in Valkyrie Elysium boils down to one thing above all: understanding what the game expects of you. At the end of each chapter and subquest, including subsequent runs, a screen will appear combing over various statistics about things you did and did not do throughout the course of the mission. Each of these is given a point-based system, and your tally dictates the rank you'll earn.

Since you can replay Valkyrie Elysium's stages as much as you'd like, you can shoot for S-Rank at any time. Don't feel forced to do so during your initial runs. In fact, we recommend against rushing!

Clear Time

The heaviest factor in determining one's rank is how long it takes to complete the stage. At the beginning of the stage, an invisible timer ticks down from 30,000 with each passing second. It takes a total score of 30,000 to attain S-Rank in most cases, and nothing else comes close to providing nearly as many points as the time aspect, so the importance of this can't be understated.

What this means is that, in our estimation, you should avoid obsessing over S-Rank your first time through any chapter or subquest. It's not that there's a ton to look at in Valkyrie Elysium, per se, but exploring for treasures like enhancement gems and Hollow Blossoms is going to reduce your score, and that shouldn't mean you don't bother. It should mean you shoot for S-Rank the next time around.

Death and Item Subtractions

You'll lose 1,000 points each time the Valkyrie falls before a mission is completed and another 100 points for every item. You also lose score just for getting hit, with damage intake factored into the final tally.

It's been said elsewhere, and we tend to agree — a 1,000-point drop is steep enough that you should strongly consider restarting the mission if you fall in battle even once. This, of course, only applies to when you're attempting to S-Rank something.

Everything Else

Each of the remaining categories will provide up to 2,500 points or so apiece. While that's peanuts next to what you'll earn from a fast clear, it's a possible 15,000 combined. Put that way, it's suddenly quite a bit more important.

Score is earned from guarding and evading well; from slaying enemies; from combo-chaining to high numbers; from casting Divine Arts; and from summoning Einherjar. Interestingly, the usage of Divine Arts and Einherjar increases, rather than decreases, the tally. While that may seem like the obvious outcome to some, we were rather expecting the opposite; after all, Divine Arts and Einherjar make the Valkyrie's quest easier to complete.

What You'll Earn Through S-Rank

The first time you S-Rank any mission, you'll earn a Bronze Trophy on PS4/PS5 and its comparable achievement on PC. That's it for rewards, all the way until you successfully S-Rank every quest in the game, which is worth a Silver Trophy and its comparable PC achievement.

Next:Valkyrie Elysium: How To Get The True Ending