Valis IV

In line with previous entries in the series, Valis IV is a side-scrolling action platform game starring Lena, a young Vecanti woman set to become the next Valis warrior, taking place after the events of Valis III. Together with her sister Amu and the dark world king Asfal, Lena must retrieve the Valis sword to defeat prince Galgear, the king's son. The player controls Lena through nine two-dimensional levels, battling enemies, jumping from ledge to ledge, and running until the player faces a boss at the end of each level. As in the previous entries, gameplay pauses and a cinematic cutscene plays at certain points regarding the game's storyline.

Valis IV retains the same gameplay format as Valis III, in which the player is now in control of multiple characters that can be switched at any time. However, the characters cannot be switched during boss fights. Each character wields a unique weapon and have access to their own elemental spell, which can be enhanced up to three levels and are charged via a "weapon power" meter. The characters also possess their own special ability: Lena can slide, Amu can perform double-jumps, and Asfal is invincible against certain stage hazards. By exploring and searching across each level, the player can acquire items and power-ups to increase the characters' maximum health and magic attributes.

The original PC Engine CD-ROM² version follows on the events of Valis III. Yuko has become the goddess of the world of Vecanti and has watched over the world in peace since the defeat of Glames. Trouble brews when the Dark World prince named Galgear begins to search for a magical ring. This ring increases his powers, but to the loss of control he could have maintained under its effects, and the gods of Vecanti recognize this and imprison Galgear inside a crystal sunk into the ocean.

Fifteen years pass, and Galgear manages to break out of his prison, kidnapping the former heroine Valna and being pursued by troops led by Cham as a result. A member of her band, named Lena, requests permission to infiltrate Galgear's stronghold and free Valna on her own; Cham initially disagrees, but a disembodied voice convinces her to allow this, and Lena brings her twin sister Amu with her. They both succeed in reaching Galgear's inner sanctum, but are stopped by the prince and his ring, who is about to obliterate them when they are teleported away by a magic force — that of Asfal, the prince's father, who tells them that only the Valis sword, no longer in this world, can stop him. Both girls journey day and night to reach the heavens of Vecanti and claim the sword, which is bequeathed onto them by Yuko herself, sent with her blessings in stopping the power-hungry prince. They return to Vecanti and use the mystic blade to defeat Galgear.

Valis IV was developed by Laser Soft, an internal gaming division of Telenet, previously responsible for Valis III (1990). It was created by most of the same staff members who worked on previous entries in the Valis series, with both Mitsuo Nakamura and Masami Hanari being director and producer respectively. Haruyuki Nishida, who was also responsible as designer with assistance from Chiyo Rara, co-wrote the scenario along with Bunzō Matsui. Hiroshi Ono acted as programmer, while animator Osamu Nabeshima returned as one of the game's artists. The soundtrack was co-composed by Shingo Murakami and members under the pseudonyms "Junta" and "Kawame".

Valis IV was originally released for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in Japan by Telenet on August 23, 1991. It never received a western localization. A compilation titled Valis Visual Collection was released in 1993 by Telenet for the PC Engine CD-ROM, featuring visual scenes from the game. The title was included as part of the Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Complete compilation for Microsoft Windows, published by Sunsoft in 2004 under a limited run of 2000 copies, which came bundled with a bonus CD and a figure.

Valis IV on the PC Engine CD-ROM² garnered generally favorable reviews from critics, most of which reviewed it as an import title. Famitsu's four reviewers gave it an overall mixed outlook. Génération 4's Frank Ladoire praised its visuals, character animations, CD-quality soundtrack and playability. Likewise, Joystick's Jean-Marc Demoly and Joypad's Alain Huyghues-Lacour commended the game for its graphics, animations, music and controls, but noted the prolonged loading times.

Consoles +' Robinton and Damon gave the title positive remarks for its audiovisual presentation, responsive controls and longevity. Super Gaming's three reviewers praised the music, graphics, improved cinematics and expanded depth. Nevertheless, while Mike regarded it as a good addition to the Valis series, both Ken and Samrye commented that it "loses a little in the plot dimension" and felt similar to previous entries. Hardcore Gaming 101's Kurt Kalata wrote that "as a whole, Valis IV is not quite as good as its immediate predecessor, but still one of the better games in the series."