Valis II[b] is a 1989 action-platform video game originally developed by Laser Soft, published by Telenet Japan and NEC for the PC Engine CD-ROM²/TurboGrafx-CD.

It stars Yuko Asou, a Japanese schoolgirl teenager chosen to become the Valis warrior by wielding the titular mystical sword, after defeating the demon lord Rogles.

The dream world Vecanti fell under the rule of emperor Megas, whose hatred towards his brother Rogles and bloodthirsty tendencies seeks to wipe out traces of the former tyrant, including his supporters.

Gameplay varies between each version but all share similar elements, as the player explores and search for items and power-ups, while fighting enemies and defeat bosses.

Valis II on the TurboGrafx-CD garnered generally favorable reception from critics since its initial launch, some of which reviewed it as an import title; praise was given to the audiovisual presentation for showcasing the potential of the CD-ROM format, but others felt mixed regarding various aspects.

Furthermore, his bloodthirsty tendencies recognize Yuko and the Valis sword as viable threats to his claim of the throne, and he orders his minions to eliminate her first before she has the chance to thwart him.

[2] This version also introduces a separate menu inventory where the player can choose power-ups found during levels, as well as costumes that alters Yuko's overall offensive and defensive attributes.

[2] The Mega Drive/Genesis remake is an amalgamation of both the PC Engine CD-ROM²/TurboGrafx-CD original and the home computer versions, featuring the ability to select power-ups and costumes.

[9] Yamamoto claimed that the team made both the PC Engine CD-ROM² and home computer versions simultaneously, but remarked that each were created under different development lines.

[10][citation needed] The home computer version was first released in Japan for the PC-8801 on July 8, 1989, then for the MSX2 and PC-9801 on August 5, and later for the X68000 on November 18 under the name Valis: The Fantasm Soldier II.

[18][19] It features the same gameplay and plot as the TurboGrafx-CD original, but the character design was changed to a super deformed (SD) style, while the North American version incorrectly identifies Yuko as "Syd" and reuses artwork of another Telenet release called The Sugoroku '92: Nariagari Trendy[h] for its front cover.

[21][22][23][24][25] The game was included as part of the Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Complete compilation for Windows, published by Sunsoft in 2004 under a limited run of 2000 copies, which came bundled with a bonus CD and a figure.

[29] The PC Engine version was re-released physically and digitally as part of Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection for the Nintendo Switch in Japan by Edia on December 9, 2021.

[36] Valis II on the PC Engine CD-ROM²/TurboGrafx-CD garnered generally favorable reception from critics since its initial launch, some of which reviewed it as an import title.

[41] Joystick's Jean-Marc Demoly commended the increasing difficulty of each level that contributed to its playability, as well as the game's visuals for the original and well-drawn enemy sprites, controls and sound, but noted that Yoko's animation lacked flexibility.

[40] Génération 4's Philippe Querleux gave positive remarks to the soundtrack and save system, finding it to be a very addictive title, but noted its increasing difficulty starting from the third level.

Micom Basic Magazine analyzed the PC-8801 version, praising the amount of visual scenes compared to the original Valis: The Fantasm Soldier, background music and audio but criticized the overall graphical quality due to the limited colors.

"[57] Sega Force's Paul Mellerick bashed its "very dull" gameplay despite "great" levels and enemies, writing that "even platform addicts will only play it for a while".

[56] Video Games' Michael Paul faulted the controls for being slippery and imprecise, while gearing his criticism towards the graphical design, low-detailed sprite animations, audio and repetitive enemy patterns.