Your levels aren't as important as your equipment and learning skills consistently. And definitely using the Sealstones to your advantages. I cannot overemphasize the importance of the Lifeforce Blessing Sealstone, spend time getting that (Rufus' Killer Thorn and the Lightning Bolt attack spell are great for grinding out crystals). I was around level 21 for everyone by the end of Chapter Three, but it is the longest chapter in the game (finished it in around 20 hours).

(SPOILER)I kinda got burned out awhile ago, but I did make it pretty far in the Seraphic Gate.

I beat Gabriel Celeste (yay, 27 minute battle....sluggin it out), 'Woden' (Odin), 'Obsessed Ex' ('Rejected Stalker' Lezard), and a few of the infamous 'dog characters'. Dog Rufus is a punk and casts Heal. It's kinda unfair that they give Hrist and Brahms superpowerful weapons (unless you were dumb and powerleveled to get retarded equipment that makes the game not a challenge, which is a shame), and you have to hunt down really rare powerful enemies that drop really rare equipment for the other main characters and Einherjar. And since mages lose thier usefulness (a shame compared to VP1), Gabriel and Ethereal Queen's staves don't help much (even though they are powerful).

Anyway, maybe someday I'll fight Freya (800,000 HP!!, but apparently once you recruit her she's more than powerful enough to take on Ethereal Queen/Serious Dirna Hamilton alone with the right setups), but now I think I'll sink into SO3 (now that I have it back) a few more times before Final Fantasy XII comes out.

Well, it's been fun. Good job tri-Ace, as usual. Oh, and when you guys beat the game, wait for the credits to finish. Then immediately start a new game without doing a hard reset (you'll see a crystal in the lower left corner of the title screen) to start a harder difficulty file (where the stats of enemies are increased slightly, even more for Leaders, but you can do it up to 50 times!!). If you hold down L1 while entering a battle in this new game, you can listen to the battle theme from the first Valkyrie Profile (but it's just the same sound clip, so it doesn't sound so great). Hold down L2 to hear random music from the game, and some tunes from Star Ocean 3 and even Incarnation of Devil from Star Ocean: Blue Sphere. The Seraphic Gate is also available from the start of this new game, though it seems you can only access the 'Sound Test' at first.