Super Valis IV 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.
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.