Etrian Odyssey

Nowadays, RPGs tend to lead you by the hand, almost as if you're being babysat or something. They lead you on a set path with linear progression, and all of them try to WOW you with flashy graphics and stuff like that. Back in the days of games like Wizardry, there was no such thing as that. You were free to explore the world with little to no guidance and you can take on any missions or quests you wanted. This is the core gameplay element of Etrian Odyssey, a new RPG from the good folks at Atlus that focuses on the good old days, even going as far as making the game have a first person perspective. Can an old school RPG actually be good in this day and age?

There's not much of a story here in Etrian. The only thing you really have to know is that you are a group of guys in a clan who set off to gain riches and recognition. Essentially, you gain recognition by going through quests and missions. So, essentially, the story is really just a minority in this game, which in this case, is fine.

The primarily in Etrian Odyssey is obviously the gameplay. When you first start up, you end up creating your own party. That's right! There is NO set party in Etrian. You chose a name for each character, and you choose the class and what is the character image. There are a total of four character images per class (two male, two female) and there is up to 9 different character classes to choose from, which totals 36 character possibilities. The customization doesn't really end there. As you gain levels, you're able to choose what skills the characters will learn using the skill points you earn. Some skills are necessary to learn other skills, and some of them actually let you do attributes outside of battle, like healing, mining, and the like. So, the possibilities here are almost endless.

During battle, it's a traditional turn based system, of which you select whether to attack, defend, use an item or skill, boost up your stats, or run away from battle altogether. Be forewarned, though, as the enemies in this game are relentless. If you want to have any chance in this game, you have to constantly level up by gaining experience from defeating enemies, learning the right skills, manage your money by selling the items that the enemies drop, and equipping good weapons and armor, this game will give you a good whipping. You also must know when to advance to the next floor of the labyrinth or not. Unless you know you're ready, forget it. You are aloud up to five characters to take out at a time, and you are free to customize your party, but make sure it's a party that is actually good.

You also have to map out your progress. There is no set map at all, and you use the bottom screen to map your progress in the labyrinth. You use it to mark the path, dead ends, treasure, events, and the like. No enemies appear if you're not moving, so you can just stop and map out your progress without worrying about encounters. You can also move and map at the same time, but you run a risk of running into enemies as you map. You can also map during battles as well, since the battles are controlled with the D-pad and buttons. Mapping out your progress helps you out a lot. Plus, since there's no real linear progression, feel free to explore to your heart's content.

Finally, there are the missions and quests you take on. Unlike most RPGs these days, there is no set quest or mission. You actually choose which ones you like to take on when you're in the town. This freedom of choice gives it more legs, and you can actually tackle more than one quest at a time. When you start playing this, you start to wonder why more RPGs these days don't offer this kind of freedom.

Presentation-wise, it's not really that much. The labyrinth itself is done in 3D, and it actually looks pretty lively for a DS game. If you look closely, you can actually see some background effects, like flowers swaying and such. The rest of the graphics are done using 2D artwork with little animation. You view the labyrinth through a first person perspective which actually helps you seeing through the game with your own eyes. In the audio front, the music has a very good charm and also has a bit of a retro flavor, which actually helps it to give off its old school style. There are barely any sound effects, however. There is also no voice over, whatsoever. What's there is appropriate, though, so it does get the job done. To be honest, it's not really trying to get you in with its presentation.

Etrian Odyssey, which must be said, is really not for everyone. RPG gamers who remember the days of Wizardry and other games like it are more likely to get the most out of it. It's also appealing for those who like to be more part of the experience instead of being just a guided character in a story. Everyone else should probably try it first to see if it's your cup of tea. To be honest, I really loved this one, and I suggest you give it a shot.

Etrian Odyssey is an amazing game... If you like Old School RPG's than stop reading and get this game.(old school= i.e. Wizardry, Bards Tale.)

I actually bought my DS Lite just to play this game and am glad I did.

The depth of the dungeon is staggering for any system and especially so on a hand-held system.

You make your own maps of the dungeon with the styles on the bottom screen and the action happens on the top. I have been playing for about 20 hours and I would estimate I am about half done.

The game is tough, but not in a cheap way.

Pros:

-You can use any combination of 9 classes in your 5 person party.

-Side quests are interesting and varied.

-The dungeon areas are very different with hundreds monsters and items.

-The story is really interesting

-Freedom in general; to do what you want...

-Great art style

Cons:

-Could be too hard for some people (Challenge is a good thing)

In my 25 years of playing RPG's, Etrian Odyssey is in my top 3 and it's the best one on the DS! Atlus please bring the sequel to the USA...

Etrian Odyssey is as old school as it comes when thinking of the RPG's and dungeon crawlers of the past, and in this case that's not such a bad thing after all. At first glance it seems like a simple, tried and true, turn based RPG, but once you get deep into the core gameplay of Etrian Odyssey, you'll see it for what it really is. The game offers some incredibly challenging gameplay elements as you tackle the usual RPG settings, particularly labyrinths. Not to mention that the various abilities of you and your party are just begging to be tinkered with, which also provides a great deal of fun and challenge as well. What really makes Etrian Odyssey worth checking out is the great use that the game makes of the DS' dual screens, touch screen, and stylus. The mapping interface used with the touch screen and stylus is inventive and helps set the game apart from the recent flood of RPG's to hit the DS, along with the overall atmosphere and charming graphics as well. The only real downsides of Etrian Odyssey are the same problems that plague many RPG's: there is far too much back tracking involved in your lengthy quest, and when I say lengthy, I mean lengthy. The game offers a long and satisfying story and quest, but the game's steep learning curve and difficulty may put off some gamers. Despite it's few flaws though, Etrian Odyssey is a real treat for longtime and hardcore RPG or dungeon crawler addicts that own a DS, and it is definitely worth picking up.