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[entremet]

I've always enjoyed this series, but being huge time sinks, it's been difficult to complete many.

I got into the series with EOII on the the DS. I played it during my commutes and fell in love with the brutal difficulty levels--the random encounters matter--the complex class system, and the dungeon crawling plus addictive manual map sketching using the stylus and second screen.

These games are known for beefy postgame content, but I didn't touch it for EOII. The main games are already content packed.

Given the week between Christmas and NYE is really low key, I finally had time to revisit EOIV, which I started a while back, but shelved a for a bit.

I hear EOIII is one of the best, but I have my hands full with EOIV right now. That's probably one of the few negatives of this series--so many games, yet the games are so content pack and a bit cognitively exhausting, playing them back to back, can seem a bit a much, so you miss a lot of entries.

I'll probably pick up EOIII and get the rest of the 3DS games when they go on sale, which they do quite a bit on the eShop.

I played both Untold Demos and they seem interesting, although preset classes seem to remove the build your own party aspect that makes these games unique.

Rerolling and retiring characters is part the insanity with these games!

PS: Even if you don't care for JRPGs or these games, they have some amazing music from Yuzo Koshiro of Streets of Rage/Actraiser fame.

The DS originals also had awesome FM synth style soundtracks. The 3DS games use real instruments I believe, or high quality samples.

Some of my favs:

Those Who Will Carve Their Name in Legends - EOII

Woodland of Frozen Flowers - EOII

Cherry Tree Bridge - EOII

Anyone else a fan of these games?

 

[Ken]

I like the FOE song but the games themselves are too complex for me to get into!

Maybe it's also cause I'm pretty inexperienced in the genre.

 

[Bog]

I grabbed Untold when it was $10 on the eshop. I had no idea how addictive cartography was.

 

[vareon]

I am. Never played the untold games, though...and barely finished IV.

It's been long since EOV is announced, I wonder what's happening with the game.

 

[entremet]

I like the FOE song but the games themselves are too complex for me to get into!

Maybe it's also cause I'm pretty inexperienced in the genre.

They do have a huge learning curve. Once you're over that initial hump, your experience transfers. ATLUS does tend to rebalance the games and add new features each installment. There was one class in EOII that was pretty broken.

I am. Never played the untold games, though...and barely finished IV.

It's been long since EOV is announced, I wonder what's happening with the game.

Platform still hasn't been announced either. Hmm.

 

[tuffy]

I guess I could say I'm a fan.

I played both Untold Demos and they seem interesting, although preset classes seem to remove the build your own party aspect that makes these games unique.

In the full game you can play both Untold titles in "classic" mode which gives you the freedom to make your own party and play through the story in the traditional way. So you're not necessarily stuck with the premade story party if you don't want to use them.

 

[entremet]

I guess I could say I'm a fan.

In the full game you can play both Untold titles in "classic" mode which gives you the freedom to make your own party and play through the story in the traditional way. So you're not necessarily stuck with the premade story party if you don't want to use them.

So you still the cutscenes?

 

[tuffy]

So you still the cutscenes?

You won't get the animated cutscenes since those are built for the story party. Instead, you'll get text-based cutscenes and story segments like on the DS titles.

 

[ohlawd]

these games aren't as long as you think

k scratch that, at least for 3

my playtime to finish the story was 19 hours. I looked at that site that tracks how fast people finish the story or 100% it and just the story ran them 40+ hours. what the heck are people doing that made them double my playtime? I drew my maps meticulously, did all sidequests I was able to, I even went for the true end on my first and only run.

maybe the activity log borked on me. it recorded my SJ time perfect tho

 

[whiterabbit]

They can be really fun and engrossing, like you said; Etrian Odyssey IV is my most played 3DS game at almost 200 hours. I played the heck out of it when it came out. It's probably my favorite and I want to replay it eventually.

I heard of the series on GAF and started with the very first game in the series. I like the first Untold a lot, but the second Untold didn't grab me too much... I might try a Classic mode game some time, although I enjoy action games and platformers more than RPGs these days.

And yeah, they are very complex games with a lot to do and can be huge timesinks as well, from mapping, grinding, doing sidequests, and choosing how to build your characters.

 

[B.K.]

I've bought all the Etrian Odyssey games, but I've only ever played I, IV, and Untold. So far, Untold is the only one I've ever beaten. I got to the last stratum in I and never finished it and hated IV.

 

[entremet]

these games aren't as long as you think

k scratch that, at least for 3

my playtime to finish the story was 19 hours. I looked at that site that tracks how fast people finish the story or 100% it and just the story ran them 40+ hours. what the heck are people doing that made them double my playtime? I drew my maps meticulously, did all sidequests I was able to, I even went for the true end on my first and only run.

maybe the activity log borked on me. it recorded my SJ time perfect tho

19 hours?!

Hah.

I don't check the activity log much, but I'm pretty sure I'm double that in EOIV and just halfway through the main game.

 

[Javier]

I remember playing EO1 and making it to the 20th floor before I gave up on the game. The reason was that apparently I triggered a game-breaking glitch that preventing me from progressing. I kept beating the boss but he would never leave the map. I kept trying and trying but it would never let me progress. I ended up beating all the FOEs and the boss numerous times until my characters were all way overleveled. I tried looking at guides, tried everything, and nothing worked.

Now I got EO1U on my 3DS after it was $10 on the eShop and playing through Story Mode. It definitely fixes a lot of things that were wrong in the original (Floor Jump is a godsend) and the added content like the Ruins and the Mansion (Item Storage is another godsend) is great as well. I'm glad I can play through this game again, this time not having to worry about a glitch.

I'll add that Etrian Odyssey is the reason why Nintendo should never drop dual screens in handhelds.

 

[The Horror the horror]

Not for me.

Fighting the same enemies 30 times sort of breaks the immersion for me.

 

[plutoknight]

19 hours?!

Hah.

I don't check the activity log much, but I'm pretty sure I'm double that in EOIV and just halfway through the main game.

I ended EOIV at around 90 hours.

Actually I never fully beat it. I got to the last boss and quit. But, damned if that wasn't a very enjoyable romp.

And, EOIV has a great soundtrack. The perfect dungeon crawling music.

 

[Pyros_Eien]

Not for me.

Fighting the same enemies 30 times sort of breaks the immersion for me.

I'm not sure what this means. Bosses? While you can farm them, you don't need to until postgame. FOEs? They're just stronger trash mobs. Random encounters? That's like 3/4 of the games ever? Or do you mean recolors with stronger levels? This happens but I don't think it was any more than you'd expect in an average jrpg or other games.

 

[Kieli]

The only knock I have against EOIV (which I really enjoyed) was the recoloring.

Breaks the sense of progression when I see the same rat coloured purple this time in a second-to-last game dungeon. :\

Edit: That rat is also in the post-game dungeon. =.=

 

[vocab]

I personally hate the foe puzzles. Where you have to lead them and then walk around them. It usually leads to instant death. It's not fun. I'm personally done with japanese wizardry. EO4 after 20 hours is enough for me.

 

[Kieli]

I personally hate the foe puzzles. Where you have to lead them and then walk around them. It usually leads to instant death. It's not fun. I'm personally done with japanese wizardry. EO4 after 20 hours is enough for me.

I don't recall a lot of that. Rarely did a FOE intercept me unless I wanted it to, and even then, I didn't have to think particularly hard to avoid them (EOIV).

 

[Ferrio]

Been awhile since I've played one. Only have done IV and the original remade (didn't do the story mode). I have the old III sitting around, but I think at this point I'd be happier waiting for a remake or a new game altogether.

Storm from IV is probably one of my favorite battle themes of all time too.

 

[Mozendo]

Only Atlus series I care about and the only reason why I still haven't sold my 3DS
Unpopular opinion: I hope we get the remake of 3 before we get 5, the remake of 3 is going to be the best 3DS RPG when it comes out.

Also this series has some of best fan arrangements I've heard

 

[whiterabbit]

Have they ever actually said they were remaking EO III?

 

[Dandy Crocodile]

Yeah, I tend to lose myself in them, even if I don't make much progress. Sometimes it's fun just to explore a bit and gain tiny amounts of exp.

Feel free to join us in the community thread!

 

[Mass Effect]

yeah they are. I remember when I got my 3DS I pretty much downloaded every demo available (something I do with every system) and got really into the EO IV demo. Never played or heard of the series before then either. Never did pick up IV because I always kept missing it on sale, but finally got Millennium Girl and it is really fun.

And the music is so amazing. Makes it a really relaxing game to play (most of the time).

 

[jwhit28]

The music really makes the game. I don't know if I could put myself through the later parts of the games if the music didn't help.

 

[Mozendo]

Have they ever actually said they were remaking EO III?

No, it'd be really odd if they stopped they'd stop at 2 though plus everyone is expecting it at some point now

 

[javadoze]

The Etrian Odyssey aren't really a thing I'm into...

...But that Cerulean Woodlands music in EO4, though.

Yuzo Koshiro's music is consistently amazing.

 

[spiritfox]

Hey I like these games.

 

[komorebi]

Love this series. I can't wait for Etrian Untold 3 assuming they make one.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

YES! You did the guild theme! No one else gives that the respect it deserves.

I'm saying it: Koshiro did his finest work to date on III's OST, with each soundtrack divine enough to be any other composers' masterwork.

II pretty much is the best combination one can think of still being merciless yet sporting refined UI and controls.

And I still get the urge and very real desire to draw a map in most RPGs after finishing up an EO game. I'm beginning to see it as a necessity that just makes dungeon crawlin' better both by giving the passage thru it meaning and opening up new possibilities on the design standpoint. Make those resources matter! Make those trap layouts matter!

They do have a huge learning curve. Once you're over that initial hump, your experience transfers. ATLUS does tend to rebalance the games and add new features each installment. There was one class in EOII that was pretty broken.



Platform still hasn't been announced either. Hmm.

I just figure they're largely all-in on Persona 5.

 

[Thoraxes]

FYI OP, the two 3DS remakes/story mode games have the option to toggle between the instrumental OST and the FM OST.
IV was supposed to get an FM OST release after the game came out too iirc, but that kind of just disappeared forever.

 

[brandonh83]

Been eyeing these but not sure where to start. 4 is on sale right now but unsure if I should start with one of the earlier ones.

 

[Thoraxes]

Been eyeing these but not sure where to start. 4 is on sale right now but unsure if I should start with one of the earlier ones.

If you're sticking with just the 3DS ones, whichever one is cheapest is honestly fine. IV is a nice jumping in point, imo.

You can get the "traditional" EO experience with all three released so far, but the remakes of I and II both have the added/optional storymode should you want that.

 

[entremet]

III, IV, and Untold 2 are the most recommended games.

I is not really playable if you play the any of the current ones since they added a lot of features.

I'd probably recommend Untold 2 for newcomers from the demo I played. I also played the original to completion.

EOIV is can be really tough and complex since you're also doing some resource stuff with your airship on top of dungeon crawling.

 

[Mozendo]

Been eyeing these but not sure where to start. 4 is on sale right now but unsure if I should start with one of the earlier ones.

IV is the best place so get that, it's the most beginner friendly title and is also considered to be the best of the 3DS games.

 

[brandonh83]

That helps, think I'll go for it then.

 

[pizzaparty]

I'm currently playing through Persona Q. It's my first try at an EO game and I love drawing the map so much.

 

[entremet]

That helps, think I'll go for it then.

Just wait for a sale. ATLUS does them frequently on the eShop. Unless you hate digital downloads, but I think I got EOIV for 15 bucks. Can't beat that.

 

[mjc]

I tried EO back on the DS and couldn't get into it. But then I tried out EOU on 3DS and it was great. I plan on working through EOU2 soon.

 

[ghibli99]

I picked up EO4 in a recent eShop sale, so I hope I can finally get into the series. I grew up on first-person grid-based dungeon crawlers on my family's Apple IIe, but have had a hell of a hard time getting into modern games like EO and LoG.

 

[1upsuper]

Etrian Odyssey is one of my favorite game franchises. Everything about them is great - Koshiro's music is among the best in gaming, the enemy and environmental art is appealing to me, the atmosphere is engrossing, the cartography is somehow cathartic, and the class system has a satisfying level of depth for me. III is my favorite, but IV probably has my favorite OST. This series is a treasure.

 

[Hero of Legend]

No, it'd be really odd if they stopped they'd stop at 2 though plus everyone is expecting it at some point now

I think 3 Untold for Fall 2016 in Japan and not long after in NA would work, and finally EO5 for NX in 2017 is good. It'd give them a final 3DS send-off, and it'd be long enough between 2 Untold and 3 Untold. They are coming out a bit too quickly one after the other.

 

[ohlawd]

and finally EO5 for NX

this guy

 

[AKingNamedPaul]

I love these games. Such solid pure rpg experiences. Glad to see a thread celebrating them.

 

[Hero of Legend]

this guy

I think 3U and 5 on 3DS in one year is too much, and 3DS will be overshadowed by NX in 2017.

 

[KarmaCow]

I know that Atlus is busy with Persona 5, SMTIVF, and SMTxFE but I hope we get some EOV news soon.

 

[Darth_Caedus]

I find the map making process really tedious, maybe I'm just doing it wrong...

 

[KTallguy]

How similar/different is EO to Persona Q?

 

[ohlawd]

don't be that person who draws one line of wall and takes one step before drawing another single line. keep walking until you hit a wall in front of you, then draw lines where they should be. just keep an eye out for shortcuts as you're doing this

I think 3U and 5 on 3DS in one year is too much, and 3DS will be overshadowed by NX in 2017.

tbh that's what's gonna happen

as long as it doesn't end up like EOV

Spoiler

ita

 

[KarmaCow]

How similar/different is EO to Persona Q?

The EO games have far less of a story and character focus and generally less puzzle dungeon design. The battle mechanics are also different, no press turn or fusing demons. It has a more traditional skill system.