This is an excellent cross between the Etrian Odyssey series and the Pokemon / Shiren / Mystery Dungeon series. Strangely, one of the biggest elements of the EO games (the maps you have to draw yourself while exploring) has been completely taken out and replaced with an automap. Fortunately the game keeps EO's cute & cartoony visual stylings.
Thus far, it's proving to be very fun. I opted for what's probably best considered a "safe" starting party to most: Landsketcht, Protector, Runemaster, and Medic. As someone who's played the crap out of the Shiren the Wander DS game I can say that Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a LOT easier. Now that doesn't mean that it's an easy game by any stretch- because it's not- but I haven't encountered anything near as "toss the game out the nearest window" inducing like playing Shiren for weeks to get that Master Katana+99 with all the trimmings only to die because of some random off the wall monster house mini tank B.S. and return to town with it lost. Oh, and you were also reverted back to level 1 again with that trusty riceball.
To that end, I'm glad that E:MD has kept the death penalty toned back a bit: You'll still lose your money and items (and occasionally even equipped gear), but you'll keep your character levels this time. This is HUGE, because this time around your characters can level up their own specific set of skills- like Liam Neeson in Taken- and further develop them. I'd hate to spend all that time making some perfect Protector meatshield just to have it wasted down the line by something RNGesus threw at you out of spite.
I'm still playing the crap out of this one, and update this review from time to time when I can.
P.S: So far the Hexer class looks to be super OP.
P.S. #2: I miss the Farmer class for some strange reason. I think it'd suit this game pretty well.
P.S. #3: The controls are weird. Hard to explain exactly.. like you'll go to try and turn your leader to face an enemy (so you can shoot it or whatever) and instead he'll take a step in that direction. Alternately, if you're standing right next to an enemy you CAN press towards the thing and adjust direction to face it without wasting a turn or taking a step. Hmmm..
EDIT: Well that didn't take long! I'm finding that taking a smaller (or even solo) party into the dungeons seems to make the game easier. I know that might sound weird but I'll give you two reasons on why I think this is:
#1) The NPC non-leader characters of your team have horrendous A.I. in a lot of cases. See that weakling fly? Don't bother walking up to it to smack it around with your sword because your runemaster will happily waste huge amounts of TP and torch it with a giant fireball from halfway around the world. Heavily-armed warriors at your back? Well, they almost always decide to STAY behind your back and watch while 2 or 3 enemies pound the crap out of you mercilessly. Got gunners for some long-range backup in those narrow hallways? Unlike my runemaster, they kind of just sit there and DON'T SHOOT THEIR GUNS (against enemies within their range, so what gives??) Luckily the game pauses to ask you if you'd like your medic to heal the pummel-ee, which is nice but wow I don't know..
#2) If an enemy- and this was in Shiren the Wanderer too- kills one of your party members due to their gross negligence of running around willy nilly all through the night they become SUPER POWERED like nobody's business! They get a little red monster skull over them and get not one, not two, not three, but like five times more powerful. Or at least it seems this way, I don't have the exact multiplier on hand. Man, what a damage boost! At least if you were solo you'd be at odds with enemies that don't get bumped up in power to outrageous levels from killing your wandering hamsters-for-brains of a team.
In contrast, having to manage a single character in the dungeon has many advantages:
Keep track of one food meter
All the gold you get can go towards better gear to help him / her survive longer
You have complete control of him / her 100% of the time with no weird A.I. choices
I mean aside from fighting some bosses and this game's version of Etrian Odysey's FOE's (called DOEs for some reason this time around) do you even really need a party at all?
This game is still very fun, I just question some of the design choices is all. Oh well, back to the dungeons for me!!
EDIT #2: Hi again! Okay so I figured out how to change your facing without moving or wasting a turn: You just press the "Y" button and some yellow grids will show up. DUH right? Anyway, this is very good to know haha.
SUPER IMPORTANT HELPFUL TIP: Do NOT sell or trash any gear you find with a plus on them (+). Eventually you will have the ability to Meld / Fuse gear together and you can use this old junk to further improve your good stuff. For example: You can fuse a Shamishir sword with a Dagger+4 and it'll become a Shamishir+4. So save that old crap you have with those bonuses, because you'll need them for later!!
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Etrian Mystery Dungeon - Nintendo 3DS
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Daft
This game would be great for anyone who likes Etrian or Mystery Dungeons
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 26, 2015Jared A. Oscroft
Good game, just not for me.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 2, 2016
