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Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

  • Summary: (Also known as "Sekaiju no Meikyuu" in Japan) In a vast and fertile land lies a small town known as Etria, a peaceful village that became famous for a startling discovery. A crack in the vast forest opened at Etria's edge, leading downward like a gaping maw. It all began there... Your salvation in the labyrinth is in your own hands: Create your own team of adventurers to withstand the maze’s fierce battles, while creating your own dungeon maps using the Nintendo DS touch screen outside of combat. Lush 3D graphics and a world-class soundtrack puts an exquisite face on the mortal danger that lurks at every step. [Atlus Software] Collapse
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. In reality though, Etrian Odyssey is a challenging, ballsy, rewarding game that gives the otherwise stagnant RPG genre a swift, much-needed kick in the ass. [June 2007, p.62]
  2. Etrian Odyssey definitely isn't for everyone, but that's due to its genre rather than lack of quality. If you have a taste for brutal difficulty and don't mind a touch of level grinding now and then, you'll want to savor this game like a fine wine.
  3. 74
    Etrian Odyssey is – with every ounce of its being – a RPG fanatic’s wet dream. The game makes no excuses for the player, demanding that you strategize every step of the way.
  4. Players who never experienced the RPGs of the 80s are bound to scratch their head and wonder where all the graphics went.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. MannyL
    10
    My ABSOLUTE favorite game for the DS. Etrian Odyssey is quite certainly the best RPG I have ever played on any handheld system! The visuals are just plain beautiful and you will certainly appreciate it as it is. The gameplay is punishing but it's the challenge that really makes this game shine. I would definitely recommend this game to any true RPG lover and enthusiast. Not for the casual gamer. Expand
  2. Scott
    8
    This is a fun tribute to a certain kind of old school RPG such as Wizardy, Might & Magic, and the Bard's Tale. It's no frills, unforgivingly difficult, and something like work, so it's definitely not for everyone, but the target audience should have fun with it. There's just something about that sense of being a long way from home in a dangerous place that you can only get in this style of game -- more modern RPGs, with their generous healing systems and easy in/out portal spells, just aren't quite the same. Expand
  3. SteveD.
    5
    I'm not sure why this game has such a hardcore following. I've been playing RPGs for nearly 25 years, and this is the same RPG, with the same AI. Sure enemies hit harder, and you don't hit as hard, but it's just a much longer, not very challenging grind. The "self" mapping is trite, as you'll be revisiting the floors often, and the font it very ugly. You could basically make this game in RPG Maker. Expand
  4. Philosophy
    3
    This game is quite boring. I grew up on rigid turn-based RPGs (ie Dragon Warrior, Death Keep) and while the artwork is good, the gameplay is stagnant. The mapping is ridiculous and pointless. I made it through the first floor and had no desire to continue. It's a shame, I was really hoping this would be a good RPG that would pass the time until Dragon Quest IX. Expand

See all 15 User Reviews