[Review] Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

When the opportunity arises, exploration is necessary. If not by everyday people, then by those who step up to the challenge. whether or not it’s for fame and fortune is ultimately up to each individual. This simple idea is the driving factor in the Atlus’s first-person dungeon-crawler for the Nintendo 3DS, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan. However, is this worthy of being called “legendary,” or should it go in the history books as just a mention?

For as long as the people of Tharsis can remember, the tree Yggdrasil has been a constant presence in their lives. Although it’s visible no matter where you are in the city, its roots are in a distant land filled with mysteries. The Outland Count of Tharsis then begins sponsoring Explorers Guilds to reach Yggdrasil and uncover its secrets. As you can guess, you are the latest explorer arriving in Tharsis on an adventure seeking fame and fortune.

First and foremost, before I begin the actual review, I’d like to put this out here: First-person dungeon-crawlers aren’t really my thing, so that will affect my scoring, but not the review, itself.

I played the original Etrian Odyssey when it came out for the Nintendo DS in 2007, and some of Etrian Odyssey 2 in 2008, so I have some history with the series. Overall, the game is fairly straight-forward. It’s a quest-based first-person dungeon-crawler with a heavy emphasis on exploring. You’re given quests and you have to go into dungeons and complete the quests. What sets the Etrian Odyssey series apart is that there is no real map of the dungeons. As you explore, you automatically leave a line where you’ve been on the bottom screen. It is your job to add walls and various icons on the bottom screen, completing your map. If you make a mistake you can edit your map.

Since you are a guild, you need to form a party. There are 7 starting classes for you to choose from, and 10 total. These classes include: the damaging Landsknecht; the Medic (need I say more?); the Fortress, the game’s tank class; the Runemaster, or mage, and; the long-range Sniper. It is up to you decide who you want in your party. Each class also have a number of characters, each different in their own way. You can also rearrange your party in Tharsis.

As you explore, you will encounter monsters. Disposing of these monsters will, as in other games, give you experience and items, both of which you need. Items can be sold in the shop in Tharsis. If you grind in dungeons, not only will you get more money from the shop owner, but you’ll also help create better equipment, by bringing back more and more items. As in other games, experience is used to level up your party, and their skills. You can customize skills to your liking, which is an absolute must. This can also enhance synergy within your party.

Battles are your usual turn-based RPG fare. You have the usual command set of Attack, Skill, Item, and so on, which are used like in every RPG. That’s really all I can say about that, because it’s that simple. In Etrian Odyssey IV, enemies are now shown as moving 3D models, rather than the old still 2D sprites of the previous games.

New to Etrian Odyssey IV are the airship and the overworld. The airship is your transport outside of Tharsis and dungeons, which are discovered through traveling the overworld. In addition, while on the overworld, you can harvest food, which can be consumed to increase stats or be sold for more money. Watch out though! On the overworld, there are dragons that periodically roam the overworld. If your airship comes within their attack range, they will instantly knock out your whole party, causing a game over more often than not.

However, Etrian Odyssey IV has a Casual difficulty setting, which can be changed in game. In Casual Mode, rather than losing your progress when they die and getting a Game Over, you will be transported back to Tharsis. Furthermore, battles in Casual Mode are also slightly easier and give more experience.

The game’s designer is series mainstay, Himukai Yuji. The characters have a cute/cartoony yet bad-ass feel to them, which fits the game quite well. The music was composed by fellow franchise veteran, Koshiro Yuzo, who has also worked on games such as the Streets of Rage series, Shenmue, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ys and one of my personal favorites, Namco X Capcom. The soundtrack of Etrian Odyssey IV is very symphonic and orchestral. This helps to set up the tone of the game, giving the player the sense that they really are on a grand expedition. I have also liked Koshiro’s works, and Etrian Odyssey IV is no exception.

Overall, games like Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan may not be my cup of tea, but I can see how they could be fun. Even I enjoyed it for a bit. If you like first-person dungeon-crawlers, I’d recommend picking it up. If you don’t, I suggest trying the demo first, which is on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan was developed by Atlus, and published by Atlus USA. It was released on 2013.02.26 as both a physical retail version on game card, as well as a digital download on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. As of this writing, both retail for $39.99 USD new, and are rated T for Teen. They graciously sent me a copy of Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan for review, and I would like to sincerely thank them for doing so.