Etrian Odyssey 4, the latest hit JRPG on the Nintendo 3DS, is a game that can only be described as…unique. While the appeal of most JRPGs is strong storytelling and character development, Etrian Odyssey 4 is almost completely devoid of these elements. Sure, there is the overall objective of getting to a mysterious tree in the distance, and there are NPCs who provide quests and spout out useful information, but these are very dull in comparison to the epic narrative and loveable characters that are associated with the JRPG genre.

No witty dialogue.  No intriguing twists and turns. No emotional highs and lows. No getting to know your teammates better.

With that said, if you accept Etrian Odyssey 4’s lack of story and character, you will find that it is a good game. Nay…it is a GREAT game. I’ll go so far to say that it is one of the most addicting and engaging games on the Nintendo 3DS to date, as it is a game strongly driven by exploration and a challenging battle system.

In Etrian Odyssey 4, you are the leader of an Explorer Guild sponsored by the city of Tharsis. This Explorer Guild is composed of a team of five characters of your choice from ten different classes (three are locked at the start of the game), each with four different designs that range from absolutely adorable to downright badass. No two classes are alike and each has great abilities to bring to your team. Fans of games such as Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy Tactics and the Disgaea series definitely understand how fun it is to apply one’s personal style and strategy in creating a game-winning team. Want a damage-heavy party composed of Landsknecht warriors in the front and Runemaster casters in the back? Want a Dancer providing buffs for your team while a Nightseeker casts status ailments on your opponents? How about the challenge of having a team composed entirely of Medics? Etrian Odyssey 4’s party creation system gives players everything they need to play the game their way.

The majority of the game is spent crawling through dungeons. What makes Etrian Odyssey 4 unique to compared to other dungeon crawling RPGs is that exploring the dungeon only reveals walkable ground, and it is the player that is responsible for marking the walls and landmarks inside the dungeon using the 3DS touchscreen. At first, this may seem like an almost useless and tedious game mechanic, but when you get the hang of the map-making it becomes strangely addicting. While it is useful to mark locations of shortcuts, healing points and harvesting spots scattered throughout the dungeons, there is also a certain satisfaction that comes from feeling as though you really are an explorer charting uncharted lands. Completionists and players who enjoy the exploration aspect of RPGs will greatly appreciate this feature of the game.

Players will find that going through dungeons is no easy task. Advancing just one floor will bring on enemies much harder than those on the previous one. Level grinding is a must, so players will find themselves constantly battling. Etrian Odyssey 4’s turn based battle system is similar to classic RPGs such as Dragon Warrior and Earthbound, in which the events of the battle are communicated solely through text and only the enemies are visible to the player. Just like most RPGs, much of the level grinding can be spent auto-attacking hordes of enemies, but battles with new enemies and the variety of boss-like Field-On Enemies will require patience and intelligent decision-making. It is in these difficult battles that you will find yourself putting your party to the test and truly utilizing your characters’ unique abilities.  One turn of lazy auto-attacking or bad choices can mean the defeat of an entire party. It is easy to see why a Casual Mode was added to this game. Etrian Odyssey 4’s challenging battles ask much more from a player than other JRPGs do. This can be very frustrating but it is also what makes the game incredibly fulfilling.

Etrian Odyssey 4 is not for everyone. It's not even necessarily a game that a fan of the niche JRPG genre would fully enjoy or recommend. However, if you are into RPGs that are challenging, deep, highly replayable and, most of all, different, then this game is a treat and a must-have for the Nintendo 3DS.

Hint: If you are unsure of whether or not this is the game for you, the downloadable demo on the Nintendo E-shop allows you to play the game up to two dungeon floors. If you decide to buy the game later on, you can upload your progress from the demo onto the actual game!

Related Links: 
Official Website

by Mark de Vera