Etrian Odyssey III HD (Nintendo Change)

It’s time to dungeon crawl prefer it’s 2010 with the immersive Etrian Odyssey III HD. The sport sheds the Drowned Metropolis moniker of the DS authentic however receives an HD coat of paint. Whereas collection veterans will discover the core recreation gives acquainted enjoyable, are there a number of standout parts right here?

“Legend has it that part of the town sunk with out warning a century in the past, plunging to the underside of the ocean and taking with it untold know-how now misplaced to mankind.” Whereas plot isn’t the driving pressure behind the sport, I found myself involuntarily buzzing—considerably disturbingly—’ Below the Sea’ from The Little Mermaid as a result of added focus. I blame the oceanic setting and film trailers.

Fortunately, the music on this recreation (collection) is GREAT. Significantly better than ol’ Trev buzzing Disney tunes. I didn’t emphasize the soundtrack sufficient in my earlier Etrian recreation evaluate, however I received’t make the identical mistake right here. I’ve been a fan of Yuzo Koshiro’s work since Streets of Rage. Kirstie used phrases like ‘wonderful’ and ‘beautiful’ in her critiques of the primary two video games, and I can’t disagree. Furthermore, the music resonates on the Change in methods it by no means might on the modest DS audio system. I discovered myself sitting and listening for prolonged stretches earlier than resuming gameplay, getting misplaced within the compositions. Crank it to max quantity within the choices for peak influence.

Shining the navigation lights again on the ocean, you’ll be able to ultimately set sail from Inver Port when not coming into the labyrinth. You sail for a restricted variety of turns, and it could frustrate working out of provisions. However fishing mitigates journey prices, and it’s at all times enjoyable to research islands and report discoveries. There’s even web connectivity to barter for objects, although I didn’t take a look at it. Charting is slower, nevertheless it offers Etrian Odyssey III HD a brand new wrinkle to face out.

After all, the core gameplay continues to be the maze correct. The ocean theme is right here too, with the Undersea Grotto being your second stratum and an eye catching one in HD. However it’s right here the place I need to discuss mapping, a collection staple. Whilst you can auto-map, which actually cuts down the intimidation issue to an extent, a lot continues to be left to the participant. Your tackle this may increasingly come right down to your expertise. Or in case you have a capacitive stylus (wash away these fingerprints).

These coming to the collection new, like my colleague Kirstie who reviewed the first recreation, will doubtless be okay, whereas others with DS expertise, comparable to I, may discover it gums up the works a bit. Totally different management sorts make it doable, and whereas I wouldn’t name it tough, it’s merely not as entertaining. I’ve been spoiled with DS maps having their OWN display, not blocking practically half the show as they’ll right here if you need greater than postage-stamp visibility. However after all, these maps look higher than any I might’ve drawn had this recreation been obtainable to me as a child.

One other introduction is new character courses. Whereas not as outstanding as sea exploration, that is nonetheless value a point out. Celebration creation stays as cool as I keep in mind, and whereas not as strong as later entries, the range continues to be evident. Agile buccaneers match the ocean theme, whereas farmers are useful for harvesting. Farmers are also essentially the most modestly dressed, a word for folks questioning in regards to the “suggestive themes” on this T-rated recreation. Half the enjoyable is experimenting with the celebration, and additional courses solely add to that.

Like each recreation within the collection I’ve performed, Etrian Odyssey III HD is a tricky grind. Nonetheless, worry not, as the sport gives a number of problem settings. Earlier than venturing into the labyrinth, make sure you make the most of provisions on the town, too, which is a should to deal with the problem. Go to the native store to buy higher armor and weapons, guaranteeing your celebration is well-equipped for the treacherous journey. Relaxation on the inn to get well your well being, and don’t overlook the bistro, the place you’ll be able to settle for facet quests to degree up even faster. Keep in mind, in case your celebration composition isn’t understanding early, don’t hesitate to make changes. That is the form of recreation you’ll be able to sink double-digit hours into and nonetheless really feel such as you’ve solely skimmed the floor.

Atlus gave DS collection followers extra of what they loved with this entry. Now, because of SEGA’s publishing, extra gamers can expertise what all of the fuss was about. It’s pointless for me to increase this evaluate any additional with nostalgic gushing or flirts with spoilers. To conclude, whereas newcomers may want beginning with the primary recreation to find out if its repetition turns into addictive, current followers may discover Etrian Odyssey III HD is the installment they need. Solely please keep in mind that the mapping, regardless of finest efforts, has taken a success, which might sway this closing rating a degree in both path relying on particular person preferences.