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 provides acquainted enjoyable, are there just a few 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—’ Beneath the Sea’ from The Little Mermaid because of the added focus. I blame the oceanic setting and film trailers.
Fortunately, the music on this recreation (collection) is GREAT. A lot 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 ‘superb’ and ‘beautiful’ in her critiques of the primary two video games, and I can’t disagree. Furthermore, the music resonates on the Swap 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 affect.
Shining the navigation lights again on the ocean, you’ll be able to finally set sail from Inver Port when not getting into the labyrinth. You sail for a restricted variety of turns, and it might frustrate operating out of provisions. However fishing mitigates journey prices, and it’s at all times enjoyable to analyze islands and report discoveries. There’s even web connectivity to barter for objects, although I didn’t check it. Charting is slower, nevertheless it provides 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 wish to speak about mapping, a collection staple. When 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 all the way down to your expertise. Or you probably have a capacitive stylus (wash away these fingerprints).
These coming to the collection new, like my colleague Kirstie who reviewed the first recreation, will seemingly be okay, whereas others with DS expertise, corresponding to I, may discover it gums up the works a bit. Completely different management varieties make it doable, and whereas I wouldn’t name it troublesome, it’s merely not as entertaining. I’ve been spoiled with DS maps having their OWN display, not blocking almost half the show as they’ll right here if you would like 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 distinguished as sea exploration, that is nonetheless value a point out. Social gathering 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 observe for fogeys questioning concerning the “suggestive themes” on this T-rated recreation. Half the enjoyable is experimenting with the social gathering, and additional courses solely add to that.
Like each recreation within the collection I’ve performed, Etrian Odyssey III HD is a tricky grind. Nevertheless, worry not, as the sport gives a number of problem settings. Earlier than venturing into the labyrinth, make sure you reap the benefits 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 social gathering is well-equipped for the treacherous journey. Relaxation on the inn to recuperate 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. Bear in mind, in case your social gathering 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, due to SEGA’s publishing, further 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 favor beginning with the primary recreation to find out if its repetition turns into addictive, present followers may discover Etrian Odyssey III HD is the installment they need. Solely please do not forget that the mapping, regardless of finest efforts, has taken a success, which might sway this last rating some extent in both route relying on particular person preferences.