Etrian Odyssey

Atlus brought a hardcore dungeon-crawling experience to the Nintendo DS in 2007 with Etrian Odyssey. Players assemble a custom party from various character classes, then plunge into the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, a colossal dungeon viewed from a first-person perspective. The game demands players draw their own maps on the DS touchscreen, a tactile element that sets it apart from most role-playing games. Its old-school challenge drew mixed reactions; critics noted the punishing difficulty could alienate casual players, but those who persevered found a deeply rewarding tactical RPG. A 3DS remake, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, arrived in 2013 with a story mode and enhanced visuals. In June 2023, a remastered version simply called Etrian Odyssey HD launched on Nintendo Switch and Windows, bringing the classic to modern platforms with updated graphics and quality-of-life improvements.[edit]

First-person dungeon crawling meets hand-drawn cartography. The Nintendo DS's bottom screen serves as your mapping canvas: you trace walls, mark doors, note treasure chests, and scribble warnings about FOEs, the roaming super-strong monsters that patrol each floor. Combat is turn-based with a front-row/back-row system. You build a guild of up to 30 characters drawn from 12 classes, each with unique skill trees. Landsknechts swing swords, Medics heal, Alchemists nuke with elemental spells, and the Survivalist snipes from afar. Gathering points on the map yield materials for forging equipment or completing quests. The HD remaster adds a high-speed mode and save-anywhere feature, making the grind less punishing.[edit]

The town of Etria sits at the foot of a gigantic tree called Yggdrasil, a labyrinth that materialized after a cataclysm unknown to most. Players lead a guild hired by the town's leaders to explore the maze's depths, retrieve lost artifacts, and uncover the truth behind its origin. The narrative is delivered sparingly through quest briefings and scattered lore books. As you descend, you learn that Yggdrasil is a remnant of an advanced civilization that once wielded immense power. Deeper floors reveal ancient machines, mutated flora, and a final confrontation with a dragon-like entity, the source of the labyrinth's corruption. The ending leaves the world's fate ambiguous, emphasizing the journey over the destination.[edit]