Platform: 3DS
Genre: First-Person Dungeon Crawler
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus (US), NISA (EU)
Release Date: August 4, 2015 (US); February12, 2016 (EU)
Demo Available: Yes (Story mode only)
MSRP: $49.99 (US), TBA (EU)
ESRB Rating: T (Alcohol References, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity)
PEGI Rating: TBA
Block Size: 7126
Text Languages: English
Audio Languages: English
Extra Links: Japanese Import OT, US Website, JP Website
This thread is optimized for desktop GAF light.
Every 100 years, the Duchy of High Lagaard holds a ceremony to appease an evil force locked within the recesses of an underground ruins, the exact form and threat of which have long since been forgotten. At the eve of the next centennial rite, Princess Arianna, an envoy from the kingdom of Caledonia, has been tasked with sustaining the cycle, and has employed the assistance of the Protagonist of the story and his childhood friend Flavio to escort her unharmed. In search of the innermost sanctum, the trio encounters Bertrand and Chloe, a shady pair reminiscent of a father and daughter, but who clearly have specific motives on their own. Their interests aligned for the present, the five venture forth, vying to unearth the mysteries therein, to which a monstrous boar obstructs their path. Almost in response to the danger it poses to the princess, an azure brand emblazons itself on the Protagonist's hand, and as it sears its way across his body, the young man finds himself warped into a horrific monster. With this newfound power and with questions fresh in their minds, the group resumes emboldened, searching for what links these mounting enigmas. What they may soon find, however, is that these mysteries are far more reaching than anyone could anticipate, and that a clandestine plot may indeed be setting itself into motion.
Etrian Odyssey is a first-person dungeon-crawling RPG developed by Atlus. In it, you are tasked with investigating the Yggdrasil labyrinth, while fulfilling quests and missions issued by denizens of the town. At its core, though, is a game about discovery and experimentation, both of which are well-encapsulated by two main modes in the game - exploration and combat. While exploring, you will be encouraged to draw your map*, noting landmarks and events of note, so as to make sense of every spindly twist and turn. During battle, however, the party engages in row-based combat, each class using wholly unique skills to assail the enemy and synergize with other teammates. Experience can then be used in class skill trees, which further allow you to develop and tailor your characters as you see fit with a fine degree of granularity. In that sense, both phases of play allow one to customize the game to their own sensibilities, adding a welcome sense of personalization. The two modes even feed into one another by one mechanic unique to the series and its spin-offs - the FOEs. These monsters, known as Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens, are enemies that exist as physical characters in the labyrinth, instead of random encounters, and are significantly stronger than the regular creatures. For all but the most well-prepared of adventurers, it's highly advised that you abscond, though even that might not help. With each step taken in the labyrinth or turn passed in combat, all FOEs take a step themselves. Time is of the essence in this case, as with each passing turn, the FOE gets one step closer to catching or trapping you.
New to this remake, though, is a brand new story mode that adds pre-defined characters, a more character-based story, balance changes, general usability refinements, new areas, and more options for customization. Of course, most of these features and improvements can also be used in classic mode, which allows you to create your own characters from scratch and ignore the story additions.
*
There are auto-mapping options, though.
[Protagonist], the Fafnir Knight
Voiced by Matthew Mercer
The eponymous Fafnir Knight. Raised as an orphan by the Midgard Library, this young man has trained himself to be a skilled warrior to return the favor, often venturing out to conduct investigations and other miscellaneous tasks. His most recent task, however, charges him with safeguarding Princess Arianna, so that she may enact her rite without fear of harm. Still, the girl does seem oddly familiar...
Arianna, the Sovereign
Voiced by Carrie Keranen
Upon her eighteenth birthday, Princess Arianna has been entrusted with the sacred duty of performing the rite, one which her kingdom of Caledonia and the duchy of High Lagaard hold in conjunction every hundred years. Hitherto sheltered behind the pristine walls of her castle life, however, she does find herself at a loss for how to live in the real world. Formal to a fault, she nevertheless comes across as a pleasant and genuine person, though that may all be lost to her air-headed flights of fancy.
Flavio, the Survivalist
Voiced by Nicolas Roye
A fellow orphan to the protagonist, Flavio is a childhood friend also raised by the Midgard Library, who accompanies the Protagonist and Arianna on their initial excursion to the underground ruins. A bit of a troublemaker growing up, Favio has since reformed himself completely, becoming a dependable person with more homespun and subdued interests. He often serves as the voice of reason in the party, acting as the linchpin that keeps everyone together.
Bertrand, the Protector
Voiced by Liam O'Brien
An enigmatic and shady knight as legitimate as the crested shield he found at a pawn shop, Bertrand proves to be a surprisingly reliable asset during clutch moments. Always lethargic and first to take the easy way out, this impetuous slacker spits on every image of what a knight should be. Every so often, he betrays a greater competence and awareness than he lets on, possibly related to his fixation on Ginnungagap.
Chloe, the War Magus
Voiced by Cherami Leigh
Farouche and bookwormish, Chloe is a precocious and astute magi, whom Bertrand has taken under his guardianship, often to his chagrin. The pair claims to be related, but their entire background together seems suspect. Heuristically curious, she always seems to have something to say, even if she rarely says it. Bribe her with some snacks, though, and she might start opening up.
Atlus has created a number of DLC for Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold, most of which will be free for the initial week they release, save for The Eldritch Hound and the DLC for easy grinding. The price for the "essential" DLC totals $16.42/CA$21.92, so be aware that there are some hidden costs to getting the "full" experience if you're waiting for discounts.
AUGUST 4
Yggdrasil Veteran: While there will be new portraits for each class in EO2U, the classic portraits from the original Etrian Odyssey will return as FreeLC for veterans that want to give their party a retro look. (Permanently free)
Highlanders Return: The Protagonists class from EOU makes a triumphant return in EO2U! This class focuses on sacrificing portions of their health to obliterate enemies and buff party members. Highlander Grimoire stones and the class is available in Story mode as well! (Free through Aug. 10; 99¢/CA$1.49 thereafter)
Wanted: Golden Sprout: An easy quest to find the Golden Sprout, which gives players a lot of En when they turn the quest in. Plus, Regina at the cafe can turn this into a dish that raises the partys chances of getting premium Grimoire stones. ($1.99/CA$2.49)
Hidden Hot Springs!: Theres rumors of a secret hot spring inside the snow-covered 3rd Stratum! Can you find the hot springs and dig them up? As an added bonus, completing the quest in Story Mode will unlock special portraits for Arianna and Chloe! (Free through Aug. 10; $2.49/CA$3.49 thereafter)
AUGUST 11
Ultimate Feathered Warrior: Take on the ultimate feathered warrior a giant chicken in this boss challenge! You can fight the beast with the entire party, or alone by yourself. How you approach it changes the rewards it gives out! (Free through Aug. 17; $2.49/CA$3.49 thereafter)
Winters Harbinger: Theres a mysterious creature thats causing the temperatures to drop in the 4th Stratum Track it down and take it out! (Free through Aug. 17; $2.49/CA$3.49 thereafter)
Wanted: Lucky Bud: Set out on a quest to find the Lucky Bud, which Regina can use to make a tea that vastly improves your material gathering rate. ($1.99/CA$2.49)
AUGUST 18
Thunder Queens Legacy: Take on the mighty Thunder Queen that resides in the 2nd Stratum! That is, if you can even get close enough to fight her. (Free until Aug. 24; $1.99/CA$2.49 thereafter)
The Eldritch Hound: Travel deep into the Labyrinths to retrieve a piece of a magical artifact! Once you do however, can you return it to its rightful place while escaping the pursuit of a fearsome beast? ($1.99/CA$2.49)
Wanted: Blessed Clover: Set out on a quest to find the Blessed Clover, which Regina can use to make a tea that drastically the EXP earned by your Guild. ($1.99/CA$2.49)
AUGUST 25
Treasures Untold: Use your newly-formed party in EO2U to take on a wave of bosses from the original Etrian Odyssey Untold! ($1.99/CA$2.49)
The Original Sin: Not for the faint of heart, this legendary boss demands that you bring your best to take it down! Pro tip: If your party isnt all level 99, you arent the least bit prepared (Free until Aug. 31; $1.99/CA$2.49 thereafter)
Kazerei has created a review thread for the game, which you can find here.
Q. Are there any pre-order or first-print bonuses for this game?
A. All first-print copies of the game come with a "rough sketch" CD, which includes prototype versions of some of the songs new to the remake, as well as a "staff book," which includes character art, bios, concept art, production staff quotes, comics, and QR codes for beginner-friendly QR codes. By pre-ordering at Gamestop, you can also get a story mode 3DS theme (showcased here), though this is also available for sale in the 3DS theme shop, as well.
Q. What changes have been made from the original Etrian Odyssey II?
A. Untold 2 adds a completely new story mode with pre-defined characters and partial voice acting that didn't exist in the previous game. All of the music has been rerecorded with an ensemble (while allowing the player to switch to the original FM synth tracks at any time), and all of the map layouts have been completely revamped (even in classic mode). The classes have been re-balanced to be generally more viable, while the War Magus has been redesigned to have an entirely different skill set. The game also features the same usability and convenience features introduced in the 3DS games, including a much more robust map maker interface, and an adjustable difficulty setting that can be changed anytime in town. It also adds the Highlander and Sovereign classes for classic mode, which were not in the original (the former debuting in Untold 1 and the latter debuting in Etrian III).
Q. This is the series that was crossed over with Persona in Persona Q, right?
A. Yup. Though a lot of the general gameplay is the same between this game and Q, Persona Q was still generally structured like a Persona game to avoid alienating its fanbase. There's none of that same structure here.
Q. Do I need to have played previous games in the series to understand this game's story?
A. Nope, the story's entirely self-contained. Knock yourself out with this one.
Q. I'm unsure about this game. I'm curious, but I've never tried a game in this series.
A. Untold 2 features a demo of the very first part of story mode, allowing you to level your party until level 10. You can even transfer your save file to the full game and retain all of your progress. Unfortunately, classic mode isn't in the demo, but there's always the Etrian IV demo that works the same way, if making parties from scratch is more your thing.
Q. Is there any miss-able content if I don't have a guide?
A. Aside from seeing some event artwork in Story mode, it is impossible to miss anything in this game. There are some pieces of equipment that can only be obtained once, but if you sell them, they'll appear in the shop menu until you re-buy them. The only way to lose these pieces of equipment permanently is by discarding them from the item menu.
Q. Do I really need to draw my map?
A. Try sticking with it for two-three floors, but if you really don't like it, there are some fairly robust auto-mapping features in the options menu.
Q. How has the cartography changed? I'm fiending for more map colors.
A. The bottom screen map generally works the same as it did in Untold 1, letting you move it however you want with the circle pad and providing more icons, but it's also added four additional colors, making for a total of eight (green, dark green, blue, gray, yellow, orange, red, and pink), and context-sensitive icons that change in certain instances. The game has also adopted the same auto-walking features that were in Persona Q, which make placing and erasing paths significantly more convenient.
Q. I've heard that the Fafnir class is unbelievably broken in this game and that the game was balanced around his absurd damage, even when you don't have him in Classic Mode.
A. Yes and no. Fafnir can deal amounts of damage so ridiculous that he makes the IV's Imperials look under-powered, but that's ignoring the rest of the party. Although the Survivalist, Sovereign, Protector, and War Magus each have access to damaging skills, they're still primarily support classes (less so with Survivalists, though they only shine when you have multiples of them in the same party). Fafnir is necessary to deal any sort of respectable damage and is the entire party's linchpin. None of the classes in Classic Mode can both match the same amount of damage and deal it as consistently, but you're much more likely to have multiple classes that can do greater damage overall.
Q. Does this game only have English voice acting?
A. Sí. Atlus previously conducted a survey to see what demand there was for dual audio, but it was conducted after this game was licensed for localization. Hope for it to be in Untold 3 if that's your bag.
Q. What are Grimoire Stones?
A. Grimoire Stones are equippable items that contain specific skills, either from enemies or from other classes. They enable a class to use active or passive skills that would otherwise be unavailable to them, or power up innate skills beyond the normal level limit. Perhaps the most handy, however, is the equipment bonuses each one provides, which allow classes to use equipment that they normally couldn't. Compared to Untold 1, units can now equip multiple Grimoire Stones, with new stone slots unlocking as they level past certain thresholds. In addition, each stone now holds only one skill each.
Q. Does gathering Grimoire Stones work like it did in Untold 1?
A. The entire system has been revamped, and you don't need to rely on glitches to make farming them bearable anymore. The game now allows you to trade unwanted stones for new ones or sacrifice them to level up others (handy now that the maximum amount you can hold is much higher). The biggest boon for grimoires, however, is the change to the Grimoire Chances mechanics. Now you can not only earn multiple types of chances (one for each type of skill), but you can trigger Grimoire Fever, which guarantees that each party member will create a Grimoire Stone on the current turn.
Q. Does this game support StreetPass?
A. This game features guild cards similar to what the other 3DS Etrian games have had. It's also removed the need to complete tedious and obfuscated quests to fill it completely, which Untold 1 was particularly bad about. In addition, you can now trade Grimoire stones with people you pass.
Sniglet font created by Haley Fiege for the League of Movable Type. You can download it for free here.
