Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is how a remake is done.

A perfect dungeon crawler for everyone – for those who want to spend a couple of hours building the optimal party and don’t care for elaborate story (Classic Mode), for those who prefer predefined characters with distinct dialogue lines (Story Mode), for those who expect to die in the first encounter with two yellow hedgehogs (Expert Mode), and for those who don’t want any trouble at all (Picnic Mode). [04/2016, p.63]

​This game makes up for the things that were holding its predecessor from being amazing, and offers a lot of new ideas that work well. This is the best Etrian Odyssey we have ever played, no matter if you go for the new story mode or the classic adventure.

The original was already great, an absolute gem in its genre: this remake does what any remake should do if it wants to make sense. It poses a clear goal, in this case to come out of the niche that the saga occupied, and pursues it in an excellent manner, opening to legions of novices yet retaining totally, for those who wish, the full absence of compromises that is a sort of manifesto. Some graphic shortcoming can not prevent Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight to be yet another RPG masterpiece in the lineup of a console that is a boon for fans.

The latest, and greatest, refinement of Atlus' Etrian Odyssey series, Untold 2 really manages to weave a ridiculous number of options into and around the basics of the franchise.

Those minor grievances aside, The Fafnir Knight is a fantastic addition to the Etrian Odyssey name. It features the deep, satisfying dungeon crawling action fans of the series have come to expect, all the while allowing newcomers a multitude of options to tailor the experience to fit their skill level.

A huge game. It's the game to point to when asked what a remake should be. The amount of improved and original content added to the title is extraordinary.

Those looking for a new 3DS game to sink at least 100 hours into should buy The Fafnir Knight; it’s the definitive Etrian Odyssey game.

Difficulty might be off the scale at times, with the occasional enemy that will take going back to earlier floors to even think about taking on, and the shop gets pricey, but I can’t honestly find much fault in this game beyond that.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is a hardcore dungeon crawler flaunting an old-school difficulty, yet imbued with modern sensibilities and accessibility. It’s a terrific addition to a beloved series, and it’s truly probably also the best entry to date.

A remarkable dungeon crawler, a great starting point into the franchise, and easily one of the best RPGs on the 3DS.

Both a wonderful upgrade to the original Etrian Odyssey 2 and an impressive improvement on Etrian Odyssey Untold, Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight is a dungeon-crawling delight.

Etrian Odyssey Untold 2, the latest in the dungeon-crawling series from Atlus, sank its hooks into me deep and quickly climbed to the top tier of my 3DS Activity Log.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is, hands down, the best chapter in this J-RPG saga. It's marketed as a remake, but it's so full of new content and material that it's only fair to consider it a new game.

Etrian Odyssey is getting better and better: for every dungeon crawler lover out there, this is a must.

With great dungeon designs, enjoyable turn-based combat, and a new story that adds context to the turn-based action, The Fafnir Knight makes for an excellent addition to the 3DS library and an excellent homage to Heroes of Lagaard. Recommended.

An amazing remake of a great JRPG, with brilliant structural changes, deep gameplay, and a challenging campaign. In this new version of the game you’ll have more characters, more choices, a new storyline and even an extra dungeon. What more could you ask?

The Etrian Odyssey series just keeps getting better and better with each new chapter. [Issue #17 – September/October 2015, p.76]

Where the first Untold spinoff felt like a step backward for the franchise, Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight stands with the series' best, building on Etrian Odyssey's strengths and fixing weaknesses it's never shown an interest in addressing before.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight brings the winning formula back once again, pleasing long-term fans and making changes to attract new players.

For those that have played Etrian Odyssey games before, and those that have yet to experience a game in the franchise, Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is absolutely worth picking up!

The best Etrian Odyssey game to date, although it could easily become very repetitive.

The game remains addictive, especially in its cartography system, and its contents will keep the most demanding players entertained for nearly 50 hours. While its plot and characters end up falling for the usual JRPG clichés and the restaurant management system is hardly the most exciting feature, this remains a fine game whose shortcomings are minimized by its all its redeeming qualities.

Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Fafnir Knight is another solid entry in a great RPG series. More of the same will appeal to old fans, while a deeper, richer story mode and more forgiving difficulty make this a perfect jumping on point for newcomers.

A magnificent example of a classic game redone for a new device, 3DS in this very case. Masterful in a vast array of features, a must have for fans of the genre.

Etrian Untold 2 delivers the same kind of experience the first Etrian Untold did, but with further refinement.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight combines the classic first person dungeon crawler genre with modern RPG standards. It has a great script with well developed characters and it gives us countless hours of exploration through fully 3D labyrinths.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is a remake that's perfectly timed and well crafted, despite the fact that the formula isn't quite as fresh as the wholly new Etrian IV (I really miss the more open-ended maps).

Atlus doesn't reinvent the Etrian Odyssey wheel with 2 Untold, but it does build on what made the first release so much fun, without making any readily apparent sacrifices.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is a solid entry in a super-solid series, and it's actually a pretty good place for newcomers to jump in thanks to the accessible story mode, wealth of polish and adjustable difficulty.

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight serves as a good place to start with its accessibility and less steep learning curve. It's a great game for JRPG fans, and is a welcome addition to the franchise, even if it is getting a little crowded now.

That being said, after numerous Etrian Odyssey entries, the formula hasn't changed much. It's still fun, but without any large leaps, Etrian is starting to get stale. I feel playing one entry is like playing them all.

Even though I would prefer Etrian Odyssey 5 instead of walking thru dusty old dungeons: This is an exceptional remake.

This game is recommended to anyone who is looking for an engrossing, time consuming and intricately detailed JRPG to sink their teeth into. What it’s lacking in story and character development, it more than makes up for in strategy based gameplay.

Fans who’d like to experience a traditional Etrian Odyssey game would be better served starting with Etrian Odyssey IV, as it offers the most compelling adventure of any main installment. However, if you’ve been put off by the series’ lack of narrative, the Story mode in Fafnir Knight does a nice job of pushing the adventure forward without diluting the experience.

Etrian Odyssey is a meaty adventure with dozens of dungeon floors and bone-crushing challenges to overcome with its competent turn-based combat. The story isn’t perfect, but I was happily kept busy with exploring the world, battling bosses, and feeding the hungry citizens of my hubtown.

The technically improved but fundamentally unchanged Classic Mode arguably remains the strongest aspect of this package, but whichever way you choose to tackle the latest entry in Atlus’ much loved, Etrian Odyssey series, the gameplay and decidedly old school dungeon crawling mechanics remain as strong and compelling as ever.

Etrian Odyssey probably didn’t need a second remake, especially with story and characters this unengaging, but the game underneath is still a superior dungeon crawler.

You know what you’re getting from it, but by the end of it, if you play enough games in this genre, you will probably be itching to play something a little more creative.