Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

A wonderfully unfashionable mixture of old school aesthetics that doesn’t so much demand your time as steal it away without your permission.

Etrian Odyssey IV is an example of just how engaging a JRPG can be, but also doesn’t stick exclusively to the traditional roots. It is accessible, but the difficulty remains, as it blends what the genre does best with modern elements making sure it finds a wider audience. Whether you are a series veteran or coming in fresh, this is a wonderful game to get stuck in to.

Undoubtedly, there are those who will not enjoy it. However, for the brave adventurers whose idea of a good time is dark dungeons full of twisted halls, it is a highly rewarding experience.

Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is a double sided blade that cuts both ways. It´s the most accessible game in this series of traditional first person dungeon crawlers, but offers enough resistance for both newcomers and veterans. And where there's a challenge, there's satisfaction.

Etrian Odyssey IV’s sense of adventure is ever present as you explore its wide variety of environments. The game’s lackluster story and occasional difficulty may scare some away, but between the amazing dungeons, challenging battles, and great music, this is an accessible and worthwhile chapter in the series.

If you're remotely a fan of dungeon crawlers, Etrian Odyssey IV is for you.

For fans of the dungeon-crawl genre or for those who just want their Nintendo 3DS to host something a little off the beaten path, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is at the top of its class, and guaranteed to be one of 2013's best.

Etrian Odyssey IV carefully balances classic and modern to produce a truly accessible dungeon crawling RPG without compromising significantly in terms of core values. It is a seriously challenging game, but one which—by way of two straightforward difficulty selections—can hope to appease those who normally would not put up with such punishing gameplay.

There is a lot going for Etrian Odyssey IV. It is both an achievement in retro gaming while also an evolution to the series as a whole. For those unafraid of an intense RPG challenge, a rewarding experience awaits you.

If someone is looking for one of the most entrancing, addictive RPGs on the 3DS, then they should not hesitate to run as quickly as they can to their nearest game store to purchase Legends of the Titan; it’s certainly worth every penny of its price tag, and then some.

Etrian IV matches its hardcore depth to appealing visuals and more inviting design, and in doing so allows the series to transcend niche status. Atlus has crafted a fantastic portable RPG, and the perfect entry point for Etrian newcomers.

For those who expected a straight 3DS rehash of the series’ 2D entries, think again. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan moves the preeminent first-person dungeon-crawler forward in ways that longtime, hardcore fans will appreciate—yet novice would-be adventurers won’t be overwhelmed here.

For series fans, everything you love about Etrian Odyssey is here, and then some -- better music, art, monsters, and mapping. You will not be disappointed. For everyone else: fans of classic dungeon crawling, fans of planning and plotting, or fans of a sizable challenge, I cannot recommend Etrian Odyssey IV enough.

A real sense of exploration and wonder, deeply customisable characters, engaging combat and the sublime satisfaction that comes from proceeding through an adventure using your own, handmade maps — Etrian Odyssey IV wraps all these up in a beautiful, pastel package that dungeon crawling fans will absolutely love.

Mixes trademark difficulty and accessibility with surprising finesse. Not just a brilliant entry in the series, but a benchmark for other games of its type.

As with most Atlus RPGs, EO4 can be needlessly complicated at some times and way too difficult at others.

Anyone who enjoys a good challenge or likes tooling with character creation and party set ups owes it to themselves to play this game, as it offers an experience that can be matched by few others.

There is a tonne of game here, too - the main storyline can easily get you 30 hours or more of gameplay, and then there are a multitude of side quests, post-game content, and replayability to stretch that out even further.

If you like your old-school RPG with a big helping of classic dungeons, cartography and party-management than look no further. Under the colorful surface is an experience that is more demanding than anything that Legend of Grimrock can throw at you.

This is a game for those who enjoy what a game used to be: a challenge. If that's not what you're looking for, even the "casual mode" could be too much for you.

Scary for many, too skinny for others, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan remains one of the symbols of this "neo-classicism gaming" which is reflected in a market more vibrant and faceted.

Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is a modern day classic, everything that is great about JRPGs is on display here.

With dozens of hours of gameplay, plenty of replayability with multiple class types, and a difficulty that is balanced with the right amount of reward, Etrian Odyssey IV is far and above the best dungeon crawler I’ve played.

A superb new entry on 3DS of the classic JRPG franchise. Nice combat system, strong character design and engaging exploration routine.

It all comes down to your affinity for JRPGs, but credit falls to Atlus for offering curious newbies that helping hand, a hand that has the strength and power to pull you into the world and become entranced.

Etrian Odyssey IV is an engrossing, challenging and rewarding handheld RPG that will keep you busy for weeks to come, whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran.

The fourth chapter represents an evolution for the Etrian Odyssey saga, being able to be more accessible and fun right away. Unfortunately, the difficulty of the game is not balanced from beginning to end, with a challenging first part of the adventure and a second too easy.

Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan is a great example of how an hardcore game can evolve itself without changing its core elements. If you enjoy dungeon crawling and character and party creation, this game could be for you like a crazy drug.

Etrian Odyssey persists in excavating the roots of an old genre, but the series finally reach the sky with Legends of the Titan, becoming the paramount first person RPG of the modern world.

Thanks to the all new Casual Mode, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan will finally appeal more than just the hardcore players looking for an extremely deep battle system and a real challenge. However, it's still a retro RPG with a thin plot that won't be easy to overcome. It's not Final Fantasy, but Etrian Odyssey IV is great on its own terms.

It’s an old-school, extremely lengthy, extremely difficult affair which harkens back to a time when a game could and would kick your ass and send you crying to your mummy.

Etrian Odyssey IV taps into the inner explorer and makes uncovering a world's mysteries captivating. Much of what it has to offer is forgiving enough to entice those without dungeon crawling experience, though that also makes the game unthreatening to people with a background in its brethren. I found the process of exploration and filling out a map from a blank screen incredibly addictive, and have no regrets for the many hours it took to do so.

Taken as a whole, however, Etrian Odyssey IV is the most impressive and entertaining entry in the series yet. It may be somewhat old-fashioned, but modern sensibilities make it both challenging and welcoming, and rich lore draws you into its world.

One of the two best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS (the other being Fire Emblem). It's big, it's deep, and for once, it's accessible. That's more than enough reason to go and discover what has been, to this point, one of Atlus' best kept secrets.

Danger. Intrigue. Beauty. Frustration. During my playtime I felt all of these, but by far the greatest emotion was triumph. Etrian Odyssey IV finally has the polish and accessibility previous entries lacked, but it’s hardly perfect. The mandatory slow-moving grind, lack of guidance, and unforgiving nature at times turned me off. But as someone who couldn’t get into the first three, it’s clear Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan has jumped leaps and bounds from where the franchise was before.

Dungeon crawlers may still be something of an acquired taste for most gamers, but Atlus has done its best to make Etrian Odyssey IV more palatable for a wider audience.

Success is a road lined with pain and failure, and no amount of frustration, agony or doubt is comparable to the pleasure of conquering yet another blank map.

Casual Mode is a godsend for anybody who wants to have a good time exploring the labyrinths without having to grind too much, and the game's many strong points have elevated Etrian Odyssey to the best dungeon crawling series around.

Legends of the Titan is the perfect definition of niche RPG gaming, catering for the hardcore but leaving more casual players in the lurch.