Etrian Odyssey Nexus

 3DS
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 11 out of 37
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  1. welliforgot
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    This is one of my favorite games of all time. Etrian Odyssey beats other rpg series in several key areas which matter the most to me, which is customization, strategy, and progression. No other rpg series has come close in fleshing out classic turn-based combat as the Etrian Odyssey series have.

    Etrian odyssey has you create and train characters that you can customize in name,    This is one of my favorite games of all time. Etrian Odyssey beats other rpg series in several key areas which matter the most to me, which is customization, strategy, and progression. No other rpg series has come close in fleshing out classic turn-based combat as the Etrian Odyssey series have.

    Etrian odyssey has you create and train characters that you can customize in name, appearance, and even voice for recent entries. Every skill your characters possess must be selected and trained by you. You have to think carefully on how the skills of your party members will work together and how effective they will be against certain monsters. Recent entries also make it easier to train more characters outside your party, so you are more encouraged to create and train a large cast of characters, as much as you can manage. It's always very fun to form a unique party to tackle powerful bosses by trying to specialize their skills against them. Every encounter feels like a solving a fun puzzle.

    Speaking of encounters, this game is meant for veterans of the rpg genre as bosses will not hold back in trying to obliterate your party. But every boss is defeatable without the use of heavy grinding if your strategy is on point, which is what made this such a good experience for me. Every time I am able to defeat a major boss, I feel a great sense of excitement and accomplishment and want to keep playing more.

    Now Etrian Odyssey Nexus is actually more of an amalgamation of all past entries. You will see old monsters and locations return alongside new ones. However, even if they reused monsters visually, they have been tweaked with completely new skills and tactics, making their encounter still feel new and fresh. By combining old assets, they were able to extend this game's length by quite a lot, but since I've enjoyed every minute of it without feeling too repetitive, it was just a giant plus to me.

    One aspect of the game that is enjoyable but not the most amazing or important to me is the exploration. The game has you explore labyrinths formed in a grid, while drawing your own map with the stylus. This doesn't add too much to the game, since all you will do is just translate what you see on the top screen with the various pre-made symbols to use. However, one aspect of exploration that does standout is the presence of FOES or very powerful enemies visible on the map. Since movement on the map is also turn-based, you will need to plan your movement carefully to avoid encountering them, turning them into mini puzzles of sorts. These encounters are usually meant to be skipped when you first see them, but can be challenged by returning later once you've progressed more into the labyrinth and gotten stronger. It's very satisfying to finally take down these enemies after they get in the way of your exploration for so long.

    One thing you must know that you will not find in Etrian Odyssey is a deep plot and strong characterization. This isn't a game for that. There are some NPCs that will of course advance the plot and add to the lore, but they're never the focus. This is a game primarily about the characters you named on your own and customized. It's about being able to watch them grow in strength the more you play the game, and enjoying satisfaction from that. It's a much different rpg experience than the usual fare, but if you enjoy the combat aspect of rpgs even slightly, this game's style is definitely still worth checking out.    … Expand
  2. Tombot9000
    Feb 9, 2019
    9
    I like this game so much that I made an account to give it a positive review!

    Having only gotten into the series recently (played a bit of EOU1) I'm not coming into Nexus as a veteran who has seen it all. It's definitely a bit tough starting out because: A) there are so many classes to choose from; I ended up making one of every class and switching around a few times before I found a    I like this game so much that I made an account to give it a positive review!

    Having only gotten into the series recently (played a bit of EOU1) I'm not coming into Nexus as a veteran who has seen it all. It's definitely a bit tough starting out because:

    A) there are so many classes to choose from; I ended up making one of every class and switching around a few times before I found a party I was happy with

    B) The game is rather difficult and has a different pace than most JRPGs I'm used to. You don't need to endlessly grind low-level mobs; better to get to the point where you can take out a FOE miniboss or two and do runs into the jungle farming them (reminds me of Monster Hunter). That said, even regular mobs are pretty challenging. This game is definitely harder than EOU1 on a similar difficulty! (Or I'm just bad at teambuilding)

    Some pros:

    - Large class selection
    - Great deal of customization of looks, skills, etc.
    - Good aesthetics; beautiful 3D visuals and music
    - Satisfying gameplay loop
    - Mapping mechanic is fun and a great use of the dual screens
    - Battle mechanics are deep and interesting

    Cons:

    - The game throws a lot at you and assumes you're pretty familiar with the classes. Most other things are explained well though.
    - I feel like the battle interface could have used the touchscreen better, and I don't see an option to configure the auto-battle or re-organize skills, both of which would speed things up
    - Class selection, though large at 19, doesn't feel terrible balanced. It seems like 3/4 of the classes want to be on the front line.
    - Early game can be very difficult if you don't choose "default" classes like Medic and Protector who are simple to choose the correct skills, battle location and equipment for.

    Overall, I'd highly recommend this game and it's my new obsession, but I caution you to try out a basic party setup or do a little research to avoid early-game frustration.    … Expand
  3. IReviewGames101
    Aug 30, 2019
    9
    A great game to the series, however it’s fun but it doesn’t add something new which is fine for people but not me.

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best 3DS Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2019
3
#3 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Aug 28, 2019
    85
    Raise a frothy mug with Etrian Odyssey Nexus. It's a worthy goodbye party. [Issue #39 – May/June 2019, p. 76]
  2. Worth Playing
    Mar 8, 2019
    85
    All in all, Etrian Odyssey Nexus is a solid entry in the series. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but is sort of a grab bag of everything that makes Etrian Odyssey work. It's very familiar, and longtime series fans may find that this outing played it too safe, but casual fans and newcomers should consider it a near-perfect place to start the series. All in all, Nexus is a fantastic end to the long handheld history of the franchise, and it provides a lot of hope for whatever comes next.
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  3. Video Chums
    Feb 26, 2019
    80
    Although I prefer Beyond the Myth by a slight margin, Etrian Odyssey Nexus offers a familiar and rewarding dungeon crawling adventure that retro RPG fans will surely appreciate. Now that the series is done on 3DS, here's hoping we can play the next one on Switch.
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