Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth

 3DS
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 41
  3. Negative: 4 out of 41
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  1. Koromaru99
    Nov 6, 2017
    9
    One of the best EO games as well as one of the hardest. Its high difficulty curve makes this game hard to recommend to anyone but to hardcore RPG fanatics who don't mind getting killed by Acorns this is great fun. A large amount of grinding is often required to face each stratum boss, but that is just how Etrian games work. The character customization is at its best, controlling theOne of the best EO games as well as one of the hardest. Its high difficulty curve makes this game hard to recommend to anyone but to hardcore RPG fanatics who don't mind getting killed by Acorns this is great fun. A large amount of grinding is often required to face each stratum boss, but that is just how Etrian games work. The character customization is at its best, controlling the smallest details of your team is great. Union skills are the latest addition to the series and is probably one of my favorites. It can quickly give you the edge you need in a boss fight. Imagine binding the legs, arms, and head of a boss for three turns and they can't retaliate as you beat the living daylights out of them. There is a Union Skill for that. The story is very thin( which ii what you should expect from an EO game so people can't complain). The true story isn't really revealed until about 40 hours and is fairly generic. The mapping system is as challenging as ever but with a full auto map some of the games frustration is alleviated. But lets be real, if you take away map making EO is no longer EO. The stratums are diverse but due to the fact it takes about 10 hours to reach the next one they can become a little boring towards the end. Yet its great to go from a forest to a canyon and then from a canyon to a graveyard created by a long forgotten war. The graphics are good for a 3ds game, but nothing groundbreaking. The battle system remains the same. You can attack, use a skill, or defend. A new Race feature adds in race skills, which are basically skills only certain race can learn.The races in the game are Earthlain, who are basically humans. There are the Celestrians, who are basically elves. The Therians(my favorite), who look human but have animal ears. They are basically the hard hitters and supporters. Last but not least are the Brouni, who are magical dwarves. Each have unique skills only their race can learn. There are ten new classes, some of my favorites are Rover, Warlock, Dragoon, and Pugilist.
    Pros:
    Excellent Character Customization
    High Difficulty Level
    Diverse Labyrinths
    Great Battle Systems
    Cons:
    Not beginner friendly
    Light on story(not a complaint I have but one the public may have)
    Labyrinths are slow paced and become dull after several hours
    Replay Value:
    Fairly High

    My verdict:
    Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is an excellent addition to a series famous for its high difficulty, party building, and map making. While this game does not take the series in any new direction, it is still a great homage to old school RPG's and will remind many people of the old days playing games like Wizardry. This game's steep difficulty curve makes this game hard to recommend to anyone but to hardcore gamers you may find solace in this series. Its party building and create your own odyssey feel give this game a D and D feel. 9/10    … Expand
  2. ironzombi
    Nov 5, 2017
    9
    Having played most of the EO games, with my favorite being EO3 I was instantly at home with this game. This is a core EO game, with a basic story to drive the character based role playing that centers on your guild and characters you choose to fill it with.
    This is one aspect of EO that i really liked, it is really about your characters development as you attempt to conquer the sprawling    Having played most of the EO games, with my favorite being EO3 I was instantly at home with this game. This is a core EO game, with a basic story to drive the character based role playing that centers on your guild and characters you choose to fill it with.
    This is one aspect of EO that i really liked, it is really about your characters development as you attempt to conquer the sprawling dungeon. Another key part of EO is the map creation and EOV is by far the best version of this, you have more pins to place and more options to make your own map of the dungeon, the combat is also very in depth with buffs and ailments playing a key role, choose your party well as the composition will play a key part in getting through each stratum.
    if you like old school dungeon crawlers, EOV is a must play. only time will tell if this knocks of EO3 for my personal favorite EO game.    … Expand
  3. loonachan
    Jan 13, 2018
    9
    First off- BUY THE PHYSICAL COPY IF YOU CAN. Atlus treats their customers right, you get a full-color art book, and full-color manual, and the soundtrack, in all its fantastical jazzy goodness. Digital buyers are missing out. On the negative side, however, they have introduced both cosmetic and XP-grinding DLC in this game, nothing too in your face or must-have for a single-player gameFirst off- BUY THE PHYSICAL COPY IF YOU CAN. Atlus treats their customers right, you get a full-color art book, and full-color manual, and the soundtrack, in all its fantastical jazzy goodness. Digital buyers are missing out. On the negative side, however, they have introduced both cosmetic and XP-grinding DLC in this game, nothing too in your face or must-have for a single-player game (most of the skins are meh anyway). Still, it loses at least a point for that.

    In any case, it's still your classic Etrian Odyssey adventure, but now with robust character customization- you can choose between your normal multiple character art models but change hair color, eye color, and it has 60 different voices to outfit your characters with. When it comes to the gameplay itself, they even scaled it back a little, no more weird trips in a balloon. Your goal is to get to the top of the tree. I enjoy the classes more than previous installments, there are less "must-have" classes (though Dragoon does still seem pretty necessary) and now there are races and race-specific skills to see you through. The voice acting is surprisingly good, and really does add an element that was not there before. The challenge is still more than there and it still has Atlus' special charm. If you want an RPG for grown-ups and fans of classic RPGs, any game in the EO series is a must-have, and EOV is a contender for best in the series so far.    … Expand
  4. Dualazi
    Oct 22, 2017
    9
    Etrian Odyssey V is another great entry in an already well established niche series, and I'm happy to say that the latest installment carries on the tradition of excellence.

    Gameplay wise, the series has made some updates to the established formula but the gameplay loop is essentially the same, with the player crafting a team of adventurers from a large list of classes and mapping out    Etrian Odyssey V is another great entry in an already well established niche series, and I'm happy to say that the latest installment carries on the tradition of excellence.

    Gameplay wise, the series has made some updates to the established formula but the gameplay loop is essentially the same, with the player crafting a team of adventurers from a large list of classes and mapping out the local labyrinth. This version incorporates some new changes by ditching the subclass system of III and IV, instead having classes branch into two specializations the further refine your preferred play-style. Another interesting change is that food is now a resource kept separate from your usual inventory, and serves as an efficient method of healing out of battle, with the player learning new recipes to create and periodic campfires.

    Yuzo Koshiro brings his usual incredible talents to the game's score, and this title is likewise one whose soundtrack will be played long after I've completed the actual game. Do yourself a favor and youtube "End of the Raging Waves", I promise you won't regret it.

    The series also brings an even greater level of appearance customization for your characters, with 50 voices to choose from, as well as the ability to change hair, skin, and eye color, even down to individual eyes for heterochromia fans. You even get to name your character classes down the line!

    Graphically the game has never looked better, with Yuji Himukai's excellent artwork bringing characters to life and increased detail on textures within the labyrinth itself. One downside though is that this leads to some 'pop-in' effects in rooms with large draw distances, which is one of the game's genuine failings.

    There is DLC available, but it's either cosmetic or convenience-based (items to help grinding), so the game is essentially a complete package from the get-go, you needn't worry about being nickled or dimed down the line.

    Overall, for my money this is a near perfect experience for people looking for a fun, crunch-heavy dungeon crawler. All of the elements that made earlier games great are still present and polished to a mirror shine, and what few downsides it does contain do little to detract from the overall quality. It's not a game for everyone, but for those who enjoy its niche it is a very welcome continuation of an excellent series.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best 3DS Game of 2017
22
#22 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2017
22
#22 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jan 7, 2018
    65
    I'm glad this game made it over, but it's not as special as I'd hoped. [Issue #31 – January/February 2018, p. 29E]
  2. GameCritics
    Dec 13, 2017
    65
    While I still enjoy Etrian Odyssey in general and would recommend the series as a top-shelf dungeon crawler, I find it difficult to recommend Beyond The Myth to anyone who hasn’t already gone through the other games first. Between the watching-paint-dry speed of character growth and the lack of innovation in its overall design, this one feels like it’s going through the motions with no inspiration behind it. I fully admit that the Etrian team has continuously set higher and higher bars for themselves over the years and they’re still in a class of their own, but this feels like they’re just coasting. With so many fantastic games already under their belts, there’s little reason to play this one.
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  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Nov 27, 2017
    90
    Quotation forthcoming.
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