Etrian Odyssey

 DS
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release Date: May 15, 2007
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 48
  3. Negative: 3 out of 48
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  1. MannyL
    Apr 3, 2008
    10
    My ABSOLUTE favorite game for the DS. Etrian Odyssey is quite certainly the best RPG I have ever played on any handheld system! The visuals are just plain beautiful and you will certainly appreciate it as it is. The gameplay is punishing but it's the challenge that really makes this game shine. I would definitely recommend this game to any true RPG lover and enthusiast. Not for the My ABSOLUTE favorite game for the DS. Etrian Odyssey is quite certainly the best RPG I have ever played on any handheld system! The visuals are just plain beautiful and you will certainly appreciate it as it is. The gameplay is punishing but it's the challenge that really makes this game shine. I would definitely recommend this game to any true RPG lover and enthusiast. Not for the casual gamer.… Expand
  2. Scott
    May 22, 2007
    8
    This is a fun tribute to a certain kind of old school RPG such as Wizardy, Might & Magic, and the Bard's Tale. It's no frills, unforgivingly difficult, and something like work, so it's definitely not for everyone, but the target audience should have fun with it. There's just something about that sense of being a long way from home in a dangerous place that you can only This is a fun tribute to a certain kind of old school RPG such as Wizardy, Might & Magic, and the Bard's Tale. It's no frills, unforgivingly difficult, and something like work, so it's definitely not for everyone, but the target audience should have fun with it. There's just something about that sense of being a long way from home in a dangerous place that you can only get in this style of game -- more modern RPGs, with their generous healing systems and easy in/out portal spells, just aren't quite the same.… Expand
  3. Philosophy
    May 17, 2007
    3
    This game is quite boring. I grew up on rigid turn-based RPGs (ie Dragon Warrior, Death Keep) and while the artwork is good, the gameplay is stagnant. The mapping is ridiculous and pointless. I made it through the first floor and had no desire to continue. It's a shame, I was really hoping this would be a good RPG that would pass the time until Dragon Quest IX.
  4. SteveD.
    May 26, 2007
    5
    I'm not sure why this game has such a hardcore following. I've been playing RPGs for nearly 25 years, and this is the same RPG, with the same AI. Sure enemies hit harder, and you don't hit as hard, but it's just a much longer, not very challenging grind. The "self" mapping is trite, as you'll be revisiting the floors often, and the font it very ugly. You could I'm not sure why this game has such a hardcore following. I've been playing RPGs for nearly 25 years, and this is the same RPG, with the same AI. Sure enemies hit harder, and you don't hit as hard, but it's just a much longer, not very challenging grind. The "self" mapping is trite, as you'll be revisiting the floors often, and the font it very ugly. You could basically make this game in RPG Maker.… Expand
  5. AaronJ.
    Jun 7, 2007
    9
    Not a game to play if you are in a hurry. This game is fun and I enjoyed the challenging battles and mapping the labyrinth on the touch screen.
  6. KenH.
    Jun 8, 2007
    10
    Absolutely amazing. The game really rewards your patience. It's been a long time since a good labyrinth game has come out. I've been wanting a game like this since Shining in the Darkness for the SEGA Genesis.
  7. JasonS.
    Jul 2, 2007
    9
    This game pulls you deep into the Labyrinth to explore and map the dungeon. This new mechanic of mapping in this game keeps it from being the same RPG we've played a million times before as it's quite fun.
  8. WillH.
    May 18, 2007
    10
    Great game actually.. very challenging, which I guess is why people are giving it low raings.
  9. LuginS.
    Jun 3, 2007
    10
    This is possibly the best translation of pen and paper RPGs to a portable console. It requires more of an urge for exploration rather than storyline. Not for everyone, but very well polished.
  10. TakoC.
    Jul 14, 2007
    10
    Awesome old school RPG goodness. Reminds me of the Wizardary, the first few versions. Addictive.
  11. RCR
    Jul 17, 2007
    9
    Very cool game for those who enjoy exploring uncharted corridors and building character skills.
  12. TonyG.
    Jan 24, 2008
    10
    EXCELLENT! Etrian Odyssey is an old school RPG brilliantly updated to the DS. This is NOT for everyone. Don't expect the game to hold your hand through a wonderful fantastical journey. You will be 2 hours into the current level with your uber party, fight the boss, and then die within two rounds. You will suffer, and you will love it. The music is great, the environments are EXCELLENT! Etrian Odyssey is an old school RPG brilliantly updated to the DS. This is NOT for everyone. Don't expect the game to hold your hand through a wonderful fantastical journey. You will be 2 hours into the current level with your uber party, fight the boss, and then die within two rounds. You will suffer, and you will love it. The music is great, the environments are enthralling, and the class system is brilliant. Forget about "maxing out" your character, I'm not even clear if this is possible. You will need to GRIND and you will need to experiment with the synergy between the various classes. You will need to balance the classic RPG roles of damage dealers, tanks, melee, magic, etc. Bosses are HARD. New levels are tough. If your party is not built right, you WILL be back in town removing one of your characters and creating a new one. Not to be forgotten, the mapping system is genius. It should be implemented in every similar RPG from now on. One important note--this style of RPG predates the dawn of gaming, it is more pen & paper than Final Fantasy. I love the FF series, but that series is a walk in the park compared to this game. It is a hardcore RPG player's dream. Have fun!… Expand
  13. SuperPunch
    May 23, 2007
    10
    I have been waiting for an RPG like this for so long. The gameplay is fantastic, you get a huge ammount of control over your characters. The art and soundtrack are perfect.
  14. FredrikI.
    Dec 13, 2007
    9
    One of the best dungeon crawlers I've had the pleasure of playing, great art, music and challenging game play. This game will keep you occupied for many days. Some limitations in the mapping system keeps me from giving it a full 10/10.
  15. SilentMugwump
    Sep 1, 2011
    9
    This was my absolutely favorite RPG game on the DS... Until parts II & III came along. Those two add a lot to the game play, and refine the user interface and item collection management.
    If not for its sequels, I'd give it a ten, which maybe it's not fair since I'm reviewing this game years after it came out.
    I do recommend, however, to play the games in sequence, not because the story    This was my absolutely favorite RPG game on the DS... Until parts II & III came along. Those two add a lot to the game play, and refine the user interface and item collection management.
    If not for its sequels, I'd give it a ten, which maybe it's not fair since I'm reviewing this game years after it came out.
    I do recommend, however, to play the games in sequence, not because the story might be relevant (it has a minimum story line, which is one of its strengths), but because it is more fun to feel the progression of the series' design.
    One thing that this first installment does have above its sequels, in my opinion: the character artwork is my favorite here!    … Expand
  16. DinoBeam
    Mar 27, 2022
    3
    Turned out to be a very cheaply made grindfest built upon a promising idea. The whole idea of an underground forest is awesome, but they make you retread the same ground over and over and over, and ask you to grind for quest items.
  17. dualbunny
    Nov 18, 2015
    9
    I just recently started playing this game. So far I'm really enjoying it. Mapping features are great. So is the dungeon exploration. I like that it's not highly tied to story or quests, you can explore on your own. If you are an RPG fan, get this game.
  18. Sunshadow87
    Nov 15, 2021
    10
    El mejor Etrian Odyssey de la saga (y mejor que su remake para 3DS en mi opinión).
    La frescura de este juego es única, aunque sus secuelas mejoran el sistema de batalla, pero este juego es el que sentó las bases de toda la saga.
    El otro punto que lo hace destacar por entre los otros es su historia, la cual se cuenta a través de los escenarios y los encuentros que tengas, ya que los    El mejor Etrian Odyssey de la saga (y mejor que su remake para 3DS en mi opinión).
    La frescura de este juego es única, aunque sus secuelas mejoran el sistema de batalla, pero este juego es el que sentó las bases de toda la saga.
    El otro punto que lo hace destacar por entre los otros es su historia, la cual se cuenta a través de los escenarios y los encuentros que tengas, ya que los personajes al ser creados por ti no tienen personalidad y dependen de tu imaginación ponérsela. Además, esta historia implica una serie de giros argumentales que en el resto de la saga no se dan (ya que aquí se desvela la historia del mundo de etrian odyssey y en el resto de juegos solo se amplia). Esto en el remake no se da ya que en el nuevo modo historia que le añaden se cargan la sorpresa antes de llegar a ella...
    La dificultad del juego es elevada, conviene jugar despacio e ir experimentando con las clases de personajes, reseteandolos cuando sea necesario para ir buscando builts más perfeccionados.
    Un gran juego, pero solo recomendable si te va lo hardcore eso sí.    … Expand
  19. Frozkadur
    Dec 1, 2019
    10
    A very hard game but extremley satisfying once u beat the true final boss who is no joke at all. Its a game for people who love to customize and create your own team.
  20. Yojimbo2015
    May 24, 2023
    5
    Dungeon crawler that's very nice looking but ultimately rather dull. All style, no substance.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best DS Game of 2007
13
#13 Most Discussed DS Game of 2007
72
#72 Most Shared DS Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    60
    Kids weaned on "Final Fantasy VII" likely won't have the patience for it, but questers of the appropriate age(and/or nerdy enough to dig the Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack)should dive in. [June 2007, p.92]
  2. Hardcore Gamer
    95
    In reality though, Etrian Odyssey is a challenging, ballsy, rewarding game that gives the otherwise stagnant RPG genre a swift, much-needed kick in the ass. [June 2007, p.62]
  3. GamePro
    60
    The real appeal of Etrian Odyssey is the renaissance of the classic RPG. Instead of a world that conforms to your level and rewards you with HP every time you level up, you have to strategize about which characters will enter the Labyrinth, how best to allot skill points among your characters, who charges the front line and who stays in back, and how much money you have to spend on reviving dead characters.
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