Combat itself is traditional as far as turn-based role playing games go. Both player and enemy teams are separated into front and back rows. Damage given/taken, targetting, and skill range are all accounted for in these rows. It’s almost necessary to leave the highlander and Raguna up front, Arthur and Frederica in the rear, and Simon in either depending on if he’s built towards melee combat or healing. For those playing in Classic Mode, adjust accordingly and don’t forget about the power of an Alchemist’s staff attacks or Pain Formula.
NOT
Difficulty spikes
If there’s ever a fault with the Etrian Odyssey series, it’s just how brutal they can get in the later levels and Untold is no exception. Any party can make it through the first few floors of the beginning stratum with little resistance if given enough time to level up and gain equipment. Soon after, a metaphorical brick wall will be erected barring any further progression. You may have to grind harder or gather enough En to purchase new armor for the party, but that can only last for so long.
Bosses litter the various stratums acting as keepers that want to test just how much you know about the mechanics of Etria. Are you hitting the right weaknesses with Arthur? Are you binding the enemy’s head or arms just before a major attack with Frederica? Are you taking advantage of Raguna’s protector abilities? These questions will soon be replaced with ones such as ‘Did I put every skill point in exactly the right allocation’ or ‘Am I using Immunize every turn’. Etrian Odyssey Untold is challenging enough early on, but to see its story through to the end, you’re going to have to adapt.
As a veteran of role-playing games and someone that’s had a bit of experience with dungeon crawlers of this nature, even I could barely handle the game on Expert. Most of the time I’ve spent in Etria has been on the standard difficulty and that’s the perfect balance of challenge and accessibility I’ve been looking for in the series. For those that just want to enjoy Etrian Odyssey Untold for its story will be pleased to know about the addition of a Picnic difficulty mode where battles are less difficult, the ability to continue after a game over is added, and some consumable items can be reused to make the game a bit more accessible
VERDICT
Despite the occasionally unforgiving nature of Etrian Odyssey Untold, I never once found myself wanting to give the game up out of frustration. Atlus has achieved a perfect balance between challenge and reward, as every boss fight gave me a sense of accomplishment I rarely feel in other role playing games. Live every battle as if it were your last and strive to uncover the mystery of The Millenium Girl.
[Editor’s Note: Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
