Etrian Odyssey IV : Legends of the Titans is the 4th game in the series of dungeon crawlers made by Atlus for the DS & 3DS line of handhelds which main draw is the ability to draw your own maps using the DS/3DS’ touch screen. Much like games such as Wizardry & Elminage, it is a 1st person RPG with just enough story to hook you & take you along thru its various labyrinths but not enough that you will be stopped every few minutes with cutscenes. It has decent difficulty & it is fairly accessible, although veterans of the Etrian Odyssey series consider this one of the easiest, but nonetheless new players will have to keep on their toes with every battle & even when exploring the labyrinths.
Upon starting the game & arriving to the city of Tharsis, the game’s hub town, you will be prompted to visit the local Explorer’s Guild where you will have the chance to choose from 10 different classes ranging from the familiar Medic & Protector to Nightseekers, which specialize in status ailments & gain extra damage when they inflict them on their enemies. Once the process of naming your guild & creating your party of 5 members, you will be taken to the Mark Grand Court where you will be given your 1st mission which consists of dropping you in the labyrinth’s 1st floor, teaching you the mapping mechanics & then having you mapping a section of that floor.
As you undoubtedly have found during your 1st trek thru the labyrinth, battles are random & play out by having both you & the enemy in rows. Front row attackers will deal & take more damage & can in most cases hit the back row of enemies so generally having melee classes up front is prime, the back row on the other hand will take & deal less damage & will be unable to hit the back row of enemies, so having ranged & other squishier classes in the back is acceptable. This is not to say that you can’t not switch around your rows, which can be freely done & at the no cost in turns usage, thus coming up with an appropriate strategy every enemy can be easily done.
Disposed of that labyrinth’s boss & are ready for more? Have no fear there is plenty of other labyrinth & mazes for you to explore just hop on your airship & fly. Unlike its predecessors where the labyrinth was a single gigantic 25+ floored monstrosity, in this one they are smaller & spread out across 4 different Strata, each with their own themes, puzzles & monsters to conquer with a total of 6 Labyrinths, one being post game content.
Graphically & sound wise the game does a good job at it, the 3D effect bringing depth to the exploring & battles with the myriad of monsters, although palette swap are used with some monsters. The soothing music, the rustle of leaves while exploring, the rocking beats as you battle or the dramatic music when drama unfolds complete the package in immersing you.
All in all, Etrian Odyssey is another excellent addition to the series & your RPG collection, with its difficult but strategic battles, party management, its usage of the 3D effect & its amazing sound usage that enthrall you into exploring further the mysteries of Tharis & its connection to the Titan’s legend.
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