I love Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey franchise, and I can’t think of many JRPGs that are heading to the Nintendo 3DS that have me more excited. However, I have one giant concern with the series that I feel might be too ingrained to address at this point.
These games are really starting to feel the grind of repetition. Between the original three games on the Nintendo DS, the excellent Etrian Odyssey IV from earlier in the generation, and the two remakes that followed it, not a whole lot has really changed. New mechanics and new job classes expand on the formula in enough ways to create a sense of evolution, but when put next to counterparts like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, there really isn’t much to say.
The leap from the first Final Fantasy game into the seventh Final Fantasy game is astounding and far more impressive than the leap from the first Etrian Odyssey game into the seventh game, which is Etrian Odyssey V. It’s also telling in that the time-span between the games in both series totaled at nine years as well.
Now, I understand that Etrian Odyssey fills a very specific niche, and it has to sound, look, feel, and play a certain way or else it must be called something else. I’m just venting some concerns here, because I don’t think I’ll have the attention to burn through another one of these games, especially if the big addition is the ability to create a pallet swap on Atlus’ character art.
I watch this trailer though, and the deja vu kicks in a little too strongly though. That can’t be a good thing.
Etrian Odyssey V launches for the Nintendo 3DS on Aug. 4 in Japan. No word on the North American release.
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