Recently I watched Derek Alexander's "Cave Noire" video. In it, he mentioned the Mystery Dungeon series and how it has rarely graced our shores.
I've tried one of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games and I did not enjoy it. Though, I feel it was primarily due to the aesthetic and the way they interpreted Pokemon.
So I was fairly excited to to try a "real" mystery dungeon game when I heard about Etrian Mystery Dungeon. I looked at some pics and trailers and it looked so fun. I was not familiar with Etrian Odyssey so the idea of buying a spin off of that series without being familiar with it bothered me a little.
I've tried one of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games and I did not enjoy it. Though, I feel it was primarily due to the aesthetic and the way they interpreted Pokemon.
So I was fairly excited to to try a "real" mystery dungeon game when I heard about Etrian Mystery Dungeon. I looked at some pics and trailers and it looked so fun. I was not familiar with Etrian Odyssey so the idea of buying a spin off of that series without being familiar with it bothered me a little.
Azure the blue male Landsknecht: Zenkai's squad one leader and the guild's founding member. He's currently level 15, focusing on Iron Wall and Power Boost.
Rose the pink female Protector: She's currently level 16, focusing on Defense Boost. She's currently working towards max ranks in Cover.
Mira the pink female Runemaster: She's currently level 16. TP Boost, Fireball Rune, and Lightning Rune are maxed out. I'm hoping to max out Glacier Rune before I move onto the veteran runes.
Stein the white haired male Medic: He's currently level 17 and about to max out Revive.
Because I've been slacking, all of the above characters have unused skill points to spend.
Dungeon One (Mysterious Labyrinth) was boring, but I generally enjoyed the game and how it played.
Dungeon Two (Emerald Copse) was an intense spike in difficulty. I should have leveled my supporting characters in Dungeon One first. It was here that I started noticing how much money I was getting. It seemed intensely excessive. I could buy the best gear for all my characters with excess to spare.
Dungeon Three (Pristine Stream) really won my heart. It's the most fun I've had so far in the game.
It was about this time that I decided to try a real Etrian Odyssey game. But to help maintain consistency, I'm gonna finish describing my Etrian Mystery Dungeon experience for now.
Dungeon Four (Haunted Woods) taught me the importance of forts. They're more than a convenience and they EAT GOLD! Suddenly my excess of gold is gone. I've been trying to grind the Ravine Fork for money (having my entire party eat Lucky Catfish doesn't seem to make any difference in how much I get), but I'm still struggling with affording forts.
Don't take that wrong though. Dungeon Four is a struggle in all the right ways. I know what I need to do, and my choice to grind for money is a strategy rather than an obstacle.
I love the way I level up reserve members. It encourages experimentation and reduces needless grinding.
If I have any complaints at this point in my play through, it would be the Amber Restaurant. Lucky Catfish seems to have zero effect, which makes me doubt the truth behind any other meals sold at the restaurant. When you feel like you can't trust a game, that's a serious problem.
Rose the pink female Protector: She's currently level 16, focusing on Defense Boost. She's currently working towards max ranks in Cover.
Mira the pink female Runemaster: She's currently level 16. TP Boost, Fireball Rune, and Lightning Rune are maxed out. I'm hoping to max out Glacier Rune before I move onto the veteran runes.
Stein the white haired male Medic: He's currently level 17 and about to max out Revive.
Because I've been slacking, all of the above characters have unused skill points to spend.
Dungeon One (Mysterious Labyrinth) was boring, but I generally enjoyed the game and how it played.
Dungeon Two (Emerald Copse) was an intense spike in difficulty. I should have leveled my supporting characters in Dungeon One first. It was here that I started noticing how much money I was getting. It seemed intensely excessive. I could buy the best gear for all my characters with excess to spare.
Dungeon Three (Pristine Stream) really won my heart. It's the most fun I've had so far in the game.
It was about this time that I decided to try a real Etrian Odyssey game. But to help maintain consistency, I'm gonna finish describing my Etrian Mystery Dungeon experience for now.
Dungeon Four (Haunted Woods) taught me the importance of forts. They're more than a convenience and they EAT GOLD! Suddenly my excess of gold is gone. I've been trying to grind the Ravine Fork for money (having my entire party eat Lucky Catfish doesn't seem to make any difference in how much I get), but I'm still struggling with affording forts.
Don't take that wrong though. Dungeon Four is a struggle in all the right ways. I know what I need to do, and my choice to grind for money is a strategy rather than an obstacle.
I love the way I level up reserve members. It encourages experimentation and reduces needless grinding.
If I have any complaints at this point in my play through, it would be the Amber Restaurant. Lucky Catfish seems to have zero effect, which makes me doubt the truth behind any other meals sold at the restaurant. When you feel like you can't trust a game, that's a serious problem.
I began by trying the "Classic" mode. I was really surprised by the game. I made another Zenkai guild and played most of the way through the 2nd floor of the forest labyrinth.
The game was fun. I was surprised that the party was reduced to five members instead of six. I loved the first person dungeon perspective, the map drawing, and the first person turn based combat. The classes were fun and the skill trees engaging.
But I was a little frustrated. Some of the quests seemed needlessly obscure. And I just wanted... more... somehow...
So I restarted in "Story" mode! And you know what... I've been having the most amazing time...
I'd read in reviews that the story was stale and cliche, but I've been enjoying it. The characters are fun and I feel attached to each of them. Also, I'm really intrigued by the setting in a way I wasn't in classic mode. It seems like the game is set in North America in the far flung future when everything modern is in forgotten ruins and culture is reduced to a medieval fantasy. One of the characters appears to be a princess from Canada. The "Gunner" came from a cryogenic pod.
Also... those quests that seemed needlessly obscure I figured out the second time through. I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't restarted.
I've reached level 3 of the forest labyrinth.
The game was fun. I was surprised that the party was reduced to five members instead of six. I loved the first person dungeon perspective, the map drawing, and the first person turn based combat. The classes were fun and the skill trees engaging.
But I was a little frustrated. Some of the quests seemed needlessly obscure. And I just wanted... more... somehow...
So I restarted in "Story" mode! And you know what... I've been having the most amazing time...
I'd read in reviews that the story was stale and cliche, but I've been enjoying it. The characters are fun and I feel attached to each of them. Also, I'm really intrigued by the setting in a way I wasn't in classic mode. It seems like the game is set in North America in the far flung future when everything modern is in forgotten ruins and culture is reduced to a medieval fantasy. One of the characters appears to be a princess from Canada. The "Gunner" came from a cryogenic pod.
Also... those quests that seemed needlessly obscure I figured out the second time through. I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't restarted.
I've reached level 3 of the forest labyrinth.
So! Now that we're caught up! I can blog about the ongoing adventures of the Zenkai Guilds!
30 levels of dungeons seems daunting, but how can we fail with such exquisite companions such as these?! Oh... hi... F.O.E... I suppose that could stop us...
I also really look forward to buying Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight...
30 levels of dungeons seems daunting, but how can we fail with such exquisite companions such as these?! Oh... hi... F.O.E... I suppose that could stop us...
I also really look forward to buying Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight...