Info about Etrian Odyssey III HD:

Official game description:
Etrian Odyssey III HD brings the timeless adventure set in Armoroad, a sea city facing the aftermath of a great calamity.  
Traverse through the mysterious ruins that connect to the bottom of the sea.  
South of the great continents, beyond the sea, lies the ocean city of Armoroad. Legend has it that part of the city sunk without warning a century ago to the bottom of the ocean, taking with it untold technology that is now lost to mankind.  
Intrigued by the legend, many explorers gathered in Armoroad, all hoping to challenge the undersea labyrinth. But so far, none have found the fabled sunken city. Set sail to Armoroad to navigate the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, find the drowned city, and win fortune and glory!  
Build your own party of explorers from the all-new twelve different character classes. Descend the labyrinth that swallowed the mystery of Armoroad and the drowned city.  
Etrian Odyssey III HD Features:  
*   Newly remastered graphics, remastered soundtrack and quality of life improvements including difficulty selection and save slots  
*   Easy access to the Monstrous Codex, quest log and skill tree  
*   Maximize your adventuring by optimizing your party, choose the character classes that work for your playstyle

Release date: 14 Jun, 2023

Categories: First-Person Dungeon Crawler, Turn-based Combat, Manual Mapping, Character Customization, Resource Management, Multiple Endings, Single-player Story, Exploration


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Rich Content & Best in Series (weight 0.99): Players consistently praise the game for its extensive and diverse content, offering hundreds of hours of engaging gameplay. Many consider it the best entry in the series, especially among the HD remasters, citing its improvements and overall quality.
- Excellent Dungeon Crawling (weight 0.42): The core dungeon crawling experience is highly lauded, with players enjoying the intricate labyrinth designs, environmental puzzles, and the satisfying sense of accomplishment from exploration and overcoming challenges. It's considered a genre-defining masterpiece.
- Successful HD Remaster (weight 0.31): The HD remaster is well-received, bringing significant quality-of-life improvements, updated graphics, and new difficulty options. Players appreciate the enhanced visuals and the accessibility features that make the game more enjoyable than the original.
- Deep & Strategic Combat (weight 0.21): The combat system is highlighted for its depth, strategic possibilities, and satisfying balance. Players enjoy the intricate skill combinations, character synergy, and the rewarding feeling of building a strong party that can tackle challenging encounters.
- Beautiful Art Style (weight 0.19): Players appreciate the beautiful and distinct art style, including character portraits, enemy designs, and environmental visuals. The HD remaster further enhances these details, contributing to an immersive atmosphere.
- Great PC Controls (weight 0.18): The PC port offers excellent keyboard and mouse controls, particularly for map drawing, and robust gamepad support. This ensures a comfortable and versatile gameplay experience across different input preferences.
- Phenomenal Soundtrack (weight 0.18): The game's soundtrack is consistently praised as phenomenal and one of the best in the series. The music significantly enhances the overall atmosphere and player experience.
- Extensive Post-Game Content (weight 0.09): The game offers substantial and challenging post-game content, including additional bosses and a legendary superboss. This provides significant replayability and a rewarding experience for dedicated players.

Common complaints:
- Unbalanced difficulty and grind (weight 0.45): The game presents a steep learning curve and high difficulty, especially in the early stages and on Expert mode, requiring significant grinding. While a 'Picnic' difficulty exists, it's criticized for making the game too easy and unengaging, suggesting a lack of balanced difficulty options for different player preferences.
- Clunky mapping and UI (weight 0.38): The mapping system, originally designed for the Nintendo DS stylus and dual screens, feels clunky and tedious on PC and Steam Deck. Players find the UI difficult to navigate, mapping controls awkward, and the lack of auto-mapping for common elements like doors and chests frustrating. This significantly impacts exploration and game rhythm.
- High price for old game (weight 0.31): Many players feel the game is significantly overpriced, especially for a remaster of an old DS title. The $40 price point is seen as excessive, particularly when considering the entire collection, and does not align with the perceived quality or content provided.
- Lacks modern QoL features (weight 0.22): Players note that the game lacks quality-of-life improvements and intuitive design present in later Etrian Odyssey titles, particularly the 'Untold' remakes. This makes the experience feel outdated and less user-friendly compared to more modern entries in the series.
- Lack of in-game information (weight 0.22): The game suffers from a significant lack of in-game information regarding skills, attributes, damage calculations, and enemy weaknesses. Players often need to consult external wikis and guides to understand core mechanics, leading to frustrating trial-and-error and poor build decisions.
- Repetitive dungeon crawling (weight 0.16): The core dungeon crawling gameplay is described as repetitive and monotonous, especially on subsequent playthroughs. Combat lacks animation and engagement, and the overall experience is seen as simplistic and unappealing to those not already deeply invested in the old-school DRPG genre.
- Weak and confusing story (weight 0.16): The story is generally considered sparse, uncompelling, and not a primary reason to play the game. The 'true' ending is particularly criticized for being unsatisfying and confusing, making the narrative a weak point for players who prioritize plot.
- Tedious sea exploration (weight 0.14): The sea exploration mechanic is widely criticized as tedious, unnecessary, and frustrating. It feels like a separate, forced puzzle game that disrupts the main gameplay loop and often requires external guides to navigate effectively.
- Forced multiple playthroughs (weight 0.1): The branching plot requires multiple playthroughs (up to three) to experience all content and unlock the true ending or complete the encyclopedia. This can feel like a forced and tedious requirement rather than an engaging replay incentive.
- Frustrating superboss design (weight 0.06): The final superboss is criticized for its random mechanics and high difficulty, often leading to frustrating party wipes. The need to level up from scratch for these encounters is also seen as a significant hurdle.
- No visual equipment changes (weight 0.05): Equipment only changes numerical stats and names, with no visual impact on character appearance. This lack of visual progression makes collecting new gear less exciting and diminishes the sense of character customization.
- Intrusive Denuvo DRM (weight 0.04): The inclusion of Denuvo DRM is a point of contention, as it prevents extended offline play and is perceived to negatively impact game performance without clear benefits.

Gameplay feedback:
- Manual Map Drawing Core (weight 0.58): The game is a first-person, turn-based dungeon crawler with a core mechanic of manual map drawing. Players explore maze-like dungeons, charting their progress on a split screen or dedicated map interface, which was originally designed for the DS touch screen but is now adapted for PC with mouse or controller input. The game offers options for auto-drawing basic terrain for convenience.
- Flexible Difficulty Settings (weight 0.48): The game offers three difficulty settings: Picnic (very easy with XP bonus), Basic (medium), and Expert (original DS difficulty). Difficulty can be changed mid-game, with Expert providing a challenging, authentic experience that often leads to party wipes and requires trial and error. Picnic mode is particularly useful for grinding or casual exploration.
- Deep Party & Class Customization (weight 0.42): Players create a party of up to five characters from a roster of 12 classes, each with unique skill trees. A key feature is the subclass system, introduced mid-game, which allows characters to augment their primary class with skills from a second class, enabling deep customization, synergy, and diverse party compositions. All classes are considered viable, offering varied and fun setups.
- Branching Story & Multiple Endings (weight 0.27): The game features a branching storyline with multiple routes (Sea City, Deep City, True End) and three distinct endings, requiring multiple playthroughs to achieve all achievements and the true ending. The narrative emphasizes player vulnerability and the consequences of choices, with death being a common occurrence.
- Etrian Odyssey III Innovations (weight 0.24): Etrian Odyssey III is highlighted as a significant installment in the series, introducing key mechanics like subclassing and weapon crafting that influenced later games. It features a more involved plot with multiple endings and a nautical setting, distinguishing its combat and overall scope from previous entries.
- Resource Gathering & Grinding (weight 0.11): The game incorporates a significant material collection and gathering system. Players gather resources from the field and enemy drops, which are essential for unlocking new equipment, managing finances, and progressing. This often involves repetitive grinding for materials and experience.
- Unique Sea Exploration System (weight 0.08): A unique 'Grand Voyage' or sailing system is included, allowing players to explore seas, manage limited rations, and find items or ship upgrades. Sea quests can also be undertaken in a multiplayer mode, where each player contributes one character.
- Challenging Boss Encounters (weight 0.07): The game features challenging bosses, including traditional superbosses, which often have high stats and powerful party-wide attacks. The initial story bosses serve as viability tests for player parties, and achievements are tied to defeating them, especially on higher difficulties.
- Unforgiving Learning Curve (weight 0.07): The game does not provide extensive hand-holding, expecting players to independently figure out mechanics, item acquisition, and optimal strategies. Progress can be slow, and understanding the game's systems takes time and experimentation.
- Dangerous Roaming FOE Enemies (weight 0.07): FOEs (Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens) are powerful roaming enemies that wander dungeon mazes and can join battles. Players typically avoid these non-essential bosses, using labyrinth terrain, hidden doors, and shortcuts to bypass them, as their movements are visible on the map.

Performance notes:
- Good overall performance (weight 0.04): Despite some specific issues, the game generally performs well on various hardware, including high refresh rate monitors and the Steam Deck. This indicates good overall optimization for a range of systems.
- Denuvo impacts performance (weight 0.03): Players report that the Denuvo anti-tamper software negatively impacts game performance. This is a common complaint associated with Denuvo, suggesting it might be causing optimization issues.

Recommendations:
- Etrian Odyssey III Recommended (weight 0.71): Etrian Odyssey III is frequently highlighted as the best entry point for newcomers to the series and is often considered the strongest title in the collection. While some suggest playing the first for story context, the consensus leans towards EO3 for its overall quality and accessibility.
- Niche Audience Appeal (weight 0.5): The game is specifically recommended for fans of dungeon crawlers, D&D, and those who enjoy challenging RPGs with puzzle elements and map-drawing mechanics. It's noted as a niche experience, not suitable for everyone, especially those expecting modern gameplay or disliking repetition.
- Buy On Sale (weight 0.09): Many reviewers strongly advise purchasing the game, especially the entire collection, when it is on sale. They believe it offers excellent value at a discounted price, making it an even more appealing acquisition.
- Use Guides For Planning (weight 0.08): It is highly recommended for players to consult guides for various aspects of the game, including build planning, navigating difficult areas like the Great Labyrinth of the Sea, and understanding game systems. This can reduce stress and improve the overall experience.
- PC Version Recommended (weight 0.08): The PC version is highly recommended for its comfortable play experience, though the Switch version is preferred for portability. Playing with a controller on Steam is also suggested for optimal control.
- Frequent Saving Essential (weight 0.04): Players emphasize the importance of frequent saving and utilizing manual suspend saves. This suggests the game can be challenging or unforgiving, making regular saves crucial for progress and mitigating frustration.
- Utilize Subclassing & Enhancements (weight 0.02): Players are encouraged to fully utilize game mechanics such as subclassing and '宝典' enhancements. This implies these features are important for progression and strategic depth.
- Desire Future Remakes (weight 0.02): Players express a strong desire and intent to purchase future remakes of the series if they are released on Steam. This indicates high satisfaction with the current release and loyalty to the franchise.
- Engage With Puzzles (weight 0.02): Players are advised to actively engage with and try to solve the game's puzzles. This highlights a core gameplay element that contributes to the overall experience.
- Long Playtime Expected (weight 0.02): Playing the game completely blind is estimated to take a significant amount of time, ranging from 60 to 80 hours. This provides an expectation of game length for new players.
- Recommends Specific Party Build (weight 0.02): A specific party composition, 'double princess', is recommended for easier navigation of the labyrinth. This offers a practical tip for gameplay.
- Suggests New Story Route (weight 0.02): A specific suggestion for a future remake is to include a route where players can defeat all 'selfish characters'. This indicates a desire for more narrative agency or alternative story paths.
- Outdated For Modern Era (weight 0.02): One review suggests that the game's style might feel outdated for modern gaming standards ('Reiwa era'). This is a critical perspective on its age.
- Welcomes New Players (weight 0.02): A welcoming sentiment is extended to new players, indicating a friendly community or an accessible entry point for newcomers.
- Requests Korean Localization (weight 0.02): There is a request for future Etrian Odyssey games to include Korean localization. This highlights a desire for broader language support.

Other player notes:
- Demand for new Etrian Odyssey games (weight 0.28): Many players, both new and veterans, express a strong desire for future Etrian Odyssey titles, including new entries and remasters/ports of existing games (especially IV, V, and X) to modern platforms like Steam. There's a clear demand for the series to continue and expand its accessibility.
- Appealing art style with hidden depth (weight 0.23): The game features a distinct and appealing art style, with beautiful character portraits and illustrations. While initially appearing cute, this aesthetic cleverly masks the game's underlying hardcore difficulty and challenging dungeon crawling.
- Masterpiece in niche DRPG genre (weight 0.14): The game is recognized as a masterpiece within the niche DRPG genre, offering rich world-building and challenging dungeon design. It successfully interprets and continues the traditions of grid-based dungeon crawlers, despite the genre's limited mainstream appeal.
- Encourages player-driven storytelling (weight 0.07): The game encourages players to create their own narratives and imagine their party members' reactions to the challenging world. This fosters a strong sense of personal connection and emergent storytelling within the gameplay.
- Unique and immersive ocean setting (weight 0.05): The game's setting, involving exploration of an ocean floor labyrinth with deep-sea horrors and varied environments, is highly immersive and unique. The ability to explore both underwater and surface areas adds to the world's depth.
- Minor issues due to DS origins (weight 0.02): Some minor issues or design quirks are understandable given the game's original development for the Nintendo DS hardware, which had specific technical limitations.
- Developer concern over popularity (weight 0.02): There is a speculative concern that the developer might be disheartened by the perceived lack of popularity of a new game, though this is not directly tied to the game's quality.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.35): Players expressed satisfaction primarily due to the game's challenging yet rewarding gameplay, including strategic depth, party customization, and engaging boss fights. The quality of life improvements, HD visuals, and overall polish of the PC port also significantly contributed to a positive experience, especially the map drawing mechanics and exploration.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Frustration stemmed from several aspects, notably the early game difficulty spikes, unclear game mechanics, and awkward mapping UI. The 'Great Labyrinth of the Sea' and sea exploration puzzles were frequently cited as tedious or poorly designed, leading to a negative experience. High price points and performance issues also contributed to player frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Disappointment was largely driven by the game's perceived shallow story, outdated design elements, and the mandatory feeling of sea exploration. Players also expressed disappointment with the pricing strategy, the choice to port original versions instead of Untold, and missing features, leading to a feeling of poor value for money.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players found enjoyment in the game's core gameplay loop, particularly the variety of character builds and party compositions. The map drawing mechanic, sea questing, and overall addictiveness of the game contributed to a fun and immersive experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement was generated by the game's quality, the anticipation of new titles, and the improvements over previous entries. The strategic combat, unique balance, and the overall depth of the dungeon exploration also contributed to a thrilling experience for players.
- Joy (weight 0.04): Joy was experienced through engaging gameplay, particularly map drawing, defeating challenging bosses, and the novelty of sea exploration. Players also felt joy from nostalgia, the game being better than remembered, and the convenience of playing on PC.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia was a strong emotion, primarily linked to players' memories of playing the original game or series during their high school years. The classic game's difficulty and the return of familiar mechanics evoked a sense of longing for the past.
- Informative (weight 0.03): This emotion arose when reviews provided helpful advice, gameplay tips, or general guidance for new players. The constructive nature of these reviews was highly valued by the community.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love for the game and series was expressed due to its overall quality and the deep affection players held for the franchise. Simply playing the game evoked strong positive feelings.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude was felt for the availability of the game on PC and the existence of the HD remake. Players appreciated the efforts made to bring these classic titles to modern platforms.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom was reported due to repetitive content, particularly during back-to-back playthroughs, and a general inability to find sustained fun in the gameplay loop. The lack of visual progression in combat also contributed to this feeling.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players expressed hope for future releases in the series, particularly new entries or PC ports of other titles like EO4. This indicates a strong desire for continued support and development for the franchise.
- Guidance (weight 0.01): This emotion was associated with reviews that offered practical advice to other players, such as recommendations on difficulty settings or which game in the series to choose. These reviews aimed to help others navigate the game more effectively.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from the game's story elements, particularly the seafaring content and quests, which some players found unclear or difficult to follow. The complexity of map-making for newcomers also contributed to this feeling.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was a strong negative emotion, primarily triggered by perceived unacceptable design choices, missing vital information within the game, and regret over the purchase decision. This indicates significant dissatisfaction with core aspects of the game.
- Fatigue (weight 0.01): Fatigue was reported due to the game's tiring gameplay, particularly the grind and high difficulty. The hardships encountered during play contributed to a sense of exhaustion.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm was evident for the game's overall quality, its strategic depth, and its appeal to a niche audience. The challenging TRPG elements also generated a strong positive response from players.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players showed appreciation for the 'miracle remasters' and the game's unique gameplay. The inclusion of new exploration elements and sub-classes was also highly valued.
- Minor frustration (weight 0.01): Minor frustration was experienced due to specific issues like seafaring mechanics, limitations in auto-mapping, and the game's price. Concerns about replayability and the story ending also contributed to this milder form of dissatisfaction.
- Adoration (weight 0.01): Adoration was expressed for the overall gameplay experience, indicating a very strong positive emotional connection to the game.}