Info about Etrian Odyssey HD:

Official game description:
Etrian Odyssey HD remasters the timeless adventure of the labyrinth that swallows all.  
In a vast and fertile land lies a small town known as Etria, a peaceful village that became famous for a startling discovery. A crack in the vast forest opened at Etria's edge, leading downward like a gaping maw. It all began there...  
Those who hear rumors of the labyrinth of Etria begin to harbor dreams of exploring it. Riches, fame, prestige... and a promise: the true spirit of adventure on the perilous edge of death.  
Build a party of explorers from nine different character classes - Create a woodland survivalist, shield-bearing protector, whip-wielding dark hunter, and more. Scour through the dungeon's many layers and fend off the unknown to discover the truth behind the Yggdrasil Labyrinth.  
Etrian Odyssey 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, Character Progression, Character Customization, Party-based Combat, Exploration, Resource Management, Manual Mapping


- 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:
- Balanced & Flexible Difficulty (weight 0.65): The game offers a well-balanced difficulty experience with multiple options, including a new 'Picnic' mode for casual players and an 'Expert' mode for veterans. This allows players to tailor the challenge to their preference, making the game accessible to newcomers while still providing a demanding experience for those seeking it.
- Satisfying Map Drawing Mechanic (weight 0.6): The unique manual map-drawing mechanic is a significant highlight, offering a deep sense of exploration and accomplishment. The remaster successfully adapts this feature for PC, making it comfortable and intuitive with mouse and keyboard, and even offering auto-mapping options for convenience.
- Engaging & Immersive Gameplay (weight 0.53): Players consistently found the game to be highly immersive and enjoyable, praising its engaging gameplay loop, atmospheric visuals, and overall fun factor. The core experience remains compelling even years after its original release, providing a rewarding adventure.
- High-Quality Remaster (weight 0.45): The remaster is lauded for its high quality, successfully updating graphics, fixing bugs from the original DS version, and adding significant quality-of-life features like fast-forward and quick saves. It maintains the original game's essence while providing a polished modern experience.
- Excellent Dungeon Crawler RPG (weight 0.37): The game is highly praised as an excellent dungeon crawler RPG, fulfilling the fantasy of exploring intricate labyrinths and developing characters. Its well-designed dungeons, engaging combat system, and character progression mechanics make it a standout in the genre.
- Rewarding Character Progression (weight 0.23): The character development and progression systems are well-paced and rewarding, allowing for deep customization and strategic team building. The cycle of exploration, acquiring materials, and upgrading gear feels natural and addictive, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Excellent PC Controls (weight 0.17): The PC port offers excellent and flexible control options, supporting both keyboard/mouse and controllers seamlessly. Players found the controls intuitive, especially for map drawing with the mouse, making the game very comfortable to play on modern systems.
- Great Series Entry Point (weight 0.17): The game serves as an excellent entry point to the series, allowing new players to experience its unique blend of difficulty, exploration, and team building. Fans of the series are also satisfied with its availability on modern platforms.
- Diverse Class System (weight 0.12): The game features a diverse and well-designed class system, where each class feels unique and offers distinct roles and abilities. This allows for varied team compositions and strategic combat approaches, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Convenient Quick Save Feature (weight 0.11): The addition of a quick-save feature, allowing players to save anywhere in dungeons, is a highly appreciated quality-of-life improvement. This significantly eases the difficulty and provides convenience, especially during challenging encounters.
- Good Music & Soundtrack (weight 0.1): The game's music is generally well-received, with many players finding it good to amazing and harmonizing well with the game's atmosphere. While some desired more variety, the soundtrack contributes positively to the overall experience.
- Varied Dungeon Design (weight 0.09): The dungeon design is praised for its variety and progression, with each floor introducing new enemies and challenges. This keeps the exploration fresh and rewarding, highlighting player progress as they revisit earlier areas.

Common complaints:
- Outdated and Unpolished Gameplay (weight 0.86): Many players found the game to be outdated and lacking modern quality-of-life features, making it a frustrating and boring experience. This includes issues with balancing, difficulty spikes, unintuitive systems, and a general lack of polish expected from a contemporary title.
- Frustrating Late-Game Dungeon Design (weight 0.5): The design of later dungeons, particularly the 6th stratum and post-game content, was heavily criticized for being tedious, convoluted, and overly reliant on frustrating mechanics like teleports, pitfalls, and hidden passages. This led to a significant drop in player enjoyment and motivation.
- Excessive and Tedious Grinding (weight 0.36): The game requires excessive grinding for experience and money, especially for new party members or to overcome difficulty spikes. This grind becomes tedious and unrewarding, particularly in the late game and post-game, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- Confusing Skill Tree and Descriptions (weight 0.28): The skill tree is poorly designed, with vague descriptions and unintuitive layouts that make it difficult for players to plan builds or understand skill effects. This often leads to wasted skill points and a feeling of being punished for experimentation.
- Unfair Boss Difficulty Spikes (weight 0.21): Certain bosses, especially in the late game and post-game, have extreme difficulty spikes and often require very specific party compositions or classes to defeat. This forces players to grind or re-specialize, which can be frustrating, especially for achievement hunters.
- Weak and Absent Story (weight 0.21): The game's story is widely considered to be minimal, bland, and often nonsensical or non-existent for large portions of the game. This lack of narrative depth fails to provide motivation for progression or a satisfying conclusion.
- Uninspired Side Quests (weight 0.2): Side quests are generally uninspired, repetitive fetch quests with minimal guidance and often insignificant rewards. They add little value to the game and can be confusing or time-consuming to complete.
- Poor Item Drop Rates (weight 0.15): Players reported frustratingly low and inconsistent drop rates for quest items and rare materials, making progression and item acquisition a tedious chore. Conditional drops were also often unclear, requiring trial and error.
- Excessive Random Encounters (weight 0.13): The frequency of random encounters is excessively high, particularly in later stages of the game. This constant interruption disrupts exploration, map drawing, and overall pacing, making dungeon crawling a chore.
- Unmarked Shortcuts (weight 0.11): The game lacks clear indicators for shortcuts, forcing players to tediously search for them. This design choice, combined with inconsistent or missing indicators, makes navigation more frustrating than it needs to be.
- Limited Inventory and Party Slots (weight 0.1): The small inventory size and lack of item stacking force frequent returns to town, interrupting exploration and material gathering. This, combined with limited character slots, restricts party flexibility and overall expedition length.
- Overpowered Medic Class (weight 0.08): The Medic class is considered overpowered and almost mandatory due to its essential healing and defensive buffs, particularly 'Immunize.' This creates a lack of party diversity and makes other support classes feel less viable.
- Underwhelming Unlockable Classes (weight 0.08): The two unlockable classes are introduced too late in the game and are generally perceived as underpowered or less useful compared to the starting classes. This makes the effort to unlock and level them feel unrewarding.
- Missing Untold Content (weight 0.08): Players expressed disappointment that the HD remaster did not include the significant quality-of-life improvements, story content, or additional features found in the 'Untold' remakes of the game on the 3DS.

Gameplay feedback:
- Challenging Difficulty Options (weight 0.49): The game offers multiple difficulty settings, including 'Expert' which replicates the original DS version's challenging experience. While the main story takes around 30-50 hours, the post-game content significantly increases difficulty and playtime, often requiring strategic preparation.
- Unique Map Drawing Mechanic (weight 0.47): A defining feature is the manual map-drawing system, allowing players to chart their progress and mark points of interest. While an auto-mapping option exists, it still requires manual annotation for important features like doors, chests, and gathering spots, offering a rich and customizable mapping experience.
- Classic Dungeon Crawler Gameplay (weight 0.4): The game is a classic first-person dungeon crawler, emphasizing exploration, mapping, and turn-based combat. Players navigate intricate labyrinths, fight monsters, level up, and manage resources, following a core loop of dungeon exploration and town visits.
- Strategic FOE and Boss Fights (weight 0.19): FOEs (Field On Enemies) and bosses require strategic thinking and planning, often featuring unique mechanics and significant difficulty spikes. While random encounters can be handled with less thought, these major encounters demand careful preparation.
- Accessible Difficulty and Auto-Battle (weight 0.17): The 'Picnic' difficulty mode significantly reduces challenge and provides an experience boost, making the game more accessible. This mode, along with an auto-battle feature, allows for quicker progression through minor encounters.
- Strategic Skill Tree Progression (weight 0.14): The skill tree system allows for significant character customization and strategic investment. Skill progression can greatly impact difficulty, with certain skills making the mid-game easier, encouraging experimentation to optimize party effectiveness.
- Faithful to Original Design (weight 0.14): The game largely retains the core gameplay and systems of the original DS version, including its grinding and punishing difficulty. It is considered one of the simpler entries in the series, yet still offers a strict challenge.
- Limited Class Roster (weight 0.11): The game features a limited number of initial classes, with two additional classes unlocking late in the game. Some players noted a potential for job imbalance, leading to similar party compositions.
- Customizable Party Creation (weight 0.11): Players create and customize a party of up to five adventurers from various classes, choosing their roles and positions. This party creation is central to the gameplay loop, influencing combat and exploration strategies.
- Loot-Based Shop Unlocks (weight 0.08): A key progression mechanic involves selling monster drops and materials to the shop. This action unlocks new equipment and items for purchase, encouraging players to gather resources during dungeon delves.
- Unfolding Story, No Handholding (weight 0.08): The game features a compelling story that unfolds gradually, with significant dialogue appearing later in the game. It is noted for its lack of handholding, requiring players to figure things out independently.
- Turn-Based Attrition Combat (weight 0.08): The game features a turn-based RPG combat system with attrition mechanics, emphasizing resource management, skill usage, and buff/debuff application. Grinding is an inherent part of the progression.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Steam Deck performance (weight 0.12): Players report excellent performance on the Steam Deck, noting smooth gameplay and extended battery life, making it ideal for portable play. This includes good battery life due to static images and limited animations.
- Robust display options (weight 0.07): The PC version provides essential display options, including adjustable screen resolution, high frame rate support up to 150 FPS, and V-Sync, allowing players to customize their visual experience.
- Fast combat animations (weight 0.04): The option to speed up combat animations greatly enhances the game's flow and comfort, allowing players to progress through battles more quickly and efficiently.
- Seamless cloud saves (weight 0.02): Cloud save synchronization works seamlessly between PC and Steam Deck, ensuring players can continue their progress across devices without interruption.
- Automatic wall mapping (weight 0.02): The inclusion of automatic wall mapping is a significant quality-of-life improvement, reducing the manual effort required for map completion.
- Small game size (weight 0.02): The game's small file size of only 1 GB is a positive point, making it easy to download and store.
- Improved music (weight 0.02): Players noted that the game's music has been significantly improved, enhancing the overall audio experience.

Recommendations:
- Niche Audience, Specific Appeal (weight 0.41): This game caters to a niche audience, specifically fans of classic, grind-heavy dungeon crawlers and turn-based RPGs. It is not recommended for players seeking a strong story, character development, or modern RPG conventions, as it can be off-putting to those unfamiliar with its style.
- Start with Etrian Odyssey III (weight 0.35): Many players suggest that Etrian Odyssey III is a better starting point for newcomers to the series due to its more polished experience. While the first game is worth playing for historical context, it's often recommended to begin with later, more refined entries.
- Good Value on Sale (weight 0.31): The game is frequently recommended, especially when purchased on sale or as part of a bundle. While some find the full price too high, a discount makes it a worthwhile investment for those interested in the genre.
- Compelling but Demanding Gameplay (weight 0.2): The game's stripped-down gameplay loop can be compelling, but it's not for everyone. Players are advised to manage expectations regarding graphics and potential backtracking, and some suggest taking breaks or adjusting difficulty if frustrations arise.
- Solid Dungeon Crawler for Veterans (weight 0.19): The game is a solid entry in the dungeon crawler (DRPG) genre and is highly recommended for veterans of this specific type of game. However, it may not be the best entry point for beginners to DRPGs due to its demanding nature.
- Guides Recommended for Progression (weight 0.08): Players frequently recommend using strategy guides for skill details, difficult quests, and general progression. This can save time and reduce frustration, especially for later game content.
- Watch Videos Before Buying (weight 0.05): New players are strongly advised to watch review or gameplay videos before purchasing. This helps them understand the game's unique mechanics and determine if it aligns with their preferences.
- Play and Enjoy (weight 0.04): Despite varied opinions, some players simply encourage others to try the game and play it in a way that maximizes their personal enjoyment.

Other player notes:
- Classic Atlus Remaster (weight 0.34): The game is a classic Atlus title, specifically a remaster of a 2006/2007 Nintendo DS game, Etrian Odyssey. It's seen as a great introduction to the franchise, with many callbacks to earlier entries and features from later ones, appealing to both long-time fans and newcomers.
- Minimal Story, Mixed Reception (weight 0.2): The game's narrative is generally minimal, serving more as a backdrop for world introduction. While some players found it enjoyable with decent twists, others noted the lack of dialogue and voice acting, contributing to a feeling of a prolonged prologue rather than a rich story.
- Beautiful Anime Art Style (weight 0.17): The game features a beautiful and refined anime-style art, with charming character illustrations and a well-integrated font. This unique aesthetic is a significant draw for many players, contributing to a cozy and appealing atmosphere.
- Gameplay Can Be Boring (weight 0.09): Some players found the gameplay potentially boring, suggesting it might not appeal to everyone. One reviewer felt the game was overpriced at $40, valuing it closer to $20, and expressed a loss of trust in the company for future purchases.
- Extensive Post-Game Content (weight 0.06): The game offers substantial post-clear content, which some players felt was as extensive as the main game itself. It includes numerous side quests and super-bosses, with a guide often recommended for navigating this challenging post-game content.
- Robust Character Customization (weight 0.06): The game provides great character customization options, allowing players to create unique characters and even use illustrations from different professions. This encourages players to build their own narratives and immerse themselves in the world.
- PC Release & Localizations (weight 0.05): The game is now available on PC and includes Spanish and Korean localizations. Players reported no translation issues with the story or side quests, indicating a high-quality localization effort.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.28): Players found satisfaction in the game's core gameplay loop, particularly the challenging combat, party building, and the unique mapping and exploration mechanics. The quality of the remaster, including quality of life improvements, PC optimization, and Steam Deck performance, significantly contributed to a positive overall experience, allowing players to enjoy the game's enduring appeal and successfully complete content.
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Frustration stemmed primarily from late-game tedium, including difficult final bosses, problematic map design with invisible teleport points and dead ends, and excessive grinding requirements. Issues with class balance, inconvenient game design choices, and difficulty spikes also contributed to player annoyance, making the game feel like a chore at times.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment was largely driven by the perceived lack of story and meaningful content, especially in the post-game. Players also expressed dissatisfaction with outdated systems, unintuitive gameplay, and the game's pricing, particularly when compared to the 'Untold' versions which offered more story content.
- Appreciation (weight 0.07): Players appreciated the game's art style, music, and the unique mapping mechanic, especially with mouse support. The quality of life changes and overall remaster improvements were highly valued, as was Atlus's continued support for the genre and the game's ability to bridge old and new school experiences.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment was derived from the overall gameplay experience, including the challenging combat, party building, and the unique map-drawing system. The game's art style, genre appeal, and the satisfaction of progression contributed to a fun and engaging experience from start to finish.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement was generated by the thrilling gameplay, exploration, and the discovery of the Etrian Odyssey series for the first time. The prospect of future content, perfect remasters, and the return of the game series also contributed to a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia was a strong emotion for players who had experienced the game or series since childhood, particularly those revisiting it from their DS days. The game's ability to retain its original feel and quality, along with its old-school maze environment, evoked fond memories.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through the immersive dungeon crawling experience, particularly the satisfaction of hand-drawing maps and successful exploration. The game's performance on Steam Deck, its art style, music, and the overall sense of accomplishment, including one-shotting FOEs, brought significant delight.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger arose from frustrating game mechanics, such as misleading skill descriptions, and the overall feeling of the game being a massive time sink without sufficient reward. Technical issues like freezing and data loss, along with perceived unfair game mechanics and UI design, also contributed to this negative emotion.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement stemmed from the game's extreme difficulty and its appeal to players who enjoy a 'masochistic' challenge. The self-deprecating humor about past skill and the game's suitability for casual play during other activities also contributed to this feeling.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom was caused by tedious gameplay, repetitive animations, and a lack of quality of life features. The slow pacing, uninteresting music and art, and a perceived lack of story also contributed to a monotonous experience for some players.
- Caution (weight 0.01): Caution was expressed regarding the game's high difficulty, especially in the end-game content, and the significant grinding required for achievements. Players warned others about the importance of decision-making and the game's suitability for specific player types.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love was a strong emotion directed towards the series as a whole and the game's enduring appeal. Players expressed deep affection for the game itself, highlighting its overall quality and lasting impact.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm was evident in strong recommendations for the game, praising its quality as an epitome of the JRPG dungeon crawler genre. The game's design philosophy, rewarding gameplay loop, and niche appeal generated significant excitement and positive sentiment.
- Warning (weight 0.01): Players issued warnings about the game's expert difficulty and punishing nature, advising that it might be off-putting for most players. This served as a caution to potential new players about the challenging experience ahead.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief was felt due to the quality of life additions in the remastered edition, such as quick save and auto-mapping features. The maintenance of the original difficulty while improving accessibility also contributed to a sense of ease and satisfaction.
- Acceptance (weight 0.01): Acceptance was shown towards the PC mapping solution and the game's compulsive loop, acknowledging its fun for genre fans despite its quirks and high price. Players accepted the game's design choices and pricing as part of the overall experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from boring and time-wasting quests, an unclear skill tree, and a confusing economic system. Players also expressed irritation at misinformed negative reviews, indicating a defense of the game despite its flaws.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from a lack of clear information within the game, leading players to question if the game was truly fun. Unclear story elements and mechanics also contributed to a sense of bewilderment.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was experienced upon discovering unexpected positive elements, such as an excellent story or the late realization of useful features like auto-travel routes. The deceptive difficulty of the game also led to unexpected challenges.}