
Release Date: February 5, 2019
The last installment of Etrian Odyssey, a popular dungeon-crawler series, which is designed for the Nintendo 3DS console. The title is the culmination of the series, offering the highest number of available character classes, as well as a refined gameplay model, drawing on the experience of the previous parts.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is a classic dungeon-crawler RPG and another installment in the popular Etrian Odyssey series. The entire series was developed by the Japanese studio Atlus ever since 2007 and is now available on the Nintendo DS console. Over the years, Etrian Odyssey has seen several major releases and extended remakes on the Nintendo 3DS console, as well as three spin-offs such as Etrian Mystery Dungeon, Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2, and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth. Developers drew their inspiration from classic games such as Wizards and Bard's Tale, as well as from the first Shin Megami Tensei productions. Etrian Odyssey Nexus is the last installment in the series, which is designed for portable consoles with two separate screens from the Nintendo DS family.
Etrian Odyssey games traditionally do not have a complex plot. This time around players take assume the role of a novice adventurer, who arrives at the floating city of Maginia. From there, by the order of Princess Persephony, the adventurer sets off on a journey together with other daredevils to discover the secrets of the Lemuria archipelago, in the centre of which grows a mighty magical tree known as Yggdrasil.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is a traditional dungeon-crawler in which players observe the action from the first person perspective. One starts the game by building a team comprising several characters. The developers included 19 different character classes in the game all of which have appeared in the series so far. After creating a character, one can freely decide on the further path of development of heroes, choosing new skills with gaining experience.
For the first time in the history of the series, Etrian Odyssey Nexus gives players a map of the world, which contains not only the main underground, but also small and optional labyrinths, offering various types of attractive prizes. In addition to classic quests, players can also go on adventures in the company of NPCs. These scenarios allow players to get to know some of the characters introduced by the plot and gain additional experience.
During the game players visit large locations and mazes, which are divided into square fields. In addition to hostile creatures, players will find numerous traps, portals, as well as puzzles, the solution of which unlocks the way forward. Random fights take place in the turn-based mode during which players can use standard attacks, spells, special abilities, and items. The game also features an option that is iconic for the series, i.e. the ability to create entirely new underground maps and mark their specific points on the dedicated lower screen of the console. However, this option can be switched off completely, and the game chooses a random the underground. Etrian Odyssey Nexus offers a total of four difficulty levels.
Audio-visual layer of Etrian Odyssey Nexus maintains the style of the previous installments in the series. Developers still use the same graphics engine and technology, as well as 3D opponent models. Fans will also find there distinctive 2D character portraits created by Yujie Himukai and can enjoy original score composed by Yuzo Koshiro.
Platforms:
Nintendo 3DS
Game Ratings for Etrian Odyssey Nexus Video Game.
RPG Site: 8 / 10 by Adam Vitale
A fine finale for the series on 3DS, even if it looks backward more than forward.
GameSpot: 8 / 10 by Heidi Kemps
Etrian Odyssey Nexus combines some the best elements of the long-running series into a meaty, challenging adventure that sucks you in and doesn't let go.
Nintendo Life: 9 / 10 by Mitch Vogel
Given that the Etrian Odyssey series depends so heavily on the dual-screen design of Nintendo's departing family of handhelds, it's not entirely clear what form (if any) the series will take going forward. Even so, if Etrian Odyssey Nexus is to be the final entry in this much-beloved series, we can't think of a better way for it to go out. Staggering amounts of character customization, a beautifully arranged soundtrack, dozens of hours of content, and excellent usage of stereoscopic 3D all combine to make this the definitive Etrian Odyssey experience. We'd recommend Etrian Odyssey Nexus to both longtime fans and newcomers looking to see what all the fuss is about; this is one of the deepest and most involved RPGs you're likely to find on the 3DS, and it stands as a compelling reason to dust off Nintendo's handheld once more.
Average score from votes.