Etrian Odyssey HD (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.0.2a Update + DLC

Etrian Odyssey HD is a 2007 3D dungeon crawler role-playing video game by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. It centers around a first-person exploration of a mysterious dungeon known as the Yggdrasil Labyrinth using a player-created party of characters. The game received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who criticized its punishing difficulty as limiting its appeal, but also making its gameplay more rewarding. A remake, titled Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2013. A remastered version of the original was released for Nintendo Switch and Windows in June 2023 under the title Etrian Odyssey HD.

GAMEPLAY

Drawing comparisons to titles such as Wizardry and The Bard’s Tale, Etrian Odyssey challenges players with exploring and mapping a vast dungeon. Players navigate through the dungeon in fixed increments. Time passes only when an action is taken, causing movement, random encounters, and combat to all be entirely turn-based. The game uses a first-person view to present the dungeon using a combination of relatively simple 3D computer graphics for environments and single-frame 2D sprites for enemies.

Etrian Odyssey requires that players maintain their own map by annotating (with the stylus) a small map displayed on the DS’s touchscreen. The player is free to map accurately or haphazardly. However, the player cannot draw their own symbols, and must instead use the game’s limited set of pre-designed symbols. The game also limits the number of symbols that can be used for each level map.

In addition to normal random encounters, the player must overcome “FOEs” (Field On Enemies), which are exceptionally powerful monsters which wander around the dungeon in much the same way as the player’s party, advancing whenever the player does. The AI of FOEs varies, but most will wander the dungeon in a set circular path until they sense the player’s party, after which they will move directly towards the party. If the player encounters an FOE in an area with multiple FOEs, it is possible for a second or even third FOE to join the battle if it reaches the party before they defeat the first one.

Like most early RPGs, Etrian Odyssey uses custom characters from a number of different character classes. While only five characters can be in the party at a single time, a much larger number can be created and kept in waiting back at the “guild hall”. Characters can be switched in and out of the party when in town, so if a given specialty is needed for a specific obstacle, the party can be tailored appropriately. The player allocates skill points to specific skills during level advancement.

PLOT

The game starts with the player forming an adventuring guild in order to explore the mysterious Yggdrasil Labyrinth from the nearby town of Etria. This is encouraged by the Radha and its chieftain, Visil, due to the town’s prosperity stemming from exploration of the labyrinth. He uses the experienced rōnin Ren and the hexer Tlachtga to teach the player how to explore the labyrinth and continue descending into each stratum.

Once the player nears the lowest stratum of the labyrinth, they encounter a humanoid race known as the Forest Folk. The Forest Folk attempt to prevent the player from descending further, citing an ancient pact, but the player finally prevails against their massive guardian bird, the Iwaopeln.

Entering the lowest stratum, they discover the ruins of post-apocalyptic Shinjuku, revealing for the first time that the setting of the game is actually a far-future Earth. At this point, the player is confronted by Ren and Tlachtga, but this time to kill the player. They claim that if the secrets of the labyrinth were discovered, explorers would stop coming to Etria and the town would no longer prosper.

The player defeats the two, and confronts Visil deeper in the labyrinth. Visil, who was actually the immortal lead researcher who created the Yggdrasil Project to restore the planet, merges with the core of Yggdrasil, becoming the Etreant in order to protect Yggdrasil. The player defeats him, destroying Yggdrasil.

FEATURES

• Utilize touch screen mapping functionality on the Nintendo Switch™ to chart your progress through the labyrinth. Draw walls and place icons to mark special events and resources.
• Experience newly remastered graphics, a revamped soundtrack, and quality of life improvements, including difficulty selection and save slots.
• Easily access the Monstrous Codex, quest log, and skill tree.
• Maximize your adventuring potential by optimizing your party. Choose character classes that align with your playstyle.