Etrian Mystery Dungeon
- March 5, 2015
- Spike ChunSoft
A beautiful marriage of the Mystery Dungeon and Etrian Odyssey franchises resulting in a brilliant and fun game.
"Far off in the mountains, the small village Aslarga becomes a hub for adventurers looking for fame and fortune from the Mystery Dungeons. But dire challenges await even the most stalwart adventurers in Etrian Mystery Dungeon, a turn-based action RPG roguelike developed by ATLUS and Spike Chunsoft. The Nintendo 3DS exclusive mixes Etrian Odyssey’s vast RPG party and skill customization aspects, a…
Nintendo 3ds
Reviews
- Engrossing and demanding gameplay that emphasizes player agency, rewarding success through effort.
- Great variety of character classes and extensive customization options, making team building enjoyable.
- Charming artwork and music, combined with addictive exploration and strategic combat, create a unique RPG experience.
- Highly difficult gameplay can be frustrating, especially with automated party members and a steep learning curve.
- Randomly generated dungeons can feel dull and repetitive, lacking the memorability of previous Etrian titles.
- Clunky interface and lackluster presentation detract from the overall experience, with a simple story and minimal graphics.
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Etrian Mystery Dungeon is characterized by its demanding difficulty and strong emphasis on player agency, rewarding skill and strategy over handouts. While the challenging mechanics and automated party members can lead to frustration, the randomly generated dungeons ensure a fresh experience with each playthrough, making victories feel particularly rewarding. Overall, it offers countless hours of engaging gameplay for those who appreciate its complexity.
“Engrossing and demanding gameplay that values and emphasizes player agency over anything else; success is earned, not handed, in Etrian Mystery Dungeon. Countless hours of playtime await, should the game click.”
“Wrapping Mystery Dungeon's time-tested gameplay in an evergreen Etrian aesthetic, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is another excellent RPG in the 3DS's already impressive lineup.”
“The challenging gameplay makes every victory sweet and worth cherishing; randomly generated dungeons ensure that every play session is new and unique.”
“Highly difficult and demanding, made even more frustrating by automated party members; unyielding and uncompromising gameplay design, which might not endear itself to all players.”
“The complicated gameplay harks back to the simple roots of the mystery dungeon series.”
“Engrossing and demanding gameplay that values and emphasizes player agency over anything else; success is earned, not handed, in Etrian Mystery Dungeon; countless hours of playtime, should the game click.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as "amazing" and "charming," particularly highlighting the work of composer Yuzo Koshiro. However, others found the music to be forgettable, suggesting a lack of consistency in its impact. Overall, while many players appreciate the musical elements that enhance the gameplay experience, there are notable criticisms regarding its memorability.
“Amazing music from Yuzo Koshiro.”
“Artwork and music never fail to charm, blending Etrian and Mystery Dungeon elements well.”
“Music is absolutely wonderful.”
“The music is forgettable and fails to leave a lasting impression.”
“The interface is clunky, and the music does not enhance the overall experience.”
“The music lacks creativity and does not contribute to the game's atmosphere.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of Etrian Mystery Dungeon are characterized by a charming art style that effectively blends elements from both the Etrian and Mystery Dungeon series, enhancing the exploration experience. However, some users note a lackluster presentation that fails to deliver a compelling narrative or advanced graphical fidelity, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, the engaging dungeon design and appealing artwork contribute positively to the game's aesthetic.
“Wrapping mystery dungeon's time-tested gameplay in an evergreen Etrian aesthetic, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is another excellent RPG in the 3DS' already impressive lineup.”
“Artwork and music never fail to charm, blending Etrian and Mystery Dungeon elements well. Dungeons are fun to explore and full of new challenges, and the Mystery Dungeon-based battle system is more engaging.”
“The graphics beautifully capture the essence of the Etrian series, enhancing the overall immersive experience of the game.”
“[Lackluster presentation that only provides the bare minimum of story and graphics, a high learning curve and an unforgiving system of control creates a frustrating experience]”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is generally perceived as simplistic and lackluster, with minimal depth and forgettable elements that fail to engage players. Many reviews highlight a frustrating experience due to clunky interfaces and bugs, which detract from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the story does not meet the expectations set by previous entries in the series, lacking variety and richness.
“The city management aspect is very lightweight, the story is fairly simple, and there are little other elements beyond item and weapon management.”
“Lackluster presentation that only provides the bare minimum of story and graphics, a high learning curve, and an unforgiving system of control creates a frustrating experience.”
“Having to work with some weird bugs in the dungeon runs that could jeopardize the expedition, mediocre story progression in comparison to other Etrian games, needed to add more variety and flavor to dungeon exploring.”
Critic Reviews
Etrian Mystery Dungeon Review – Last Man Standing
If it does click for you, then you'll be playing Etrian Mystery Dungeon for a very long time to come.
75%Etrian Mystery Dungeon Review
Wrapping Mystery Dungeon' time-tested gameplay in an evergreen Etrian aesthetic, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is another excellent RPG in the 3DS' already impressive lineup. It's not always a perfect mashup - the randomly generated Mystery dungeons aren't a patch on Etrian Odyssey's memorable mazes, and the elaborate skillsets feel better suited to menus than button mappings - but the masterful mix of addictive exploration, strategic combat, extensive customization, and a real sense of adventure remains engrossing throughout. Fans of either series - or anyone up for a challenging dungeon-crawl in a idyllic setting - will have a great time combing through these charming catacombs.
80%Etrian Mystery Dungeon Review
The enjoyment of Etrian Mystery Dungeon will be very much dependant on how much a player enjoys the core experience of repeated dungeon excursions. While every other aspect added to the game is well thought out, nothing else is particularly substantial. The city management aspect is very lightweight, the story is fairly simple, and there are little other elements beyond item and weapon management. In essence, it's a very pure experience, which might be very appealing to some players, while being far too repetitive for others.
70%
