Review of Etrian Odyssey III The Drowned City

Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City, developed and published by Atlus, was released on Nintendo DS in North America on the 21st of September. The game as we all know is popular for its difficult adventures. Players of the game assume the role of a guild leader, who has to fulfill quests.

The game is set in a city called Armoroad, that’s surrounded by an ocean. The city was successful in the ancient times, but because of an earthquake, that happened a hundred years ago, the central part of the city sank down into the bottom of the sea. A labyrinth that appeared in the middle of the city is a cause for much speculation as adventurer’s venture inside the labyrinth to seek the treasure that’s supposedly hidden inside.

As a leader you are expected to create a handful of characters in order to explore the hole. The game is menu driven and the city acts as your nucleus. There are different locations in the city that serve different purposes. For example Aman’s Inn not only offers lodging to soldiers, but also helps them to recover health and get away with negative status effect. Butterfly Bistro and Via Senatus give you access to special missions and official quests respectively. Assembling your team too, is a challenge. The team consists of five characters at a time that are assembled in two rows. Once the front row is defeated, the second row takes center stage in the battlefield. Players get to choose how many players can stand in the front row and how many are needed as backup support. There are different classes of players. Prince, Gladiator, Hoplite, Buccaneer, Ninja, Monk, Zodiac, Wilding, Arbalist and Farmer are some of the classes that come up in the initial level.

The Exploration too, is done from the first person perspective. The actual dungeon can be seen at the top of the screen, and the bottom screen displays the map. You can draw the map with the help of a stylus, so that you get more time exploring. The mapping is detailed and absolutely engrossing. Many a times, you would find yourself engrossed in the exploration rather than fighting. You are solely responsible for your defeat and win. For example you don’t have anyone to blame for drawing a map that leads you to a death trap and no one to thank, when you’ve landed with a beautifully styled map.

The game throws a real challenge to its players and tests their patience and skills thoroughly. The game needs a lot of commitment. A player needs to struggle to survive. The victory in the end however is a treat and makes the struggle worthwhile.