Koromaru99

Unlike our sad, salty, and idiotic friend Templar GR, I actually play these games and don't copy and paste reviews. That being said, this was an excellent addition to the series. The air balloon mini game provided a large overworld that allowed that game to reach this feeling of scope that much of the series has lacked. The gameplay remains almost the same but thats not to say its bad. Its tried and true turn based RPG goodness that will never become boring. A bit on the grindy side, but at this point thats just a staple in the series. Great menagerie of new beasts to fight. Overall a great game.

One of the best EO games as well as one of the hardest. Its high difficulty curve makes this game hard to recommend to anyone but to hardcore RPG fanatics who don't mind getting killed by Acorns this is great fun. A large amount of grinding is often required to face each stratum boss, but that is just how Etrian games work. The character customization is at its best, controlling the smallest details of your team is great. Union skills are the latest addition to the series and is probably one of my favorites. It can quickly give you the edge you need in a boss fight. Imagine binding the legs, arms, and head of a boss for three turns and they can't retaliate as you beat the living daylights out of them. There is a Union Skill for that. The story is very thin( which ii what you should expect from an EO game so people can't complain). The true story isn't really revealed until about 40 hours and is fairly generic. The mapping system is as challenging as ever but with a full auto map some of the games frustration is alleviated. But lets be real, if you take away map making EO is no longer EO. The stratums are diverse but due to the fact it takes about 10 hours to reach the next one they can become a little boring towards the end. Yet its great to go from a forest to a canyon and then from a canyon to a graveyard created by a long forgotten war. The graphics are good for a 3ds game, but nothing groundbreaking. The battle system remains the same. You can attack, use a skill, or defend. A new Race feature adds in race skills, which are basically skills only certain race can **** races in the game are Earthlain, who are basically humans. There are the Celestrians, who are basically elves. The Therians(my favorite), who look human but have animal ears. They are basically the hard hitters and supporters. Last but not least are the Brouni, who are magical dwarves. Each have unique skills only their race can learn. There are ten new classes, some of my favorites are Rover, Warlock, Dragoon, and Pugilist. Pros: Excellent Character Customization High Difficulty Level Diverse Labyrinths Great Battle Systems Cons: Not beginner friendly Light on story(not a complaint I have but one the public may have) Labyrinths are slow paced and become dull after several hours Replay Value: Fairly High My verdict: Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is an excellent addition to a series famous for its high difficulty, party building, and map making. While this game does not take the series in any new direction, it is still a great homage to old school RPG's and will remind many people of the old days playing games like Wizardry. This game's steep difficulty curve makes this game hard to recommend to anyone but to hardcore gamers you may find solace in this series. Its party building and create your own odyssey feel give this game a D and D feel. 9/10