Etrian Odyssey II
A first-person dungeon crawler set in the Yggdrasil Labyrinth.
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard is a 2008 dungeon crawler role-playing video game by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Etrian Odyssey. A remake, Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight, was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2014, and a remastered version of the original was released for Nintendo Switch and Windows in June 2023 under the title Etrian Odyssey II HD.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Atlus; Lancarse
- Publisher
- Atlus (JP)
- Atlus USA (NA)
- Sega (HD) (WW)
- Director
- Shigeo Komori
- Programmer
- Atsushi Motouchi
- Artist
- Yuji Himukai
- Composer
- Yuzo Koshiro
- Series
- Etrian Odyssey
- Engine
- Unity (HD)
Facts from the source article.
Story
In the Grand Duchy of High Lagaard, a crisis sparks renewed interest in a floating castle high in the clouds. Research indicates the castle can be reached through the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, a forested maze of many levels. To obtain the mythical Grail of Kings said to be kept there, the Duke recruits adventurers. The player leads one such guild.
Gameplay
Players ascend the trunk of a massive magical tree, represented by vertically stacked levels, to reach a floating castle, completing smaller quests along the way. Frequent return trips to town are needed to rest and resupply. Navigation is step-based, with movement and turning in fixed increments; time passes only with actions, making movement, encounters, and combat turn-based. Random enemies appear without warning, but powerful FOEs are visible on the map and can be avoided, though they respawn every three game days. The first-person view uses simple 3D environments and 2D sprites for enemies. Players manually map the labyrinth on the DS touchscreen using a stylus, with more symbols available than in the original game. Periodic warp points allow escape to save. There are no pre-made characters; players create up to thirty characters from twelve types, each with special skills. Five can be in the active party, and characters can be swapped in town. Skill points are allocated during level advancement.
Development
Shigeo Komori directed Etrian Odyssey II, replacing Kazuya Niino, who had no input on the sequel. Komori aimed to create an old-school style of game to evoke nostalgia. The game engine was reused from Etrian Odyssey, but character classes, enemies, and dungeon strata received completely new artwork. Enhancements included walking sideways, displaying character status in stores, and switching characters with the L and R Buttons. Yuzo Koshiro composed the music on an NEC PC-88 before adapting it for the DS, using only descriptions of environments and scenes. On February 8, 2023, Atlus announced an HD remaster for Nintendo Switch and Windows, released June 1, 2023, based on the DS original, with updated visuals and music, quality of life changes, and additional character portraits. DLC added portraits of Demi-Fiend from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and Teddie from Persona 4.
Reception
Etrian Odyssey II received favorable reviews on Metacritic. Reviewers described the gameplay as intended for hardcore genre fans; IGN called it a tough series for the hardest of hardcore RPG fans. GameSpot noted it can feel like work yet remain enjoyable. 1UP.com praised it as an engrossing labor of love alongside big-budget releases. It was the 89th best-selling game in Japan in 2008, selling 145,421 copies.
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