Etrian Odyssey III
A 3D dungeon crawler with sea exploration and player-drawn maps.
Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City, a 3D dungeon crawler RPG for the Nintendo DS, was released by Atlus in 2010. It follows Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard. Players take on the role of a guild leader, exploring a labyrinth to complete quests. An HD remaster, titled Etrian Odyssey III HD, came out for Nintendo Switch and Windows in June 2023.
Gameplay continues the series tradition: one screen shows a first-person 3D view of the dungeon, while the other displays an overhead map that players must fill in themselves. The mapping system is partially automated, letting players freely place icons on a grid to mark sea currents, landmarks, or notes about the terrain. No pre-made characters exist; players build their own guild by creating characters from various classes. Each class has unique skills, stats, and equipment restrictions. Up to five characters can be in the active party at once, but a guild can hold up to 30, and characters can be swapped in town.
This third installment introduces 12 new classes and a subclass system, allowing characters to gain most of a second class's skill set. The unlockable Yggdroid class is an exception—it cannot be subclassed but can learn subclasses itself. After completing the first mission, players can "set sail" on a ship. Voyages are limited by provisions, which restrict movement to a certain number of spaces. At sea, the mapping system works like the labyrinth’s, with new icons for whirlpools and islands. There are no random encounters while sailing, but pirate ships roam like F.O.E.s in the labyrinth and will sink the player’s ship on contact. Sea missions involve locating foreign ports to restore Armoroad’s trade routes. Reaching a port unlocks a sea quest to eliminate unique monsters in that area, which is required to complete the monster discovery book.
Weapon customization through forging is new to the series. Forging adds an effect to a weapon if the player has the necessary materials, enough "sockets" or blank spaces on the weapon, and the required money. Different "hammers" with desired effects must be found via quests or in chests throughout the labyrinth.
The story takes place in the sea city of Armoroad, once prosperous with advanced civilization. A great earthquake a hundred years ago sank the city’s central part, along with its superior technology, into the sea.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Etrian Odyssey III: / The Drowned City
- Developer
- Atlus
- Publisher
- JP · Atlus · NA · Atlus USA · WW · Sega (HD)
- Director
- Shigeo Komori
- Programmer
- Yoshihiro Komori
- Artist
- Yuji Himukai
- Composer
- Yuzo Koshiro
- Series
- Etrian Odyssey
- Engine
- Unity (HD)
- Platforms
- Nintendo DS · Nintendo Switch · Windows
- Released
- Nintendo DSJP · April 1, 2010 · NA · September 21, 2010Switch, WindowsWW · June 1, 2023
- Genre
- Role-playing, dungeon crawler
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in a sea city known as Armoroad, which is surrounded by the beautiful ocean. Armoroad prospered in the ancient time with high-level civilization. However, because of the great earthquake that happened a hundred years ago, the central part of the city sank down into the bottom of the sea, along with its superior technology. After the 'Great Disaster', a labyrinth appeared in the hole of the city created by the earthquake. People from all over the world gathered around Armoroad to find clues that will lead them to the vanished city. Adventurers embarked down into the enormous hole, which devoured most part of the city and the lost technology. Some sought for the truth behind the 'Great Disaster', while the others sought the treasures buried deepest under the sea.
Shigeo Komori, the director of Etrian Odyssey II and III, told the reasons of adding the 'sea' element to the new entry of the series during an interview. Komori said that the image of Etrian Odyssey was a green sea of trees and that of Etrian Odyssey II was the chill sky of North Europe. When he came to think about the theme for the third title, he felt really attracted by the warm southern sea.
Reader's Guide
Etrian Odyssey III continues the series' core gameplay of Wizardry-style dungeon crawling with player-maintained maps on the Nintendo DS's dual screens. One screen shows a 3D view of the dungeon, while the other displays an overhead map that players must draw themselves using icons for terrain features such as sea currents, landmarks, and footnotes. The game introduces 12 all-new classes and a subclassing system, with the exception of the unlockable Yggdroid class, which cannot be subclassed but can learn sub classes. A major addition is the ability to set sail on a ship after the first mission, allowing sea voyages limited by provisions. Sea mapping uses new icons for whirlpools and islands, and encounters involve pirate ships that sink the player's vessel on contact. Forging allows customization of weapons by adding effects using hammers found in quests or chests, provided the weapon has enough sockets and the player has the required materials and money. The remastered version, released in June 2023, includes updated visuals and music, quality-of-life changes, and additional character portraits, with DLC portraits featuring Nahobino from Shin Megami Tensei V and Aigis from Persona 3. Reception was generally favorable, with Famitsu scoring it 35 out of 40, noting that 'the core charm of the series, with its Wizardry-style gameplay and player-built maps, is as strong as ever.'
Did You Know?
- Players can create up to 30 characters in their guild, but only five can be in the active party at once.
- Sea voyages restrict movement based on the amount of provisions the player has.
- The remastered version added DLC portraits of Nahobino from Shin Megami Tensei V and Aigis from Persona 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City?
It is a 3D dungeon-crawling RPG that Atlus published for the Nintendo DS in 2010, serving as the direct sequel to Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard. Players step into the shoes of a guild leader who ventures into a labyrinth to carry out various quests.
How does the dual-screen mapping work in Etrian Odyssey III?
One DS screen gives you a first-person 3D perspective of the dungeon ahead, while the other shows a top-down map you are responsible for filling in as you explore. The system is only partially automated, so you still have creative freedom in how you place and label the areas you discover.
What sets Etrian Odyssey III apart from the rest of the series?
Beyond the familiar dungeon-crawling loop, this entry adds a sea-exploration element that lets you venture into aquatic areas. The guild-leader framing and quest structure also give the run a slightly more narrative-driven feel compared to earlier titles.
Can I play Etrian Odyssey III on a modern device?
Yes — Atlus shipped an HD remaster called Etrian Odyssey III HD on June 1, 2023, bringing the game to Nintendo Switch and PC (Windows).
Who directed Etrian Odyssey III?
Shigeo Komori helmed the project, which Atlus both developed and published for the Nintendo DS in 2010.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2010s, Part 2 1-24
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