Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight by developer Atlus is a remake of Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, a JRPG dungeon crawler that first appeared on Nintendo DS back in June 2008. As the Fafnir Knight, the player – along with childhood friend Flavio – must escort Arianna, Princess of Caledonia, to an unknown ruin where she must perform a ritual that happens once every century. During the course of the adventure, the protagonist and his party must explore both Ginnungagap and Yggdrasil Labyrinth; battle the Overlord and his minions; and destroy the ‘Calamity’ once and for all.
The 3DS release of Etrian Odyssey 2 comes with a variety of changes and new features. For starters, the game implements the improvements from Persona Q where the player can confirm commands during battle, as well as initiate ‘auto battle’. The Skill Tree system has also changed. When unlocking a new section of the Skill Tree, the game will automatically learn new abilities and add any available Skill Points that may be available.
The Grimoire Stone Mechanics have also returned, but they randomly generate during mid-battle. However, it’s worth mentioning that Grimoire Stones can no longer be fused. They can be traded for other stones, though. The Monstrous Codex has also been upgraded. It can now display a monster’s ailment, bind affinities, and resistances. It is also possible to view a creature’s immunities.
Like its predecessor (i.e. Etrian Odyssey) and even its successors, The Fafnir Knight is seen from a third-person perspective. The player must explore dungeons and map out their progress using the Nintendo 3DS’ touch screen. Using a grid system with drawing tools, the mapping system keeps track of your location as you move. By using the stylus, you must select from a variety of tools to draw solid lines around previously visited areas; drop icons to indicate specific objects like doors; and even use footnotes to leave descriptions. The mapping system has received ‘enhanced’ map icons, including a new ‘treasure’ icon that will change after a treasure chest has been opened.
The mapping system is simple to use, but advanced enough to give the player some flexibility. An eraser tool is present to remove mistakes and a limited color palette is present to color in areas to represent dirt, grass, etc. The game requires the player to map out every dungeon to actually ‘clear’ them. This concept has been a selling point for the series for quite some time. The idea of drawing maps may not be for everyone. However, in its defense – it adds an element of interaction that is not commonly found in role-playing games.
Combat is turn-based and relies on a menu system to issue commands to your party. Aside from attacking your foes, you can use special skills (i.e. magic such as Sonic Raid, Flank shot, etc.), defend against attacks and even switch the position of party members. There is also an option to escape from battle if needed. You can also use a Grimoire Stone to borrow skills from members of your party. The stone will record the known skills of the currently selected character and any enemies that are on-screen. When equipped, you can use the acquired skills during combat. So if the character you siphoned skills from has the Medic ability, you can assist in healing your party during battle. The Grimoire Stone plays an important role during combat; it should be used whenever possible.
The game uses an in-depth cooking system that relies on ingredients that drop off monsters during combat. These ingredients must be taken to Ducal Restaurant, where the Chef NPC will provide recipes that contain fairly vague ingredient clues. If the player chooses the right ingredients, a new dish will unlock. The buffs garnered from each dish can range from Curse damage to Max HP, to name just a few.
The Fafnir Knight uses a combination of 3D for the environments and 2D for the character illustrations. The character illustrations are on par with previous Atlus releases, so fans will be pleased by the level of quality given to the characters. The creatures that inhabit the dungeons manage to impress, as they dance around the screen during combat.
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight for 3DS is a fun role-playing game. The combat system benefits greatly from the cooking system, and the mapping mechanic adds a unique twist to an otherwise excellent game. Fans of the role-playing genre, and those that enjoy Atlus games in general, will not be disappointed by this release.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
ESRB: T (Teen)
Price: $49.99
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight Official Website: Click Here
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Colorful Manga-style illustrations and beautiful 3D enviornments. | |
| Sound | |
| A moody, but memorable soundtrack compliments the gameplay. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Aside from the mapping system, the game benefits greatly from having the in-depth cooking system. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Fans of JRPGs, and the Etrian Odyssey series in general, will not be disappointed . | |
