Like EO1HD, I plan on revisiting the original DS version and making a full review of it there, but tl;dr:
If I had to elevator-pitch EO2: "You could say it's 'Etrian Odyssey 1: The Lost Levels'."
All games share similar themes and structure of course, but EO2 to me really felt like an extension of the first game. Which isn't a bad thing! More of something you love is always nice, right?
All the classes from the original are back and reworked, alongside 3 new ones: War Magus, Gunner, and Beast. But if you're not interested in them(I only picked Gunner from the new classes), you could basically run with the same party comp you had previously.
Most mechanics from the first game got spiced up, like F.O.Es no longer granting experience points, differently colored F.O.Es with special movement patterns(being able to move over walls, not showing up on the map), special checkpoint Poles that can only be warped to, not from, etc.
But unlike EO3 or 4, there aren't any MASSIVE inclusions like sea voyaging, or an entire overworld system. It's a very safe sequel, but still very enjoyable.
EO2's double-edged sword comes from its quests. On the one hand, the context and dialogue in the quests are far more interesting than what the first game offered. You get pretty close to the people in town, and the dungeon-dwelling Birdfolk aren't just a part of the main story; you spend a lot of time hanging out with them. This gives High Lagaard a very cozy vibe, and Cass' dialogue was often pretty funny; dude straight sounds like my dad at times.
On the other hand... The actual gameplay content of said quests can be really obnoxious. None of it except the post-game bosses is hard mind you, just tedious.
Thankfully, the HD remaster's additions such as quicksaving and difficulty swapping really help when it comes to saving time when backtracking, but it's still not ideal. There are so many quests where the only hint you're given is "I dunno, try asking around town. See if anyone knows anything lmao"
In the end, I still really enjoyed myself. Not as good as the first game IMO, but still fun and challenging. Maybe just hold off on the quests if it's your first time.
If I had to elevator-pitch EO2: "You could say it's 'Etrian Odyssey 1: The Lost Levels'."
All games share similar themes and structure of course, but EO2 to me really felt like an extension of the first game. Which isn't a bad thing! More of something you love is always nice, right?
All the classes from the original are back and reworked, alongside 3 new ones: War Magus, Gunner, and Beast. But if you're not interested in them(I only picked Gunner from the new classes), you could basically run with the same party comp you had previously.
Most mechanics from the first game got spiced up, like F.O.Es no longer granting experience points, differently colored F.O.Es with special movement patterns(being able to move over walls, not showing up on the map), special checkpoint Poles that can only be warped to, not from, etc.
But unlike EO3 or 4, there aren't any MASSIVE inclusions like sea voyaging, or an entire overworld system. It's a very safe sequel, but still very enjoyable.
EO2's double-edged sword comes from its quests. On the one hand, the context and dialogue in the quests are far more interesting than what the first game offered. You get pretty close to the people in town, and the dungeon-dwelling Birdfolk aren't just a part of the main story; you spend a lot of time hanging out with them. This gives High Lagaard a very cozy vibe, and Cass' dialogue was often pretty funny; dude straight sounds like my dad at times.
On the other hand... The actual gameplay content of said quests can be really obnoxious. None of it except the post-game bosses is hard mind you, just tedious.
Thankfully, the HD remaster's additions such as quicksaving and difficulty swapping really help when it comes to saving time when backtracking, but it's still not ideal. There are so many quests where the only hint you're given is "I dunno, try asking around town. See if anyone knows anything lmao"
In the end, I still really enjoyed myself. Not as good as the first game IMO, but still fun and challenging. Maybe just hold off on the quests if it's your first time.
BlazingWaters
10 months ago