Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight (Hands-On) (Nintendo 3DS) Preview

Like the first game, Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold lets players choose between two modes: Classic and Story, with the former more faithfully replicating Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard for the DS. A guild can be created and several team members selected, choosing specific avatars for particular classes and then forming teams of five characters to head into, and map, the nearby labyrinth. Gameplay is first-person, involving exploring and mapping the many floors of the dungeon and getting into turn-based battles.

Outside of the labyrinth, there is plenty to do: inns and shops have their own stories and side-quests, and there's even a restaurant simulator mini-game, requiring ingredients dropped by monsters in the labyrinth to make new dishes and please customers. Besides the latter, the game feels very similar to its predecessors, both Etrian Odyssey 2 and Etrian Odyssey Untold.

Where it stands out most is the new story mode. Rather than building a custom team, adventurers play as pre-made characters who find themselves entangled in a series of escapades. These are voiced and come with pre-set personalities, quipping and reacting to the events around them. Some familiar tropes are found here and the characters are reminiscent of those found in Etrian Odyssey Untold, but they bring their own combat styles and personalities to the table.

Several new mechanics also present themselves in Story, further separating Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold from its predecessors. It's a Dungeons and Dragons-like labyrinth crawler imbued with the art and humour found only in JRPGs, with a combat system most Atlus fans will be immediately familiar with. Different modes and difficulties spell a lot of replay value for an already-long campaign, but the promise of paid and free DLC means even more staying power to boot.