Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky (Nintendo DS) Review

In terms of plot, EoS scarcely deviates from EoD and EoT in so much as you play as a Pokémon who is suffering from amnesia, but knows that he/she was once a human and is searching for answers. A short personality test determines which critter you will become, but you are free to choose a companion from a revamped list that now includes Shinx, Eevee, and Vuplix among others. Early on in the game you'll join the Wigglytuff Guild, form an exploration team, and start taking on missions to earn money, items, and experience points by exploring randomly generate dungeons in true roguelike fashion.

Up to three team members can accompany you and can be issued commands to follow, attack nearby opponents, use certain moves more often, etc.. Unfortunately, they’ll often stand around aimlessly during battles, or even get lost and eventually mauled by roaming predators if you speed through areas too quickly. More frustrating is when a lost companion encounters an opponent when you’re nowhere nearby but still have your movement restricted until the battle concludes. Changing behaviour orders helps alleviate the problem to some extent, but it's not a flawless solution.

Unlike most roguelikes, EoS does not feature loss of experience on death (you only lose money and certain items) and there are no unidentified items, with detailed descriptions provided for everything found in dungeons. While these features are arguably archaic and repellent for many players, they are crucial to providing a sense of tension and excitement in roguelikes. Without them EoS often boils down to a simple grind-a-thon with little of the sense of wonder or accomplishment that makes titles such as Shiren the Wanderer such a satisfying experience.

Like its predecessors, EoS includes online functionality in the form of rescues, which allow players who have died in a dungeon to send out an SOS to friends or strangers to come and save them. Additional Wi-Fi features include the option to send items to other players, and even teams of Pokémon for other players to train against in the Dojo (a risk-free dungeon). Completely new to EoS is a selection of enjoyable new cut scenes, as well as a number of unlockable special episodes that delve into plot points and character back-stories not explored before.