Is this your favorite grid-based RPG?

[Damon]

Seems like many think so and I agree. I have not yet played every single grid-based RPGs but plenty. If this is not your favorite then which game is it?

My personal top-list may be something like this:

1. Etrian Odyssey games
2. Operation Abyss/Babel
3. A couple Wizardry games

[Clown King Ned]

Not going to lie, in some way this series ruined other grid based RPGs for me, lol. Played so many hours on 3/DS with the series some time ago, and moving to other games brings a sense of "but it isn't Etrian ." I think it's the immersion and the mapping system for me that really makes Etrian something special, building your own guild and pushing on against the odds. Gah, truly something special.

You can argue that Labyrinth of Refrain is pretty close, and truth be told I did thoroughly enjoy the game. I got to the third region of the game before putting my playthrough on pause, but now...I don't know if I can get back to it again, haha.

[Jiur]

I prefer Labyrinth of Refrain / Galleria myself honestly

[Red]

The original Etrian Odyssey was my first dungeon crawler, and it's still my favourite (though EOV seems excellent).

Somehow all other DRPGs have at least one point that doesn't fully click for me, usually in the party system area, the skill system one, or just because "this game won't let me draw the map". As convenient and understandable auto-mapping is on other hardware than DS and in games that don't focus as much on drawing it, I still think it's part of the charm of the EO series.

So yeah, EO strikes an almost perfect balance between several points to me. It's pretty easy to get into (stats are not as daunting as in some other games), the combat system feels just right, and exploration feels much more rewarding when drawing your own map.

[Damon]

Messaggio originale di Red:

The original Etrian Odyssey was my first dungeon crawler, and it's still my favourite (though EOV seems excellent).

Right, Etrian Odyssey was not my first drpg. I never vote games based on nostalgic factors. But I agree with your view on the game.

[Red]

Messaggio originale di Damon:

Messaggio originale di Red:

The original Etrian Odyssey was my first dungeon crawler, and it's still my favourite (though EOV seems excellent).

Right, Etrian Odyssey was not my first drpg. I never vote games based on nostalgic factors. But I agree with your view on the game.

I try not to let the nostalgia bias affect how I judge games, but the series *does* have various elements that give it a particular flavour other DRPGs don't quite match IMHO. Plus there's also the setting in itself, I tend to prefer EO's various natural-looking strata compared to dungeons that were built (usually with stone or metal walls) in other games (not all though).

[D・U・P!]

I enjoy Rance VI a lot. The party member management mid dungeon is a lot of fun.

[dZehn]

Undernauts also really good.

[Klapseninsasse]

The first three Bard's Tale games hold a special place in my heart.

[魔装機神 Psybuster]

I'm not sure if I'd say absolute favorite, but definitely among my favorites. Experience's games are also very high up there, especially Tsurugi no Machi no Ihoujin and Yomi wo Saku Hana.

[Damon]

Messaggio originale di 魔装機神 Psybuster:

I'm not sure if I'd say absolute favorite, but definitely among my favorites. Experience's games are also very high up there, especially Tsurugi no Machi no Ihoujin and Yomi wo Saku Hana.

Yeah I still was in doubt how good Undernauts is considering the price point. But since most seem to say it's very good so will be a buy soon eventually. I personally did not fall for Stranger of Sword City but understand why other like it.

[魔装機神 Psybuster]

Messaggio originale di Damon:

Yeah I still was in doubt how good Undernauts is considering the price point. But since most seem to say it's very good so will be a buy soon eventually. I personally did not fall for Stranger of Sword City but understand why other like it.

If you're hardware agnostic, the Switch version recently had a budget rerelease: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy0vUviKrYs

Also while the design philosophy changed a fair bit since Tsurugi no Machi and it's much more lenient with reclassing and realloting skill points, it is by the same devs and thus a lot of the same "common sense" will apply to it. Also while it's a fully stand alone story like most of their games, it does take place in the same greater "world" as not only that title, but also the rest of the "Epic of the Sky" games: Entaku no Seito/Aoki Tsubasa no Chevalier, Demon Gaze 1 and 2, and MonYuu, and there will be lore ties here and there.

[JayDee Phoenix]

Labyrinth of Refrain/Galleria is the best for me. Experience games are always good and they make releases periodically. If anyone is looking for a similar sort of game then Labyrinth of Touhou is really good. The 3rd game in that series is being developed at the moment. Anyways Dungeon Travelers is coming out soon which i'm sorta looking forward to because if it just releases on Johren I'm not buying it.

Messaggio originale di D・U・P! #KILLTF2:

I enjoy Rance VI a lot. The party member management mid dungeon is a lot of fun.

I'm still waiting for Rance 3 translation so I can be more motivated to play the series hopefully it isn't too long.

[Splinter of Chaos]

I'm on the Labyrinth of Refrain/Galleria boat as well. I can't tell ya how many times I go up to a wall and hit the "destroy wall" button, only to be disappointed. "Oh, it's one of those walking-around walls RPGs..."

[魔装機神 Psybuster]

Messaggio originale di JayDee Phoenix:

Anyways Dungeon Travelers is coming out soon

A new one, or a port of one of the three already out?

Messaggio originale di Splinter of Chaos:

I'm on the Labyrinth of Refrain/Galleria boat as well. I can't tell ya how many times I go up to a wall and hit the "destroy wall" button, only to be disappointed. "Oh, it's one of those walking-around walls RPGs..."

As excited as I was by Refrain's PV advertising that feature, in practice it's still mostly scripted, most walls are still unbreakable. That said, you CAN use it to get into some really nasty situations, which I do like.

[Damon]

Messaggio originale di 魔装機神 Psybuster:

Messaggio originale di Splinter of Chaos:

I'm on the Labyrinth of Refrain/Galleria boat as well. I can't tell ya how many times I go up to a wall and hit the "destroy wall" button, only to be disappointed. "Oh, it's one of those walking-around walls RPGs..."

As excited as I was by Refrain's PV advertising that feature, in practice it's still mostly scripted, most walls are still unbreakable. That said, you CAN use it to get into some really nasty situations, which I do like.

It's also kinda fun in Refrain that you can break wall near entrance in first dungeon to get to endgame content. Easily make your available characters far more powerful than they should be and set for pretty much all dungeons. It's mostly the visual novel and a few things that didn't click for me but it's still a fun game.