Etrian Odyssey: Origins Collection

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection feels like an odd release to recommend, but we'd be doing you a disservice to suggest you pass on it. On one hand, the three games are undeniably solid DRPGs that are worth your time and attention. On the other, the cost at launch feels astronomical for what are essentially straight, no-frills HD ports of decade-old portable titles. This collection is worthwhile because this series is and always has been great, but the collection itself feels subpar given the rather lackluster effort that has gone into bringing them to modern hardware. We'd still give Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection a recommendation, but with the caveat that you're probably better off either waiting for a deep sale or just buying one of the games-we would recommend Etrian Odyssey III the most out of these three. Etrian Origins Collection may not be the 'definitive' re-release that many hoped it would be, but these games are well-respected in the DRPG space for good reason and it's great to see them on Switch.

Etrian Odyssey is a great dungeon RPG series, and its transition to PC & Switch is an admirable one, but some interface oddities and a hefty pricepoint raise eyebrows.

The HD versions of Etrian Odyssey and Etrian Odyssey II in the Origins Collection are faithful to a fault, but miss the mark on delivering a definitive experience for a pair of already revisited classics.

The collection can easily be recommended to both those that enjoy a good dungeon crawl but have somehow missed this series previously, and to those that have spent some time away and would love to revisit the origins of the series.

Atlus gave DS series fans more of what they enjoyed with this entry. Now, thanks to SEGA's publishing, additional players can experience what all the fuss was about. It's unnecessary for me to extend this review any further with nostalgic gushing or flirts with spoilers. To conclude, while newcomers might prefer starting with the first game to determine if its repetition becomes addictive, existing fans might find Etrian Odyssey III HD is the installment they want.

Despite the uniformity of the experience, as well as the simplicity in several narrative and audiovisual aspects, the games in the Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection feature a good refinement of classic mechanics that should please longtime dungeon crawler fans, while also possessing a unique personality that should be appreciated by this same audience as well. It's worth mentioning that, while challenging, the trilogy's mechanics are quite intuitive, making them a good entry point for RPG fans unfamiliar with this subgenre.

Overall Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection is a solid, if overpriced, collection of some excellent dungeon crawlers. The same core gameplay remains strong to this day, but series vets might be annoyed at the lack of Untold's features. Any of the games is an excellent game on its own and provides gameplay for quite a while. If not for the price tag, this is an incredibly easy game to recommend, with or without Untold features. Even the most hardcore of Etrian Odyssey fans may want to stick to one game or wait for a sale.

There may not be any real new features to speak of in Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, apart from a difficulty selection and a lick of paint, but there is still a huge amount of very enjoyable gameplay.

The Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection remasters the first three games of the series for the Nintendo Switch and PC, maintaining its unique dungeon crawling gameplay but struggling with the transition from dual to single-screen. Despite some compromises in the mapping function, the collection offers improved visuals, auto-battles, and remains an engaging strategic adventure, particularly on handheld devices.

At its core Etrian Odyssey, Origins Collection are enjoyable games in this genre. Some will find the simplistic and mostly menu-driven adventure unappealing, though fans of it will likely be engrossed in the world. This, coupled with a different look than the overly detailed designs typically found here, helps Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection stand out. So if you’re looking for a new dungeon crawler, you’ll likely be happy.