Metareview: Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard

Etrian Odyssey was a surprise -- it disappeared from shelves into an immediate shortage, as the demand far outstripped the supply, particularly after word got around that it was such a great game. It was so good, in fact, that it went head-to-head with some of the year's biggest titles right here at DS Fanboy, in our year-end poll. It might surprise you, then, to learn that its sequel, Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, is picking up even better scores in early reviews. We'll be taking a look at it ourselves soon, but for now, check out what everyone else has to say about the sequel.

Electronic Gaming Monthly (A average) says, "This sequel feels like the original game on expert mode -- and that's a good thing. Etrian Odyssey constantly surprised me with its ability to keep me on my toes with a fairly limited palette of gameplay, and its successor throws in plenty of new wrinkles to make things even trickier."

RPGFan (89%) says, "While this frame story to the dungeon hack may seem trite and unengaging (and it is to a large extent), it contains enough zest to keep the players interested in finishing the game. This is completely different from the original Etrian Odyssey, which included a marginal narrative and provided the player with almost no motivation to finish the main quest outside of sheer will and determination. In addition to the main story, Etrian Odyssey II contains more than 100 side quests that provide the player with more information surrounding the region of Lagaard."