Last week I downloaded the Etrian Odysses IV demo with my brand new 3DS. I expected to plop a few hours into the demo, create some characters, and move on. ”It is just a demo,” I thought. But I was sucked in. Bad.
The demo is pretty revolutionary in that it lets you begin the game and carry all progress over for the retail release. Naturally I crawled every inch of every dungeon, maxed my characters, and killed every possible enemy I could. It feels great to be able to start the game with such a huge leg up!
There are also several modernizations that just make the game more transparent and accessible. For instance, skills are now displayed in an easy-to-comprehend skill tree. Learning a certain level of Skill A means that you can eventually unlock Skill B and thus Skill C. This foresight allows you to glimpse into a jobclass’s future and develop a clear focus. There is also a “Rest” option available at the Explorer’s Guild which allows you to reset a character’s skills at the cost of a couple levels. These slight modifications totally remove the anxiety I normally have regarding character management.
Since the game is on the 3DS, there are several features that make use of the console’s advanced technology. For instance, I was able to scan a few QR codes to unlock some valuable gear early on:
Tip: there is a QR code at the end of that video you should definitely scan!
Players can generate a Guild Card and distribute it via Streepass. If you’re like most people in America, your Streetpass opportunities are few and far between, so you can even export your Guild Card data in the form of a QR code! Here is my Guild Card data:
By scanning that you can download my Sniper and use her on your team! Pretty cool, eh?
Between some welcomed modernizations and innovative use of the 3DS, the Etrian Odyssey IV demo has me excited to continue my journey once the full game is released February 26th.
Ricky says: 
Jfan 
Baron Darkwing 
