On the DS and 3DS, dual screens provided players with a variety of new ways to play their favorite games. The hardware also gave developers a new way to engage players and immerse them in new and inventive worlds. A standout of the DS era, Etrian Odyssey is one of the finest series from Atlus, and you can play its three original titles in HD on the Switch thanks to the all-new Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection. The question that Switch owners will need to ask themselves here is whether or not buying the collection at $80 is worth it.

If you’ve played these games before, then you have first-hand experience with the style and substance of the series. Within this collection, you get the first three games in the series that were first released on the Nintendo DS. They are DRPGs, or dungeon role-playing games, which involve just as much exploration as they do turn-based combat. If you haven’t played a single game in the series, then that $80 price tag is something of a wary hurdle into the world of Etrian Odyssey. Let’s start with what you’re doing in these games and what to expect.

The formula for Etrian Odyssey is simple. Treasure awaits in mysterious labyrinths and dungeons. Mazes within these spaces, which include everything from forests to insane sunken cities, must be mapped out by walking through them and exploring all they have to offer. You do so in first-person by tracking where the mazes lead, locating the dead ends, and yes, identifying where the enemies and threats to you and your party exist. As you explore, you’ll have choices to make which could lead to reward or ruin. There’s so much happening that no dull moment exists in the world of Etrian Odyssey.

Let’s just be clear: you’re navigating tiles that represent the dungeons you explore. This geometric map and first-person limited-mobility gameplay style is not for everyone. Fluidity and fast-paced action aren’t entirely void from these games, but they’re not front-and-center either. The games run very well, and they look better thanks to the HD makeovers. That said, the Origins Collection doesn’t offer much in terms of quality-of-life updates or new additions that reinvent the experience of these titles. Luckily, all three have held up very well over the years.

Let’s use an example to really dig into what it feels like to play these games. You know those caves and dungeon-style areas in Pokemon games where you are running around trying to figure out how to escape and what items might be around? That’s the experience of Etrian Odyssey in spirit, but there’s no other gameplay to mix into the formula. It’s a loop of exploring a dungeon, going to town to regroup and buy items, and getting back into a deeper dungeon. With the Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, the three titles are incredible at what they set out to accomplish. You just have to know what you’re getting.

The reason I’ve structured the review this way is because plenty of people are coming in blind to the series. The dungeon-crawling RPG elements are masterfully done and Atlus has really flexed its developer muscles by reminding us how great these three games were by boosting their visuals and dropping them in a collection. That said, if you are action-driven in your games or you like the narrative elements of traditional RPGs, those aspects are not the focus of these games. Instead, you have to be ready for a slower, yet satisfying journey driven by your curiosity to keep digging deeper into these dungeons.

Within these three games is plenty of content to keep you busy. More importantly, all three titles in the Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection have unique moments and characters to warrant playing through each adventure. The dungeon mapping gameplay is surprisingly addictive, and there’s plenty of it. All three games would likely take you a solid 130-150 hours to complete in total. Whether you’re returning to these titles or checking them out for the first time, the Origins Collection is well worth the $80 price tag.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection was provided by Atlus for this review.

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Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection

$79.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Three all-timers on the DS in one collection for Switch
• Really wonderful moments across all three games
• A stellar amount of hours could be spent across the collection.

Cons

• Not many updates to the originals outside of "HD" graphics
• The gameplay loop continues to test the player's desire to explore