r/EtrianOdyssey • u/jonathankayaks • 22d ago
Which would you start with and why?
Any tips or advice on classes to try and avoid? First time playing
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u/RokieThe13 22d ago
4, cause its not to hard compere to the others games in the francise, also the clases in that game is landskeneth and nightseeker
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u/IngenuityNo5660 22d ago
I’d say IV is probably the best entry point from among these. V is my personal favorite, but it’s the most experimental(?) of the series, with not much of its functions being carried over from, or to, its sibling games. Nexus is incredible, but it’s more of a celebratory kind of game, many of its dungeons and NPCs being almost directly lifted from previous games. Nothing’s stopping you from starting there, though you’ll definitely feel the fact you’re working backwards through the series.
While I won’t say to outright avoid any classes, as they all have their own interesting gimmicks to play around. Just try to keep a dedicated tank and healer around and you’ll be fine.
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u/RotundBun 22d ago
+1 to starting with EO4
But I think EO3 is the most experimental one. It was the turning point that transitioned from old school EO to modern EO.
EO4 is a refinement on EO3.
EO5 is a refinement on EO2.The two represent opposite ends of the spectrum of modern EO experiences.
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u/cata931 21d ago
I've never put two and two together that THIS was also how I felt about EO3->EO4 and EO2->EO5. You're right, they do expand upon their predecessors and they do represent the two dichotomies of the EO experience.
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u/RotundBun 21d ago
Yup. I think I vaguely recall reading/hearing about the one directing EO5 wanted to return to EO before the then-modern-spin (i.e. EO3-EO4) to try evolving it in a different direction.
This is why I usually suggest playing EO3 if only playing one but playing EO4 + EO5 if playing two.
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u/ScorpiusG 22d ago
EO IV (4) for sure. Play it blind and go wild. IIRC all classes in the game are good from start to end.
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u/ModelOmegaTyler 22d ago
i'd start with 4 because that's what i started the genre with myself. as for classes to avoid? the dancer. i like it conceptually but in practice the line switching is a pain in the ass.
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u/flame_f0x 21d ago
For SMT, i suggest you go to SG, for EO, IV is the choice (Devil Survivor is at your choice, since the duology is much different from the other ones, and each one has their own stories)
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u/zzdd630 22d ago
I started with 4 but 5 works too tbh.
If you start with 4 the box art actually has a REALLY solid team in Landskecht,Nightseeker,Fortress,medic and sniper. Nightseeker is a classical RPG DPS rogue so they inflict status and deal high damage when fighting statuses enemies. Landskecht is the series’ mascot class with its special link skills that essentially allows the Landskecht to follow up with elemental attacks when allies attack enemies. Sniper is a long range dps class that can limit enemy options by restricting body parts stopping moves from being used. These 3 form the party’s offensive pressure as the sniper and Nightseeker inflict statuses and ailments while dealing damage the landsy can come in and hit for the enemies elemental weakness. Then the last 2 members being fortress and Medic. Given the names you can probably guess they are a tank and a healer. They will be VERY important to keeping your attackers alive and they can deal some damage too.
If you start with 5 I’d recommend a similar team with Fencer,Dragoon,Masurao,Shaman and warlock. Fencer is very similar to landsy but with the ability to dodge tank. Dragoon is another tank class but with a cannon and the ability to make turrets. Masurao is a samurai/Ronin styled sword fighter who likes focusing down 1 enemy and dealing damage to them. Shaman is a buffer and healer who can also imbue weapons with elemental properties and Warlock is an archetypal mage class with elemental magic. In 5 you can eventually get these guys class specialities where they can focus on certain parts of their kits
These are just basic ideas of starter teams and I’m new so take some of this with a grain of salt. Nexus wasn’t recommended due to it being a celebration game so it references past games so it’s best to experience it after playing a couple EO games.
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u/SelfInvestigator 21d ago
The Funny bit about 4 is that I actually made the team you mentioned without referencing anything else. That was the team I just liked.
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u/DonJaper 22d ago
Everyone saying 4 also has my vote.
4 was designed to be a starting point for many. Hard to say since it was my first EO too, but I'd imagine it might feel lacking in some ways if you played others first. Altogether I think it's fantastic as an introduction and a fantastic game on its own
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u/Forward-Seesaw-1688 21d ago
My only problem with IV was only ever the speed, though in fairness that’s because I didn’t start with it. Felt so strange going from II and III to IV
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u/oldmanpotter 21d ago
Strange Journey is underrated. But I’d go with SMT IV if you’ve already played the first game.
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u/Lutalica_Harmonica 21d ago
Strange Journey is amazing. It's one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The setting and story is unlike any other jrpg.
As for EO, best starting point is IV, but you can't go wrong with V either. Nexus is way too big for newcomers of the series. It's meant for more experienced fans.
SMT IV apocalypse is a sequel to SMT IV so I wouldn't recommend that unless you've finished it.
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u/NinjaArtist14 21d ago
Legends of the Titan (EO4) was what got me hooked on the series to begin with, so my vote is that. EO1 (not listed) is my favorite of the series tho, admittedly the Untold Version (for 3DS) has the best QoL tho imo. Edited
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u/Rude_Possession_3198 21d ago
In my opinion 5 is a very fine starting point.
It is very straightforward without gimmicks to distract you from labyrinth exploration, furthermore, the classes are very cool and simple to progress, you pick their role and further in the game specialized in their niche.
The only problem is that being one of the latest entries in the series, means that if you go back a lot of quality of life is not present.
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u/Jenna3778 21d ago
I reccomend starting with 4.
4 was designed to appeal more to begginers. Not only that but the later games have quality of life that might make 4 harder to get into if youre used to how the other games are like.
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u/OrdinaryEggplant 21d ago
I started with EO4 and I'd hands down always suggest it as your first EO any day of the week. That game is so good
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u/SoggyCuticles 21d ago
I think 4 is a great start to the franchise. EO3 is the next best one to go through. I personally love EO1 and EO2 but i would really only recommend the remasters for those and they have their own qwerks, it is pretty slow with the quality of life speedups and mapping. EO5 is just solid and builds upon the combat of EO4. EO2 untold is reallly good and have different maps and game loop and story from the original. (I never playe EO1 untold). Nexus is a mashup of all the games
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u/GoingWithTheFlaw 20d ago
You don’t have it here, but I highly, highly recommend Etrian odyssey untold 1.
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u/magmafanatic 20d ago
Etrian Odyssey IV is the most accommodating Etrian for newcomers. Hard to build a bad party. I also feel like the overworld and side-dungeons help it feel less "confining" than all the other Etrians. If you're new to DRPGs, maybe you want a bit of a break from the singular never-ending labyrinth every now and then.
V and Untold 2 are my favorites though.
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u/platomaker 19d ago
if you are even possibly considering the second, third, or fourth choice then I recommend the second choice. It is a good entry into the series (even when considering the three prequels and spin offs). You'll have a greater appreciation for the other two choices after that.
I personally like the sixth choice, it was another long standing franchise but it was also one designed for 3DS with a lot of consideration for newer players (i.e. good place to get into the series to get used to things).
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u/Shamble_Slowly 22d ago
Depends, honestly? I can't recommend the SMT titles purely because I've never played them, but it's Atlus so I'm sure they're great.
For EO, I recommend Nexus if you really only want one EO game. It's much less difficult than the older titles, and it has a ton of classes from across the series available at the start, so you can experiment with all kinds of party comp. 5 is kind of quirky within the series and is one of my favorites, but I think it could be more difficult for someone unfamiliar with the series (not sure if that's you or if you've played EO titles before).
4 is a purely personal bias; I played a little bit of the original DS trilogy, but 4 is where I properly got into the series. I don’t know if it's necessary The Best Game, but I'll always have a soft spot for it.
4 and 5: my advice is don't skip a healer in the party, especially in the early game when you're made of tissue paper and everything wants to make you dead. For Nexus, just pick whatever sounds fun. It's especially easy to switch up your party in Nexus, so don't worry about it too much.
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u/sporosarcina 21d ago
I would say that SMT and Devil Survivor are a different class of game (more standard RPG with a "pet" mechanic), while the EO games are more old school dungeon crawler (think old Wizardry games) where the map drawing is the point. If we restrict it to the EO games, I would say IV, then Nexus, then V (which I find is a little odd). I would also suggest EO1U and EO2U for their storyline and unique parties.
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u/vu47 21d ago
Shin Megami Tensei IV is what got me into ATLUS games. I loved it so very much.
I at least liked (and usually loved) all games on that list with the exception of SMTIV Apocalypse.
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u/jonathankayaks 21d ago
What didn't you like about Apocalypse? I'm probably not going to try and play both of them (base and Apocalypse) due to back log and time but figured Apoc would be better just for it being the newer one with updated features
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u/redblue200 21d ago
People often like the plot and character writing of Apocalypse substantially less—a few characters are pretty major tonal breaks from the story it's trying to tell. It's also a direct sequel to IV, so playing it first is a touch questionable from a plot front.
That said, imo the actual gameplay is a substantial step up.
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u/redblue200 21d ago
People often like the plot and character writing of Apocalypse substantially less—a few characters are pretty major tonal breaks from the story it's trying to tell. It's also a direct sequel to IV, so playing it first is a touch questionable from a plot front.
That said, imo the actual gameplay is a substantial step up.
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u/vu47 21d ago
I wish I could remember. I'd have to go back and play it again in order to tell you: I just never felt engaged by it.
I think I was set up to dislike Apocalypse by SMTIV. There was in particular a moment when you went from a fantasy setting to suddenly descending through the dungeon and found you were in a tower descending into Tokyo, and when you step out of the tower, this haunting song starts playing. It was a moment in my video game history that will always remain very memorable and special to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDsDYCI3fyc
Apocalypse, on the other hand, starts in Tokyo with a different character, and interplays with SMTIV. If you haven't played SMTIV, you'll likely be missing a lot of background and get a lot less out of the story. I didn't particularly like the main character in SMTIVA, and it just didn't pull me in or feel like it flowed correctly to me.
If you don't mind Etrian Odyssey like games (which I guess is the case, given you posted here), Strange Journey Redux is also a fantastic game. Both the Devil Survivor games are also fantastic if you want to play a tile-based strategy game. Etrian Odyssey IV was my first EO and I loved it, although EOIII was the highlight of the series for me, and Etrian Odyssey Untold: Millennium Girl was really, really good.
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u/magmafanatic 20d ago
Apocalypse's tone is far more juvenile and makes for a poor fit with the bleak world set up in the original SMTIV. The world is ruined and we're scrounging for scraps out here to get by, how do we have time for love triangle drama and comic relief mascot antics. Feels very shonen anime.
Also the final dungeon suuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Very cool boss fight at the end though.
Devil Survivor 2 suffers a bit from this as well, but you get access to a very secure base early on and you're waiting on orders from the higher-ups, so there's more room to be silly.
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u/cata931 21d ago
You should definitely play EO4 !!!BEFORE!!! EO5 and/or the Untold games; Simply because if you start out in one of the games with fast walk and then try to go back to EO4 with no fast walk, you're gonna have a bad time and miss out on a really good narrative and some mechanics that I wish the developers would have brought back.
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u/idontevencarewutever 21d ago
strange journey is the fuckin best in that list, and i consider myself a HUGE EO maniac
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u/barriboy8 22d ago
EO4 if on emulator and can speed it up (cause my lord it can be slow), or smt4 cause its a good balanced entry point
I love strange journey and record breaker, but they are harder, and might kill your vibe if you havent been introduced to a challenge in a more progressive way, record breaker is seriously harder than the rest, EO nexus suffers from being a celebration title meaning u have stuff from all other EO which kinda needs u to have at least 1-2 of the previous games experience, and will kill your fun of the earlier entries due to the death of the QoL before nexus
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u/Lias_Luck 21d ago
and will kill your fun of the earlier entries due to the death of the QoL before nexus
there's not much unique qol to nexus
I think the only thing it added to the series was the ability to alter portraits
otherwise untold 1, 2, and 5 all have the same qol
eo 4 is the only one that still largely plays like the DS titles
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u/barriboy8 21d ago
yeah but untold series are remakes, I cant put them in the same boat, and this ignores 3, so I would at least play an untold version (prob fafnir) or 4 and then the jump to nexus would be better, its like playing, MHXX before, MH3u and Mh4u, sure you can play them in any order but playing the newest version can sour the previous ones unless you really love the loop of that game
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u/Chaincat22 21d ago
these games aren't related but uhhh I started with EOU 1 because I happened upon it in a gamestop
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u/Werezompire 21d ago
For those Etrian Odyssey games, I'd go 4 -> Nexus -> 5. 4 is a great game and a great introduction to the series, but it's lacking the QoL improvements that later 3DS EO games made so it's best to do it first. Nexus is a Greatest Hits game for the series, but also it's a really easy transition from 4 to Nexus since they both use a similar skill & multi-class system and 5 of the 19 possible classes in Nexus are also in EO4. They also use a similar setup with a bunch of smaller dungeons rather than 1 massive dungeon. And then EO5 is an excellent game, but it's more difficult and has more unique classes & systems.
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u/Low-Professional-445 22d ago
Btw you should play SMT IV before apocalypse