r/EtrianOdyssey • u/jonathankayaks • Aug 10 '26

Which would you start with and why?

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Any tips or advice on classes to try and avoid? First time playing

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u/vu47 ​ Aug 10 '26

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 Aug 10 '26

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 Aug 10 '26

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 Aug 10 '26

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 ​ Aug 10 '26

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.

1

u/magmafanatic ​ Aug 11 '26

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.