Publisher Atlus has announced a sequel to cult 2007 title
Etrian Odyssey in the form of first-person dungeon crawling follow-up
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard - to debut on Nintendo DS this June.
Continuing what Atlus describes as "one of the genre's purest experiences", this sequel builds upon the original cult DS title with more diverse areas to explore, new character classes, more fiendish FOEs, and an improved mapping system.
Etrian Odyssey II also boasts a notable Japanese development team, led by director Shigeo Komori (scenario designer;
Etrian Odyssey, Odin Sphere).
Composer Yuzo Koshiro (
The Revenge of Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Etrian Odyssey) returns for
Heroes of Lagaard, in addition to character designer Yuji Himukai and monster designer Shin Nagasawa, who both worked on the original
Etrian Odyssey.
The original DS version of
Etrian Odyssey debuted in May 2007 to
some positive reviews, with 1UP commenting that "its punishing difficulty and very deliberate pacing may turn off younger gamers who grew up on flashier roleplayers... but it offers a real sense of wonder and a sense of accomplishment." Atlus has confirmed its sequel for North American release on June 17th, 2008.