Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is a remake of the very first entry in the Etrian Odyssey series, adding a story mode with fixed characters and a full narrative to the original concept of first-person dungeon mapping. Players can choose between the classic Classic mode, where they assemble their own party from a wide range of classes and draw the labyrinth's map themselves on the bottom screen, or the Story mode with ready-made heroes uncovering the secrets of the Yggdrasil tower. The Story mode also adds a brand-new character and a side plotline that did not exist at all in the original Nintendo DS release.

The core of the game remains merciless dungeon crawling with permadeath and the need to carefully plan expeditions, restock supplies, and retreat from stronger monsters. Hand-drawing the map with the stylus on the 3DS's lower display is a mechanic that still defines the series today, giving players a genuine sense of exploring unknown territory. The visuals combine Yuji Himukai's illustrations with simple yet atmospheric 3D corridor graphics, accompanied by music from Yuzo Koshiro, one of the most acclaimed composers in Japanese video games, and the stereoscopic 3D gives the view down the tower's corridors an unusual sense of depth.

Millennium Girl was received on release as an excellent entry point into the series for newcomers thanks to the more approachable Story mode, without losing the difficulty that veterans valued. It was also praised for how sensitively the remake blended the new narrative content with the tough, well-thought-out combat system the series has stood on since its very first entry. Today it is considered one of the best-balanced entries in Etrian Odyssey and a showcase example of how an old-fashioned dungeon-crawler genre managed to find a new audience on the 3DS through clever use of the second screen and touch controls.