I'll just start by saying that Etrian Odyssey is an amazing game, as many have already said. My favorite feature of this game, despite the beautiful art and fun skill point system, would have to be the characters. Initially I was slightly skeptical of the lack of storyline to give the characters personality. I soon found myself, however, beginning to watch my characters develop their own personalities as I spent hours and hours with them down in the labyrinth. From the names I spent meticulous time developing for each of them to the way I spent their skill points, each and every character became truly distinct and important in their own way, even more so, I would say, then many games that try to develop their characters through story. This ends my intro, and here I will begin my tale.

Soulbred's (my guild name) party had just woken up at the inn after a near obliteration. Wounds healed, they began to pick up their weapons and gear, ready to had back into the labyrinth. Thoughts of the night before began to replay in their minds, all of which centered on the 20th level of the dungeon. Things had gone awry, as exploration had gotten my worn-out party cornered by a red FOE. June, my alchemist, had warped us out of their, but not without the momento of this looming thought: we had seen a bunch of red FOEs in addition to the black Iwaoplen. We knew what needed to be done this time. We had to take out all of the reds before going after Iwaoplen himself.

The long treck back down to floor twenty began again. The first marker was, of course, the healing water on floor 18. Then the tiresome weaving through floor 19. Finally, we set foot once again on the 20th floor. I had no idea, however, that the battle I was about to enter would forever stand out to me as the most epic of the whole game (even now that I've beaten Primevil, I still look back to this battle as my favorite).

My team consisted of these:
Krakken - fearless archer and first member of Soulbred
Rachel - protector who pounds enemies with smite
Tobias - ronin and protector of Colette, my troubador
June - alchemist of ice and poison
Sarah - medic (who, at the time, did not know immunize... :( )

We began by trying to snipe off the reds individually. Our levels were not high enough to make this an easy task, but it was surely not impossible. We fell our first beast this way, and our confidence boosted. Having mapped out most of the floor last time around, we had a good fix on where the others were lurking. My sense of exploration, however, started to get the best of me. I began to map out the rest of the floor, putting the extermination mission on hold temporarily. This, however, may have been a mistake. a red FOE began to follow, and then another. They were far enough behind, however, that they did not worry us too much. We soon came to a door, which we entered in hopes of ever-needed cash. We found treasure alright, but a cold sweat broke out as I realized that the FOEs had congregated around the door: the only exit to the room.

I remember to this day sitting in my dormroom at college, watching Rambo 2 with my suitmate, when I realized what I would have to do. I was going to have to fight my way out past the two FOEs. One was tough enough, but two? My suitmate found it hysterical, as I had been going on to him a few days earlier about how brutal this game could be. I tightened my grip on my DS and went for it.

What ensued was a brutal battle. I was giving everything I had against these two FOEs. Then, my heart stopped. I realized a third FOE was approaching, and I knew that my team would not be able to take out the two before it got to me. June was trying to poison them as soon as possible and begin blasting them with ice. Krakken was firing Appolons left and right. Sarah was just trying to keep us alive. Rachel bashed them with her sheild while Tobias readied stances set to slash them apart.

The third FOE entered just after I felled my first, and a fourth one was on its way. I seemed like I had just gotten past the second, and the fourth arrived. This was insane. Rambo was blowing things up on the television while I battled four FOEs at once. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, yet in the midst of it, I felt excited. I embraced this fight, and, looking down at my battered team fighting their hearts out for me, I thought to myself: THIS IS WHAT ETRIAN ODYSSEY IS ALL ABOUT!!

In the end, the fourth FOE hit the ground. My party prevailed through the toughest battle I would fight in the game. The feeling I was left with when it was all over is one that words cannot sufficiently sum up. Needless to say, I was on a freakin high the rest of the night. I just wanted to share the most memorable experience I had ever had in EO, and possibly one of the most memorable in videogames period. I'd like to encourage gamers out there that haven't had the chance to play Atlus' DS masterpiece to pick it up if you get the chance, but definitely get the sequel. You'll never witness an experience quite like the one EO give you elsewhere, and I'm sure you will never regret having it.