The latest release from Atlus, Soul Hackers 2, deviated from the norm of excellence expected from the developer, enduring some mixed reviews, but every developer is bound to have some hits and misses along the road. Having so many successful games comes with a catchment, as the umbrella of a few successes tends to block out other content of the same developer from seeing their day in the sunlight. Atlus has a few sleeper franchises lurking in the shadows that could pique the interests of gamers if given adequate exposure.
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Etrian Odyssey
Not an adventure for the faint of heart, gamers that seek an easy-going time on their consoles will not find Etrain Odyssey friendly. Moving through the dungeons in this game is a hardcore experience requiring lots of grit, so the fan base is composed of highly motivated gamers. The dungeon crawler RPG series has sold about 1,500,000 copies since its first installment in 2007. Atlus has put out six titles and two remakes of the Etrian Odyssey series, with two spin-offs in the form of Etrian Mystery Dungeon. Etrian Odyssey is a wonder for gamers with an affinity to exploration, as players must create new maps of each floor of the labyrinth by themselves, just like in Wizardry.
The map creation could prove to be quite the task as there are 25 floors in the Yggdrasil Labyrinth. There’s plenty to explore for completionists, with over 70 side quests available in the first edition of Etrian Odyssey. Completing the game can take the average gamer anywhere between 40 and 60 hours and demands lots of strategies and forward-thinking to progress through the levels. Players must create a balanced, versatile team to face a host of challenges thrown at them by the Yggdrasil Labyrinth.
Etrian Odyssey 2 maintained the core elements of its predecessor while modifying a few features like the Boost system, replacing it with the Force system. A new town, classes, and storage facilities were added to the sequel to give gamers an enhanced experience. The additions paid off, with Etrian Odyssey 2 attaining high ratings across critic platforms. Etrian Odyssey 3 didn’t fare as well in the market after its release in 2010 due to its difficult learning curve and the evolution of the RPG genre, but gamers are a loyal bunch, and diehard fans of classic RPG gameplay remained loyal to the franchise.
The release of Etrian Odyssey 4 in 2012 marked a rebound for the franchise, as the game racked up tons of positive reviews among fans and critics for its improved visuals and design. This change came as a breath of fresh air to the franchise as it marked a shift from the monotony of the first three Etrian Odyssey games and presented a more user-friendly entry point for gamers to get into the franchise. Atlus released Etrian Odyssey 5 in 2014, building on the positive trajectory from its predecessor with its expanded character creation. The final installment of the series, Etrian Odyssey Nexus, received the best reception from fans upon its release in 2018. Gamers who are up for a dungeon-navigating challenge can give this franchise a try.
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Dragon’s Crown
Growlanser
Another underrated series from the house of Atlus is Growlanser, a tactical RPG series set in a fantasy world under threat from an ancient evil. Growlanser is considered a successor to the Langrisser series and received six mainline editions. Growlanser 2 was the point of major exposure to the gaming industry for the franchise, and it drew positive reviews for its enthralling storyline. The most commercially successful game from the Growlanser franchise - Growlanser Generations - wasn’t a mainline edition but a combination of Growlanser 2: The Sense of Justice and Growlanser 3: The Dual Darkness. Growlanser Generations was the only North American release of these games and featured improvements from their Japanese counterparts with Auto-Battle features, enhanced voice acting, and a gallery of artwork.
Asides from the games covered in detail here, Atlus has a few other franchises like Catherine, Hamster Paradise, Kids Station, and Kunio-kun Nekketsu Collection for gamers to try their hands on. Persona and other Shin Megami Tensei titles may have stolen the spotlight for their brilliance, but Atlus has a range of obscure games yet to be explored by the majority of the gaming public.
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