Now these are the kinds of incentives I like to see for pre-orders. Atlus has revealed today that its upcoming dungeon-crawler Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will come with oodles of bonuses for those eager enough to drop five dollars at GameStop ahead of time. How very generous of you, Atlus! I guess the company is feeling confident that it will fall into more financially stable hands.
So what will your gracious pre-order net you? A pretty nice spread, actually. For starters, you get a music CD with seven of the game’s tunes, including a live version of the main theme and other selections by composer Yuzo Koshiro. This is the dude Nintendo Power once called “the greatest game-music composer of the 16-bit age,” so this is serious business. I’d argue David Wise gives him a run for his money, but I’m partial to jazz and have an affinity for apes, so I can’t be trusted.
Also included in the bonus pack is an exclusive design book with character art, comics, and — drumroll please — “notes.” Nah I kid, artist and designer notes were actually my favorite part of Hyrule Historia, so I’m thrilled to hear about their inclusion here. The whole pack is pretty darn beautiful looking, so be sure to view the image above and the press release below for all the beauteous details.
Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard – Pre-order Bonus Details for Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Irvine, Calif. – Aug. 8, 2013 – Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl, the latest edition of the map-making, labyrinth-crawling Etrian Odyssey RPG series is getting a collection of pre-order bonus items called “Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard.” The collection will include a 7-track music CD which features an exclusive live version of the game’s opening theme, an exclusive rough sketch version of the same, and other songs, arranged by series composer Yuzo Koshiro. It also includes a design book containing character art, comics and notes. Exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS system, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will be released in stores and the Nintendo eShop simultaneously on Oct. 1 for $39.99. More details can be found on the game’s official website.
Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (EOU) offers two full length experiences: The expanded story mode takes players on a journey to unravel the mystery of the Yggdrasil Tree’s origins, and the classic mode updates the original Etrian Odyssey with new dungeon layouts and challenges. Both versions feature the same gameplay conveniences, updated 3D graphics, and StreetPass abilities as in Etrian Odyssey IV.
The story mode, a first for the series, gives players five pre-made characters, each with their own personalities and dialogue to explore a side of Etria not seen in the first game. Gameplay is interspersed with animated cutscenes by MADHOUSE animation, and with more than 3,000 lines of dialogue, voice acting, and more.
The chart-making mechanic Etrian Odyssey games are renowned for returns, along with first-person dungeon exploring and intense, turn-based combat in new dungeon layouts. EOU also brings new difficulty modes, which can be changed at any time: “Picnic” and “Standard” mode are for players new to RPGs or the Etrian Odyssey series, while “Expert” adds new challenges for veteran adventurers.
Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl releases exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS system for $39.99 and will be available simultaneously in retail stores and in the Nintendo eShop beginning Oct. 1. The box set will be available for pre-orders and the first printing of the game after launch. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.