"Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth" Review

Atlus's "Etrian Odyssey" series is one of the only -- and by far the most successful -- traditional JRPGs to keep on keeping on in an era in which so many stalwart franchises have fallen to the wayside. Operating like a game out of time, it continues to adhere to old-school sensibilities while tacking on more and more modern niceties.

The result is an engrossing, colossally deep experience that could very well shanghai your 3DS cartridge slot for the next several months.

After building and customizing your characters, which you can mix and match to form parties that fit the needs of your missions. You'll need a wide range of loadouts and specialties to match the challenges that confront you, especially if you choose the harder-core of the two difficulties.

Rich, if a little wordy, writing sets a decidedly epic tone that carries resonance throughout the sprawling saga as it develops. And as expansive and winding as your story turns out to be -- significantly affected by your own choices, each new playthrough will doubtlessly be different than the one that came before. The game pushes its story beyond the myth and well into the realm of obsession.

Publisher provided review code.