Review by Neil Booth:
"Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard is a role-playing game that casts its net back to the murky shores where computer RPGs first dragged themselves onto dry land. Wizardry, The Bard's Tale and Dungeon Master have their muddy paw prints all over EOII, and for certain segments of the gaming population, there'll be an attractively warm and nostalgic charm about a game that references these Grand Masters. Still, 'old' doesn't always equate with 'good'. There are certain hallmarks of older games, such as sudden, unpredictable death and difficulty curves with trajectories like a space shuttle launch, that should be labelled We Didn't Know Any Better At The Time and then buried in lead-lined caskets, along with witch burning, medicinal leeches and temperature sensitive t-shirts.
There is, however, something irresistible about being given the opportunity to play an RPG that's made from the same wood, leather and steel as the golden oldies, but with the funny smell and creaky hinges removed. This is the promise of Etrian Odyssey II, but does it deliver?"
