dragonfly_jessalyn

My first EO game. Honestly I joined at a great time. The third entry put in some quality of life changes as well as new classes, enemies, a new gameplay mode, and actually had some story to it! As far as the first three entries yet, this was probably the best one to enter the series with.

That doesn't mean it was friendly. My party got wiped out in the starter quest. I'm pretty sure I hadn't saved either, so I had to go through the character creation process again. I haven't improved much in the way of naming characters either.

But it was still a good learning experience and an excellent way to introduce one to the EO series. These games are hard. They do not hold your hand. You are thrown into the thick of it and expected to learn anything past the basics on your own. Enemy patterns, weaknesses (which appear in your bestiary after you beat enemies once, use a low cost special skill, or use an item), navigating the labyrinth, avoiding FOEs... There's always NPCs in the tavern who can give you basic information on some battle mechanics and gear, but past that it's just you, the map you drew, and any information you remember or have noted down somewhere. But the reward for conquering that challenge is oh so sweet. Powerful gear from hard to reach treasure chests. Game progression to unlock new quests and access to more items for the additional game mode. But getting those first requires careful observation to gain knowledge.

For example, let's take that party wipe. I got attacked by a powerful random enemy encounter that annihilated my party in just a few turns. But that encounter only happens during the day. If you go at night, it becomes far easier to map out the rest of the first floor and clear the starter quest. This is a great introduction to using your head to conquer obstacles rather than using brute force. Though I don't remember if a tavern NPC gave me that particular hint or if I stumbled into it by accident. As I said in my intro post for EO, the map making has always been a favorite part of the games for me. Drawing out the paths, noting resource gathering spots, remembering (though I probably should've noted it down) locations of FOEs, noting shortcuts, treasure chests, and anything else I might need to remember. I loved it. I still do. It's why I keep coming back to them. I've taken a few breaks over the years, but I always end up coming back to EO someday.

But while the map making was the main draw, perfecting how to navigate the labyrinth was still great. Examining FOE patterns in the labyrinth and using that knowledge to safely elude them by the skin of my teeth was always a thrill. Returning later to defeat those FOEs that once blocked my path made me feel accomplished and powerful. Defeating bosses that once stumped me with ease did the same (and also provided me with some powerful post-game gear if I beat them the correct way). Gaining the knowledge, skill, and strength to forge on to see what laid ahead... It appealed to the explorer in me.

The sailing in EO 3 takes that quest for perfection a step further. While the labyrinth exploration can heavily depend on the RNG of random encounters, the sailing the in the side mode is, if I recall correctly, like clockwork. There are no random enemy encounters. Everything out on the ocean that can move does so in the same way. The path and its obstacles are the same every time. The issue is in figuring out what the path is and how to navigate it.

Between the various gear you can find to outfit your ship and the threats you face while sailing, reaching your intended destination requires keen observation. As your moves are limited by the quality of the rations you bring, planning ahead is a strict requirement. You need to know when that pirate is going to intercept your path, allowing you to blast the marauders with your cannon before they attack your own vessel. You need to use ocean currents to your advantage to save precious time while avoiding the ones that push you back. And, of course, you need to map out all of this.

Honestly, I don't remember how much I enjoyed the sailing in EO 3. Despite the forced trial and error of some sections, it was a welcome break from the labyrinth mapping, as well as an opportunity to get some extra cash from rare fish and other sailing exclusive farmable treasures, I likely took good advantage of it. But I either completed my exploration of the nearby seas or things became too difficult and my interest died. I'm pretty sure it was both, as a post game section of the high seas opened up post game content in the labyrinth. This content was far too difficult for me at the time. I never got back around to that post game area of the sailing.

While I enjoy seeing new things, in real life it's easy to come up with an excuse to *not* try something new. Sometimes I'm too tired. Sometimes I (usually genuinely) get distracted and forget. More recently I tend to deem them 'too expensive' or 'not needed', pointing at my budget and saying 'maybe next month'. But in a video game you don't have any of that. Yes game overs suck, but you can still go back and do it again. You can always grind up more cash. There are few to no time true time limits. Most importantly there's no one to embarrass yourself in front of. There's no one to give you odd looks or call you weird. No one is going to harass you for being different, or outright ignore you and your efforts. I'm not going to get shot by a mad person for dressing slightly fem. The labyrinth may be dangerous, but it's a controlled danger. It's a safe danger. It isn't real. I can always restart. There are no consequences. No lasting ones at least.

But that's not as true for EO 3. A ways into the game you find the fabled Drowned City. It has its own ruler, its own people. It is alive, not a ruin. And while the goals of its ruler somewhat match with the surface city government that you've been working with, they by no means fully align. Not long after discovering the Drowned City you are given a choice. Continue serving the surface city government and find a way to heal their princess, or side with the Drowned City to stop your previous allies from communing with the dark forces lurking deep within the labyrinth. This decision affects a couple of bosses, the rest of of the main game story, and unlocks a new class. This does mean that multiple runs of the game are required to unlock both classes. Thankfully there is a NG+ feature which carries over all your characters, non-key items, and map progression.

One key part of my previous statement; continued map progression. This is what made me want to put down EO 3 more than anything else. I still had all my maps. Everything that I had noted down was still there. All that was left was exploring the labyrinth that I already knew. It wasn't exploring anymore. I was retracing my steps. And I hated it. It didn't help that all my characters were now massively overleveled, making everything in the early parts of the labyrinth ridiculously easy. There was no challenge, no discovery. It was the same things all over again. I didn't have to play smart or pay attention. I could brute force my way through everything. It sucked.

I stopped playing.

But I still remembered that challenge, the joy of discovery, of gaining knowledge. Of having the power to change things. To have what I had written down and noted and found be valuable to myself and others.

Years later when I saw that EO 4 was on the 3DS eShop, all of that came flooding back.

I bought it. A new journey began.