Altus recently announced it will be publishing Etrian Odyssey, an RPG for the Nintendo DS
(known as Sekaiju no Meikyuu) in Japan. Etrian Odyssey is directed by Kazuya Niinou
(Trauma Center: Under the Knife), with story design by Shigeo Komori (Shin Megami Tensei: Devil
Summoner), monster design by Shin Nagasawa (FInal Fantasy IX) and sound design by Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser, Streets of Rage).
The game will feature nine different character classes (swordsman, paladin, dark hunter, ranger, bushido, medic, curse maker, alchemist and bard), up which the player can choose 5 characters for an adventuring party, and build a guild of up to 20 characters. The game also is said to make extensive use of the DS touch screen as a sort of map-making program, allowing players to chart their progress through the labyrinth, drawing walls and placing icons to note special events, treasure chests, doors, pits, stairs, and other landmarks.
While Etrian Odyssey does appear to be a dungeon-crawl type game, many of the location artwork and settings reflects forests and woodlands.
Etrian Odyssey is currently scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2007.
