Etrian Odyssey III HD - Perish Like The Dew | Reacting To Video Game Music!

[@Kalanin399]

So there's a bit of a story on how this song track came about. Etrian Odyssey has typically three different normal battle themes. The first plays in the first 3 stratums of the game, with the 2nd battle theme playing during the 4th and 5th stratums. Then the 6th stratum has its own battle theme, which is usually completely crazy and meant to instill terror or dread, because whatever you're fighting is usually gonna kill your party really fast. All of the sixth battle themes are usually extremely aggressive, usually extreme dread filled tracks that are meant to just instill a sense of dread on whatever you're fighting (and usually the enemy is something horrific as well). The sixth stratum and it's accompanying tracks are meant to basically tell you "You should not be here, leave at once or die" Etrian Odyssey 3 is the only game that broke this rule. It used it's first Battle theme for 2 stratums, then the 2nd battle theme for the next 4 stratums. There was never a unique track for EO3's sixth stratum battles. Why this is im not 100% sure, but it might be due to the fact that EO3 introduced a different gameplay loop with it's sea exploration, and that had it's own battle theme and music, and that took away from the time for the sixth battle theme. So when the HD versions came about with the EO Origins release, Yuzo gave us this as the proper battle theme for the sixth stratum. Typically if you can survive the intro this song plays which is usually the time it takes for you to put all your actions in, then you've passed the test.

[@BlazeEmerald]

Calling it the test is very apt because EO3's postgame regular encounters are rather puzzle-y, in that the enemy gimmicks tend to synergise in a way that makes it rather ill advised to do things in the wrong order. Also, I have not yet played the remaster but the intro bit may be either the part that is added on during a preemptive strike or ambush encounter

[@ghazezali742]

Yeah 6th stratum is post-game after all, it's like telling you.. "Your quest is already ended, but you delve too deep, what are you doing?"

[@Kalanin399]

@@BlazeEmerald Yep, you have no idea how many times I lost members of my party to a Clionean using Change, swapping my positions, while another charged Throw with a Longicorn that happened to target the rear Arbalist that was now in the front row and I just watch them die. The amount of frustrations I had with Pandora Eggs in the original was.. rough to say the least.

[@FinalDragoon]

There was no 6th stratum battle theme in the original DS version of 3 because they quite literally ran out of space on the cartridge. 3 was a game of consolidation as it's the only one where stratums are 4 floors instead of 5(to make room for the sea exploration). The fact that Yuzo Koshiro went back and composed a new track for Origins Collection to make up for what he couldn't do back then is amazing.

[@Kalanin399]

@@FinalDragoon I hadn't heard that but that would make sense given the DS cartridges. I always forget about limitations like that.

[@MrHuopatossu]

This is definitely one of those tracks that really benefits from the context it's in. This is the final dungeon's normal battle theme, and the final dungeons in EO are always a huge leap in difficulty with even random battles being more akin to puzzles, where you have to take it apart piece by piece and a single mistake could result in a party wipe. The second that intensive dissonance in the beginning hits you, you know you have to take this seriously or you will die. In that way, it's not supposed to be pleasing to listen to, it's the sound of your life being in danger.

[@misterbin00]

I guess that the weird intro was intended to make the player think 'I'm so fucked'😂

[@CarlosSilva-bh4bi]

Makes an emphasis im the whole Eldrich Horror stuff Plus, the fact that its an even harder abomination than before Being an Abomination FOR THE ABOMINATIONS YOU FACED BEFORE THIS ONE

[@aerophile8372]

Cyclopean Haunt does do that, but also if you make it past the first minute of the song, you've probably already been inturrupted and are now hearing the FOE theme

[@pockystyx4087]

my favorite thing about Yuzo’s F.O.E. themes is that they never give you a moment to feel like you’re safe or in control. These panicked, layered, bordering on maddening melodies that never settle in a comfortable place for you as a player or listener. Really captures the feeling of running into a dangerous monster you have little to no chance of surviving.

[@Thebluedud]

F.O.E. theme? This is the normal battle theme for the final stratum.

[@gregbrown8881]

That was pretty intense. It made me feel like I was trying to escape from some building before the time ran out and the whole place blew up.

[@celadore]

This started like a simple variation on a standard 'run away' type theme.... and then said screw it and just kept building 😮

[@digiopsnyc]

I got to this post game dungeon for the first time, knowing Yuzo made a new battle theme for it. The dungeon is creepy enough to begin with but this music made me (rightfully so) fear for my life on the first random encounter

[@reydragon2597]

I can't remember if you had but this might be your first Sixth Stratum song from EO. Those are pure bloodlust thrown at your face at zero seconds, your late game team can literally get one-shot by mooks. It would be nice if you could hear the song for the stratum this plays in, as it still is the most haunting song from EO imo. Also, could we get a EO playlist of your reactions?

[@deadyawn72]

I hadn't actually heard this yet since it's new for the re-release earlier this year. It's pretty great but it's more amazing how Yuzo can just write a new piece for a 15 year old game and it sounds completely congruous with the rest of the OST. It's also really cool getting more FM synth stuff for EO as the 3ds ones had largely moved away from it. Man didn't miss a beat.

[@Faceless_time_traveler]

The title of this track references a quote from an ally/enemy (depending on your alignment) that says " perish like the dew! " At some point in the story, which is a nice callback.

[@DBinitiate]

Despite this being a very new song, Yuzo Koshiro did seem to use the same soundfont that the DS should have. And you're not the only one that feels like this theme wasn't quite a hit. However, something interesting I did learn was that this theme was made with the last levels of Contra in mind and was supposed to give the player that feeling.

[@Faceless_time_traveler]

I like the beginning riff... Someone already mentioned this in the comments, but postgame Etrian Odyssey is basically like comparing Neutral Undertale to Genocide Undertale, the game is no longer playing nice. You know the moment you enter the fight, you're in for a bad time, suddenly a monster does something very dangerous, like petrifying or instantly killing your character, or things like that. This, combined with the theme of the labyrinth makes this less of an RPG and more of a horror game, there were times when I stare at the encounter sphere in the corner of the screen thinking to myself that it might be a game ender. If you want to see how the postgame of this game presents itself, I recommend you listen to the theme of Cyclopean Haunt, it really gives the feeling of despair and terror that this segment of the game is meant to convey.

[@millgiass]

This sounds a lot like Genesis sounds font.

[@JpegDog]

Whoa this one brings back memeories. I remember playing this in middle school. By the way Jesse, did you hear about the new Guilty Gear character? Her theme is utterly badass

[@dacruzsilva1693]

Please mate,react old gods of asgard alan wake 2 heralds of darkness.