Etrian Odyssey II requires players to slowly make their way up the trunk of a massive magical tree in order to reach a floating castle at the top while completing smaller quests along the way. The tree is represented by a series of vertically-stacked levels which are explored one at a time with frequent return trips to town in order to rest and resupply.In classic fashion, players navigate through the forest locales a single "step" at a time, moving and turning in fixed increments. Time passes only when an action is taken, causing movement, encounters, and combat to all be entirely turn-based. While randomly generated enemies cannot be spotted in advance, certain more powerful "FOEs" usually can be seen on the map and avoided if necessary. The game uses a first-person view to present the labyrinth using a combination of relatively simple 3D computer graphics for environments and single-frame 2D sprites for enemies.
Download : [NDS] Etrian Odyssey II: HoL
Grimoire of the Rift uses an isometric turn-based tactics battle system. However, Square Enix further developed the game's grid-based system and increased the number of character jobs. Some enemies also appear in larger sizes, taking up multiple squares on the grid. The world map has also developed, with the introduction of "area maps". The area maps feature multiple battle locations and a town, which work similar to its predecessor. Enemy clans also travel the world map. The game differs from previous Final Fantasy Tactics games because one chooses specific missions from a screen. Some missions are central to the story and can be replayed until successfully completed. There are over 300 other missions in the game that may be replayed again and again in order to level up the player's team. There are also random battles against creatures that occur on the map, which one can choose to fight.
Summon Night: Twin Age uses a fully touch-based control system. Gameplay in Summon Night is based on a top-down hack and slash RPG similar to Diablo II or Ragnarok Online. Moving the main character is done by tapping the screen where the player wishes to move. Attacking is done by tapping a target enemy onscreen with the stylus. The controlled character will attack periodically until given a different command. Skills, spells, and items are used through two popup windows along the sides of the screen where the player can preset abilities. They are used by tapping the desired ability and then a target. Summon Night uses a party based system of three characters at a time. Two will always be the main characters and one will be a third A.I. controlled party member of the player's choice. Control between the heroes can be done at anytime they are on the same screen. Summoned creatures can also be used in battle by defeating the respective monster, obtaining its creation item, and then conjuring it into a flask through a menu on the world map. These flasks can be used as items to summon monsters for the player's team. Other than the controlled main character, other party members, be they humanoid or monster, will act independently, attacking and using skills, but will follow the main character's movement. Continued use of a certain party member will increase that character's "rank" improving their performance and granting access to new skills. The two main characters both gain experience from defeating enemies gaining levels in the process while the third party member shares a level with the "chosen" main character. Leveling up increases a character's parameters and grants the two main character access to skill points they can spend on their skill tree to unlock/upgrade their skills. All skills have a maximum level of seven and have both a level requirement and a skill point requirement to unlock.
Drawing comparisons to titles such as Wizardry and The Bard's Tale, Etrian Odyssey challenges players with exploring and mapping a vast dungeon. In classic fashion, players navigate through the dungeon a single "step" at a time, moving and turning in fixed increments. Time passes only when an action is taken, causing movement, random encounters, and combat to all be entirely turn-based. The game uses a first-person view to present the dungeon using a combination of relatively simple 3D computer graphics for environments and single-frame 2D sprites for enemies.