^I don't think it's a downside to have no story.
In less than one week, I had already spent more than 30 hour on SMT:SJ because I wanted to know what would happen.
Meaning that, even if I slow down, I could beat it in three weeks.
Which is very short.
EO II, on the other hand; Well, let's just say that I've had that game since it's release and I'm still playing it,
Enjoying it to the fullest.
Crawling your way through Etrian Odyssey I & II took long.
But that's alright.
It's what has made those games so memorable.
SMT: SJ will not, if I'm going to beat it soon, stay in my head for that long.
It's an amazing game, that's for sure, but I won't replay the game and go
"Oh my god, I remember when I first came here and was like WOW" like I would, and have,
when I replayed EO I & II.
Also, the absence of a story makes the game more lighthearted.
Not that I don't like mature games and storylines,
But Etrian Odyssey just has this very special feeling.
When you've completed SMT: SJ, you probably won't replay it.
...Well, you might because of the alternate endings, but let's take a game
with just one very good storyline.
When there's a story, it becomes your main motivation to complete the game.
When it's gone, or, in other words, when you've completed the game and seen the ending,
There'll be little motivation to replay the game.
Etrian Odyssey's absence of a real story made me focus on the gameplay, environment, and, most of all, my own characters, and those are things that still make me feel just a little warm inside.
They made it possible for me to replay the game, and just grind my way through the post-game.
A game with a story...Well, if there is a postgame anyway, it probably won't have much of an impact on the story itself. And since you're already used to having a story to be thrilled by,
The postgame will most likely be boring.
With EO, though, there is no real story to distract you from the game itself.
You'll get used to it being boring, and it makes it easier and nicer for you to play it again,
To continue playing, or to just check everything you've done every few days.
Most importantly, though, it leaves a lot of room for your own imagination.
Assigning personalities to your very own characters.
I didn't, to be honest, but I couldn't help but feel a little sad when I retired my party.
Not having a story also made Etrian Odyssey feel extremely personal.
You can do whatever you want. You can play it at any pace you want.
SMT: SJ had me too excited with the story. I'm racing through it,
And I regret doing so, for it's still a fantastic game.
