I do remember enjoying Etrian Odyssey 1-3 on the Nintendo DS. (Didn't play the later games because my strict no-DRM policy meant no 3DS, and also means that, of course, I won't be getting these versions, but will instead replay the DS versions if I do decide to replay them.)
With that said, the games aren't without their issues.
Out of 1-3, Etrian Odyssey 1 is the only one to have boss fights be what I feel is the appropriate length. However, the game does have some balance issues, to the point where often there's only one obvious build for a class, but at least the game favors the sort of abilities I like (I like the EO1 Troubadour, for example, with the songs that grant HP/MP regeneration).
*EO1 spoilers about triggering content in the next paragraph*
Etrian Odyssey 1 does, however, have one extremely problematic plot element, to the point where I think a trigger warning is warranted, particularly if you're a member of an indigenous population. Thing is, you encounter some natives humanoids in the forest that you are sent to explore, are given the order to kill them just like you would other enemies, and you have no say in the manner. This, of course, did make me rather uncomfortable, and is problematic enough that it needs a trigger warning.
*End of EO1 spoilers*
(Worth noting that there is a major plot twist that happens after the incident I described above, which I won't spoil in this particular post.)
Etrian Odyssey 2 favors too aggressive a playstyle. It also really hurt my favorite EO1 class, the Troubadour, who no longer has the HP/MP regen abilities, and furthermore, the game has a tendency to punish the player for using the abilities, giving certain main story bosses an attack that does heavy damage and dispells at the same time. There's also the fact that the game favors a heavily aggressive approach to boss fights, resulting in them being resolved way too quickly; either you do enough damage to kill the boss before it has a chance to really do anything, or the boss kills you quickly.
Etrian Odyssey 3 is the most balanced of the first 3 games, and it has a completely different set of classes, as well as what I consider to be my favorite gimmick of the series in the last two strata. The one issue I have, however, is that boss fights take too long, and the boss theme doesn't help (EO1 and EO2 have good boss themes, but to me EO3's boss theme is garbage). (Essentially, this is the opposite of the problem EO2 had.)
EverNightX: I never thought these games were that great. They were like a far more boring version of Lands of Lore.
I'd argue that these games aren't like Lands of Lore; they're more like Wizardry, but with more modernized game mechanics (which unfortunately means skill points). Specifically, the games are strictly turn-based (even outside of battle, unlike so many other games with turn-based combat), and combat takes place on a separate screen, rather than in the main environment. Lands of Lore, to my understanding, is more like Dungeon Master, with real-time gameplay and battles taking place in the same environment as exploration.
