[quote name='ninja dog']so...by starting over every time you die, do you guys mean that you can't reload a save at all? how easy is it to die...and do you die cheap deaths or is it always your own fault? I'm not adverse to difficulty or playing by a game's rules, but I don't want it to be like "congrats you're dead" all of a sudden.[/QUOTE]
There are various storage safehouses throughout the towns to "save" your items & equipments, but once you die you lose EVERYTHING in your current inventory. There's a rescue system that can revive your character up to 3 times, but that requires a fellow DS player (over wifi or via pswd) to basically replay and backtrack across all the stages for you ....yes, lots of effort on their part required.
Unfortunately, CHEAP DEATHS are plenty. I would say 50% on prepared-ness and 50% on luck. Since dungeons are randomized, there are times when monster-filled rooms can pop up all too frequently or even consecutively, when your food or health supplies run out, and worst of all...those damn invisible floor traps are triggered at the worst possible moments. Don't forget about the enemies too...they can level up and even attack across the room or thru walls!!!
However, the core nature of the game makes it fast and easy to pick up...and really hard to put down. Fun game, but don't expect to come close in completing the dungeons and side-missions
without experiencing hundreds of deaths. Cheers!