The Dark Spire

As archaic and sadistic as The Dark Spire will surely seem to gamers raised on the post-FFVII world of Square Enix, it is proof that luscious graphics and orchestral scores will never oust the foundations of solid, old-fashioned gameplay.

I commend a team like Success on making a game – and Atlus for publishing one – that pushes the boundaries of classic RPG designs like The Dark Spire does. Here’s a game that has no gimmick, no “hook” to pull gamers in, and offers no apologies for players that stumble mistakenly into this deceptively deep and mature experience.

The Dark Spire is not for everybody, even for those claming to be elite RPG gamers. However, if you seek a very deep and rewarding game of a higher difficultly caliber then I would say don't hesitate and pick this up as soon as you can.

The Dark Spire is a challenging, unique, and well-made game that stands out in more ways than one. However, its old-school look and brutal difficulty make this a title that will only appeal to a small group of gamers. If you’re looking for something different on your DS, this is definitely worth a try.

All in all, I found The Dark Spire to be very engrossing and enjoyable.

If you acquire the taste of The Dark Spire, it will engage and entertain your senses for hours.

You have to hand it to Atlus and Success for taking on a project that's aimed at such a niche audience -- their passion for giving gamers a hardcore title obviously ranked above any need to dumb the game down. Bravo!

Undeniably niche and uncompromising, The Dark Spire will earn the ire of the many players who aren't interested in the classic gameplay found within, but put smiles on the faces of those who are.

It's not a great introductory RPG, and like I mentioned earlier, even among RPG fans it's only going to appeal to a small group. However, if you enjoyed titles like Etrian Odyssey, I think you should absolutely give The Dark Spire a try, it's definitely taken from the same vein, and while it's a bit more archaic in design than EO, it's well worth playing.

The Dark Spire is a great game. Unfortunately, it will only appeal to a very specific audience due the game's difficulty and archaic style.

Definitely not for everyone. But regardless, at the end of the journey, after the countless deaths and billions of bruisings, the stat rolling and puzzle solving, you will undoubtedly feel accomplished.

However, I realize there is indeed a market for this kind of game, and for those looking for a fun (albeit masochistically hard) old-school RPG, there is no better place to go than The Dark Spire. [Apr 2009, p.80]

From the unforgiving difficulty to the minimalist presentation, this title is a naked homage to antediluvian dungeon crawls. [May 2009, p.90]

Despite that beef, The Dark Spire is a pleasing throwback to an era when games were actually hard and beating them felt like a legitimate accomplishment.

Dark Spire is a game enjoyable only by classic RPG super fans. It's a tough dungeon crawler, with a very classic and tactic gameplay (maybe too much), and good music. Unfortunately the setting is just one city, with one huge dungeon.

The Dark Spire certainly attained its goal of creating an homage to classic dungeon-crawling RPGs. But its confusing design choices and unforgiving gameplay may turn off anyone born after 1990.

Ultimately, the appeal of The Dark Spire will be limited to those looking for a trip down memory lane or those looking for a challenge.

Games like The Dark Spire prove just how subjective game reviews are; while it is near perfection in its chosen genre, the average gamer would trade in this game or simply throw it away after spending less than an hour with it.

Dark Spire recreates both the best and worst qualities of a bygone era, making for a taste that's difficult to acquire.

A drab experience that takes little advantage of the DS hardware (menu issues annoy) and rarely rises above the level of sufficiency. [May 2009, p.91]

Sadly, this one's showing every wrinkle.