The Dark Spire

 

Some of today's RPGs are fast, thrilling games involving stellar graphics and mind-bending plots that will leave you in suspense every step of the way. With the newly released The Dark Spire, fans of role-playing games are treated to interesting plot lines, but in a throwback, classic kind of way. See, DS takes it cue from the games of old, so when it comes to up-to-date graphics, some may find this game lacking.

However, the Dark Spire scores a solid 7.5 out of 10 on the scale of gaming greatness. It offers something retro - something that a lot of RPG fans have never seen before. The experience may be like seeing a real life slot machine if you all you've ever played was digital slots online. Every classic has its place.

The Dark Spire definitely has a niche market. Known as a "dungeon crawler," the game deals with Wizardry, and Atlus - the game's creator - brings something very original to the table with their new release. The goal of the game is to hold firm command over your adventurous party and eventually ascend The Dark Spire and fight to defeat the wizard Tyrhung.

As the game begins, you're immediately thrown into the action, landing face-to-face with a guildmaster who directs you to your party before you undergo training. With the character creation, you can choose your race, name, alignment, and then set your character stats.

After you get into the flow of the game, it operates like any other RPG out there, only with inferior graphics in comparison to today's top dogs. Dungeon crawlers aren't for everyone, and even if they are in your wheelhouse, The Dark Spire may come across as outdated. But in terms of Wizardry, plot lines, character leveling and other features, it can definitely stand on its own.