The Dark Spire
{{Short description|2008 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = The Dark Spire
|image = TheDarkSpireDSCover.png
|caption = North American box art
|developer = Success
|publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|Atlus|JP|Success}}
|composer = Kenichi Arakawa
|platforms = Nintendo DS
|released = {{vgrelease|JP|May 22, 2008|NA|April 14, 2009}}
|genre = Role-playing video game
|modes = Single-player
}}
The Dark Spire, known as {{nihongo foot|Genmu no Tō to Tsurugi no Okite|幻霧ノ塔ト剣ノ掟||"The Tower of Mist and the Law of the Sword"|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} in Japan, is a role-playing game developed by Success for the Nintendo DS. It was released on May 22, 2008 in Japan and April 14, 2009 in North America which was published by Atlus.
Gameplay
The gameplay centers on exploring the namesake dungeon known as the Dark Spire while improving the skills and stats of player's characters by gaining experience.{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/nds/genmunotou/reviews/genmunotoustrev1.html |title=The Dark Spire - Staff Review |first=Phillip |last=Willis |publisher=RPGamer |accessdate=October 6, 2015 |archive-date=September 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920192542/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/nds/genmunotou/reviews/genmunotoustrev1.html |url-status=live}} An alignment system and a class system are included in the game. The player's alignment affects who can join player's party, what skills can be learned by party members of different classes, and even equipment choices. The Spire is explored in a first-person perspective, and many classical RPG elements are included, such as random encounters and equipment. The player is tasked to find and defeat the Archmage Tyrhung at the top of the Dark Spire and to retrieve a necklace from him.{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/atlus-brings-the-dark-spire-to-light/ |title=Atlus brings The Dark Spire to light |first=JC |last=Fletcher |publisher=Engadget (Joystiq) |date=December 19, 2008 |accessdate=October 6, 2015 |archive-date=October 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007101722/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/atlus-brings-the-dark-spire-to-light/ |url-status=live}}
The Dark Spire is a throwback to old first-person dungeon crawler RPGs, such as The Bard's Tale or Wizardry. As a tribute, the game can be set in a mode which renders graphics and sound/music which could have been produced in a game dating to the late 1980s or early 1990s.{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/16/the-dark-spire-review |title=The Dark Spire Review |first=Mark |last=Bozon |publisher=IGN |date=April 16, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2023 |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215002452/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/16/the-dark-spire-review |url-status=live}} The game allows to play as one of four races - human, dwarf, elf or halfling - each with unique stats and standard alignment.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/the_dark_spire_nds_review |title=The Dark Spire - NDS - Review |first=Louis |last=Bedigian |publisher=GameZone |date=May 5, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527120658/http://nds.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r37167.htm |archivedate=May 27, 2009 |url-status=live |accessdate=October 6, 2015}}
Development
{{empty section|date=August 2015}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 69/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-dark-spire/critic-reviews/?platform=ds |title=The Dark Spire for DS Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=November 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101090317/http://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/the-dark-spire |url-status=live}}
| 1UP = C+{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/dark-spire-review |title=The Dark Spire Review |first=Jeremy |last=Parish |publisher=1UP.com |date=April 24, 2009 |accessdate=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305142354/http://www.1up.com/reviews/dark-spire-review |url-status=live}}
| Destruct = 7.5/10{{cite web |url=http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-the-dark-spire-128154.phtml |title=Destructoid review: The Dark Spire |first=Colette |last=Bennett |publisher=Destructoid |date=April 14, 2009 |accessdate=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919083424/http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-the-dark-spire-128154.phtml |url-status=live}}
| GI = 7/10{{cite journal |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_dark_spire/b/nintendo_ds/archive/2009/09/23/review.aspx |title=The Dark Spire: Greetings From 1981 |first=Adam |last=Biessener |magazine=Game Informer |issue=193 |date=May 2009 |page=90 |access-date=November 10, 2015 |archive-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525212431/http://gameinformer.com/games/the_dark_spire/b/nintendo_ds/archive/2009/09/23/review.aspx |url-status=dead}}
| GamePro = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/209713/the-dark-spire |title=The Dark Spire |first=Sean |last=Mirkovich |magazine=GamePro |date=May 2009 |page=80 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418180215/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/209713/the-dark-spire |archivedate=April 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |accessdate=November 10, 2015}}
| NP = 5/10{{cite journal |title=The Dark Spire |magazine=Nintendo Power |volume=241 |date=May 2009 |page=91}}
}}
The game received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.
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Notes
{{notes}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/nintendo-ds/dark-spire}}
- {{Official website|http://www.atlus.com/darkspire/}}
- [http://www.success-corp.co.jp/software/ds/genmunotou/ Japanese website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark Spire, The}}
Category:Nintendo DS-only games
Category:Retro-style video games
Category:Role-playing video games
Category:Single-player video games