So here I am playing this in the Genesis collection on my Xbox in 2026 and having a blast. It starts out pretty rough with your unprepared character being thrown in an unforgiving dungeon to try to **** enough xp and gold to make it to the next section. The game UI is so clunky and gameplay is so archaic that I was tempted to bounce off the game several times. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because this is actually quite a competent blobber, with a challenging difficulty curve, and some novel story-based progression mechanics for its time. I found it compelling how tough and different the enemies were, and how mini-bosses would have an introductory sequence when they made an appearance. I mean, even now I think it's pretty cool. I would have been blown away if I had played it when it came out. Overall I regret missing this game during the Genesis era, because it's one of the best examples of the dungeon crawler I've played. I can only recommend it to enthusiasts however, as it is rough around the edges, and the endless corridors without a minimap will drive you slowly insane. It's like the bridge between the western Wizardry and Might and Magic series of games and more accessible Japanese dungeon crawlers such as Etrian Odyssey.

Shining in the Darkness is a frustrating game with so much potential. The graphics are lovely, the music that can be heard is memorable, the story is fun and the gameplay for a little is immensely exciting. In terms of structure, the game is unique in design by limiting its game to various levels of a maze. Unfortunately, it’s the repetition of all these positives that makes the game dull. Boredom sets in quickly as you have to keep grinding the same areas for hours to level up. The music drives you crazy while the graphics all begin looking the same regardless of what level of the Labyrinth you’re on. The game is more a victim of a lack of resources than anything else. It’s probably the biggest maze game ever and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. If you can find a way to get past its tiring repetition what you have is a small but significant achievement on the Sega Mega Drive.