DS Critic Reviews

Spire is simply too niche for most. But if you can squeeze yourself into that niche, prepare for addiction to take root.

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.