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Atlus draws us into the dungeon with free Dark Spire soundtrack disc
Not only does Atlus love announcing DS games, it has developed an appreciation for putting those DS games in fancy boxes with soundtrack CDs, and we cannot say that we are displeased with this development. Add the recent delays, and Atlus is on their way to being the reincarnation of Working Designs!The latest game to get the deluxe treatment is Success's breathtakingly beautiful, punishingly old-school dungeon RPG The Dark Spire. Like Super Robot Taisen OG Endless Frontier and Legacy of Ys, The Dark Spire will be a boxed edition with a bundled soundtrack. The disc will include 24 tracks, pulled from both the "modern" and "classic" modes of the game. Samples of the synth-heavy soundtrack are available at the official site!%Gallery-21932%
Atlus brings The Dark Spire to light
Atlus has confirmed the theory that their upcoming The Dark Spire is a localized version of Success' Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite -- either that or they dropped whatever game they had planned under that name after they saw that everyone thought it would be Genmu. Probably not, but it's a fun idea.The Dark Spire is a first-person dungeon RPG playable in two distinct graphical styles: a vintage "wireframe" look straight out of Wizardry, or a striking, high-contrast "modern" look. Players control a band of adventurers who attempt to survive the tower stronghold of Archmage Tyrhung in order to gain possession of a magical jewel. According to one baffling screenshot, characters will be able to learn skills including dance, knitting, and "arts and crafts" along the way.One element we were not aware of in the Japanese version is the running narration on the bottom screen, which makes The Dark Spire feel much more like a text adventure. The narration, combining atmospheric storytelling with Atlus humor, is just one of the reasons this game is going to make us attempt to play a hardcore dungeon RPG.%Gallery-21932%[Via press release]
Atlus grabs Steal Princess, mystery RPG
Atlus is no longer content with just producing the games we want. With recent releases like Ontamarama and Draglade and new announcements like Ys I & II, Trackmania DS, and the perplexing My World, My Way, the company has turned their attention toward localizing other companies' games we want. We appreciate the personal service. According to the ESRB, the company has picked up at least one more of our fascinations: Marvelous' Steal Princess, a nice-looking ARPG with a map editor. They're also planning to release some kind of dungeon RPG called The Dark Spire, whose origin is currently unknown. Based on Atlus's longstanding Success connection, a Siliconera reader has posited (as we did when we saw the description) that this might be Success's Genmu no To to Tsurugi no Okite, the first-person dungeon RPG which allows players to switch between a gorgeous retro line-art mode and a gorgeous black-light-poster-esque mode. At least, we hope that's what it is!Maybe you can identify Dark Spire based on the ESRB's description, which we've reproduced after the break.%Gallery-34394%%Gallery-21932%
Genmu no Tou: enter the dungeon tentatively
Success's Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite has gotten us interested in dungeon RPGs like no other, due almost entirely to its visuals. While most dungeon games are bland, Genmu's default look can be likened to a black light poster. The alternate visual scheme, which is retro black-and-white line art, is also amazing. You can play a little trial of the game, if you'd like the full Genmu no Tou experience. The arrow keys move you around, A is your main action button, B cancels, X confirms attacks, and Y turns the map on. You may not be able to read the text, but you can listen to the fantastic music and brute-force your way through some bats. If you like the way it looks, check out a bunch of screens in our gallery. %Gallery-21932% [Via Insert Credit; screens via Inside Games]
Touring Genmu no Tou's dungeons
When we recently discussed the two distinct visual styles sported by Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite, we had to do so using static images. Static images are all well and good, but absolutely fail to show off Genmu no Tou's impressive frame rate. Whether you choose cel-shaded or wireframe graphics, progressing through the death-filled corridors of Success Corp.'s dungeon crawler looks as smooth as butter.We have one request though, Success: next time, let's see some of the game's 80+ monsters.%Gallery-21932%[Via Siliconera]
Genmu no Tou: pretty however you play it
You can choose to play Success Corp.'s forthcoming Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite with either stylized, cel-shaded visuals, or have its dungeons depicted in a black-and-white 8-bit wireframe mode. While each graphical style contrasts sharply with the other, they do share at least one thing in common: they're both absolutely gorgeous.Indeed, compared to many of the murkier dungeon crawlers on the DS, both are a genuine breath of fresh air, though we do narrowly prefer the retro 8-bit look right now -- those white, angular lines on jet black backgrounds are just so ... clean.Hop into our new Genmu no Tou gallery to make your own mind up.%Gallery-21932%
Cel-shading makes a dungeon slightly less painful
One of the many DS games on the way from Success Corp. is this beautiful dungeon crawler, Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite. Roguelikes are hot on the DS, and they're an old genre -- why not first-person dungeon crawlers? They're just as ancient. And Etrian Odyssey has proven that people will still subject themselves to the kind of treatment such a game offers. Characters are created through dice rolls, combat is turn- and text-based, and death is assured.Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite (The Tower of Mist and the Sword of Law) has had more attention put into its graphics than usual, sporting an amazing cel-shaded look. If that's too modern for you, though, you can turn it off and play it in a black-and-white 8-bit mode![Via Siliconera]
