The Dark Spire is one of those DS games that I heard about when it first came out, but just never got around to for whatever reason and promptly forgot about. Fast-forward to last year, and several folks were discussing it in the dungeon crawler thread, sharing screenshots and music, and my interest was instantly piqued. I ordered a copy on eBay (no box, I realized only after getting it, much to my disappointment), and then... sat it on a shelf and promptly forgot about it again.
But no longer! I fired it up last night, and this game is a delight right out of the gate, so I'm going to share my ~live impressions here until I get bored of doing so. Thoughts from my first session:
Oh, and finally, my usual disclaimer: I like playing games spoiler-free, and that includes mechanics. Any questions that I pose above are rhetorical. Please let me figure stuff out on my own, or maybe even not at all, which is okay. Thanks!
But no longer! I fired it up last night, and this game is a delight right out of the gate, so I'm going to share my ~live impressions here until I get bored of doing so. Thoughts from my first session:
- The music is A+ right out of the gate, and makes a strong first impression. Moody, intense, and unique.
- I love that it starts with a beleaguered functionary breaking the 4th wall ask asking you to make a party.
- Description of Charisma stat: "Affects appearance. There is no crime in being beautiful."
- I can apparently teach everyone to knit.
- The game tried to give me a set of level 2 premades, but this ain't my first rodeo. We're making some level 1 chumps to go die in a dungeon.
- My new Mage has 1 HP. I'm... sure it's fine.
- This game has cross-classing! Something to look into later, I guess. The levelling system seems very open and robust.
- Oh wow, there are 4 variations on "attack" right out of the gate.
- It seems like styles of attack are gated by class. My casters just have the default attack option.
- And you can "look" at the enemy to get a little description.
- Geez, even spells can be cast "quickly" or "carefully". This is a lot to take in.
- I found the "classic" mode. Hah, holy shit. We Ultima now. Even the music gets a retro remix and loses some channels. Amazing.
- Hah, fuck, I wish I could take a screenshot, because the look on this Innkeeper's face is chefkiss. He looks like he just slept with my partner.
- And this shopkeeper looks like he wants to sell me a watch from under his jacket.
- I can see how effective armour is in the shop, but as far as I can tell, there's no way to compare weapons? Frustrating. It's fine for now, but I don't know what I'm going to do later.
- It seems like certain gear "shuts off" my class levels, but I'm unclear what the consequences of that are. I'll just wear appropriate gear for now.
- I can go to church and Pray. I guess I'll have my Priest do that?
- My first trip into the dungeon was very short. My Rogue got poisoned by a trapped chest, and it took all of my GP to cure him. I can't even afford to sleep.
- It seems like I can only save in the dungeon? Odd. I'd usually expect the opposite. I think I'll stick to dropping saves at the entrance.
- Oh neat, I can just swap spells around at the guild, instead of "learning" them. On the other hand, after levelling up, my Mage now has... 2 HP. I'm sure it's fine.
- The game tried very hard to warn me that it was about to dump into a pit into the basement. I didn't listen. Made it out alive, though, much to my surprise! And now I know that the Run command works!
- Update: not prepare for the basement *or* the second floor.
- Secret rooms! I knew my secret sense was tingling. And there's a sword in here! You and I are going to get along famously, Dark Spire.
- The sword requires both hands; I think I'll keep my shield for now.
- I am being consistently rewarded for checking walls to find my way into blank tiles. Ka-ching!
- My first puzzle. I had to put a hat on a statue!
- That was my Steel helm, and the statue took it with him. I needed that. :-(
- Note to self: not all bats are created equal. Ow.
Oh, and finally, my usual disclaimer: I like playing games spoiler-free, and that includes mechanics. Any questions that I pose above are rhetorical. Please let me figure stuff out on my own, or maybe even not at all, which is okay. Thanks!