Atlus is a funny publisher. While other gaming companies try desperately to cling to the newest fads, Atlus is hell bent on delivering the niche games. The Dark Spire is the latest example of this practice. With The Dark Spire, developer Success offers as old school an experience as any RPG fan could want (or in the case of newer genre fans, not want). While it has its audience, The Dark Spire is a game that won’t appeal to everyone - not that it tries.

The Dark Spire begins in an unnamed kingdom following the robbery of a local royal heirloom by the game’s central baddie, the Archmage Tyrhung. He then retreats to his mysterious tower, which your party of custom made adventurers must predictably explore and conquer in your quest to recover the pilfered jewels. The game is one massive fetch quest. Though a few story elements unfold during the course of your adventure, it never gets deeper than that.

The rest of the game is similarly stripped down. Game play is all based around those lovely turn based battles that larger developers have been trying to phase out. If that wasn’t traditional enough, the entire game is menu based, and all action is relayed through text. Simple game play doesn’t mean a simple game, however. Compared to other recent RPGs, The Dark Spire is one of the most strategic role-playing games to come out in years. The combat may be menu based, but you’ll never find yourself mashing on the attack button. When attacking you can choose different styles that change the physical power, speed and accuracy of your blows. When casting a spell, you can choose to do it quickly or opt for more a reliable incantation. Even defensive stance offer multiple options.