"Ending #96
Shining in the Darkness
Developer: Climax Entertainment, Sonic! Software Planning
Publisher: Sega
Sega Genesis / Steam
1991

This was my second time playing through this game completely. I believe I enjoyed it nearly as much as when I first beat it over a decade ago. This was the first dungeon crawl style RPG I ever fully played to the end. It doesn't have the granularity or complexity as some of the others in this genre and because of that it really shines as a fun experience.

I really can't knock this game on any major points. Graphics and sound are par for the system, controls are just fine. Well, if I had to be a bully and pick on something, I would probably say the story was bland and unoriginal. "Save the princess!" is the over played trope for this game. They try to add some minor character development and flavor to the Kingdom of Thornwood, but there's nothing that makes you connect with your party, the town or anyone for that matter.

This is okay though because the real joy comes from exploring, the dungeon and meeting all the colorful enemies and their numerous palette swaps. If you're look for a classic and wanting to break into the first person RPG dungeon crawl, you can't go wrong choosing this title."