Released back in April, The Dark Spire is a hardcore RPG grindfest similar to Etrian Odyssey II. The neat thing about this game is it comes in two styles: retro and modern. The former looks like it came off an Apple ][ with stark visuals and a complete chiptune soundtrack. Modern mode, on the other hand, comes with an updated musical score and gorgeous stylized artwork. Both are so awesome I had a hard time deciding which mode to play it. That didn't last long, though, as the game is so tough, I gave up after a few hours of dying death after horrible death. Yeah, that's right, I'm a lapsed hardcore gamer. Easy mode FTW!
Atlus shipped Dark Spire with a nice bonus: a soundtrack CD. The disc includes scores from both versions of the game, and it's one of the better soundtracks out there. Below are a few samples from the CD. It's a bit quirky at times, but the unusual nature of the music is what makes it so great.
7th Floor (arranged) [audio:http://www.bardinelli.com/mp3/darkspire-7thfloor.mp3]
7th Floor (classic) [audio:http://www.bardinelli.com/mp3/darkspire-7thfloorclassic.mp3]
Battle (arranged) [audio:http://www.bardinelli.com/mp3/darkspire-battle.mp3]
