https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-mZas3hLQ

Shining in the Darkness was the first game of the famous series that later became a tactical RPG. Here, it’s a classical labyrinth runner where you must save a princess and kill the ultimate evil. The game itself was pretty long but worthy of playing; was it worth listening to?

For a Genesis game, I say yes. It’s not a Squaresoft game, but at least it’s not Sword of Vermilion-like synthesized. In fact, one could even say that it’s more of a storybook fairy tale. It’s quite obvious with Welcome to Storm (the intro song), with the old man standing up from his rocking chair and telling you a story. The arrangements are slow (albeit a little loud) as if it were a bedtime story. However things get more solemn with Stormsong Castle. Here you hear the characteristic, heavy drum track that characterizes most Genesis games. But it’s still highly appropriate since it’s a castle. In addition the “trumpets” almost sound realistic.

The drum track, although repetitive, is also appropriate for most tracks. The Ancient Temple (the lower dungeon) has it, and at times it seems in-synch with the “search” command character you see. The muted “brass” in the first part of the loop sounds like they are announcing a grand, difficult quest. The second part of the loop sounds quite epic with the brass going on louder. Search for Princess Claire (the upper labyrinth). Sounds more “serious”, showing a sharp contrast in difficulty. I loved how the middle of the loop gets quieter before “exploding” (like the lower labyrinth) to make the theme quite epic.

The Battle Theme, although the drums have the perfect tempo, wasn’t as good. The arrangements in the first two-thirds of the loop don’t sound as “genuine” as the last few seconds of the loop. Dark Sol Transforms was the perfect intro to the Fateful Fight. However that track was rather disappointing as a “major boss” fight (you also hear it against Mortred). The tempo is too slow (slower than the regular battle theme) and some arrangements spoil the brass you can hear.

Furthermore, Cheerful Merchant (inside any shop) had an interesting “Medieval” beat to it with the background track and the joyful “flute” in the main track. However I didn’t think that track was particularly interesting; it doesn’t sound shop-like as in, say, Phantasy Star III. However Tavern was excellent. The tempo is quick and joyful, showing the lighthearted ambiance inside Garf’s pub where drunkards can give you all sorts of info. It has a feeling of welcomeness I just loves. Fun fact: you could hear a muted version of the track when you’re in the village. Shrine (the village church) also sounded very realistic with its organ arrangements. I daresay it sounded more church-like than in Final Fantasy I Origins; and the loop was nearly 50 seconds long!

Finally, I even liked the attention to details. Forbidden Box 1 and 2 is what can happen when you open this mysterious item. The first one makes the monsters dance wildly (it IS joyful) while the second one is a heavily synthesized lullaby. Mortred is your father’s death chant. It loops quickly but the arrangements are good enough to show the sadness of the situation. And Spreading Out the Map (when choosing which part to explore) is slow and heavy with loud drums in the background. It gives your choosing a very solemn taste.

In short Shining in the Darkness is a good addition to any RPG music library. Despite having few tracks they were composed very well, fitting the moment most of the time.