Sega's excellent Shining and the Darkness, a first-person dungeon crawler. Deep, polished, one of the console's best Western-style RPGs.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
Hero Pyra explores the Thanatos labyrinth to defeat demon Elliot in this Sega Mega Drive RPG. Published by Sega, released in Europe in March 1991. Real-time dungeon-crawler RPG with exploration of dark dungeons, equipment to find and demonic bosses.
Shining in the Darkness review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾0,6 MB📅01/10/1991
Published by Sega
Shining in the Darkness (Mega Drive) price, value & rarity
Shining in the Darkness launches Sega's Shining series, as a first person dungeon crawler before the tactical turn of Shining Force. The modest loose value contrasts sharply with the sums demanded for sealed new copies, a sign of how rarely original packaging survives on this 1991 title. Its founding role in a major Sega 16 bit franchise guarantees steady baseline demand, especially for the sought after complete copies.
Is Shining in the Darkness still worth playing in 2026?
The first milestone of the Shining series, Shining in the Darkness is a first person dungeon crawler where the hero Pyra explores the labyrinth of Thanatos to face the demon Elliot. The turn based battles, the gradual mapping and the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeons make up a demanding, immersive RPG, faithful to the genre's roots. The polished art direction and the varied bestiary appeal. The methodical progression demands patience and a taste for exploration. For a fan of retro dungeon crawlers or someone curious about the origins of the Shining saga, the title keeps a real charm and depth.
