Climax Entertainment and Sonic Software Planning debuted with Shining in the Darkness, a first-person dungeon crawler a la Wizardry with echoes of Phantasy Star and a charming, colorful medieval-fantasy artstyle, although still prone to the tedious pitfalls of its era (bland combat, languid pace, brutal encounter rate, etc.). Its quaint sense of humor constitutes the game's best moments, which sadly are too few and far between to leave a lasting impression.