$16.99エルミナージュORIGINAL ～闇の巫女と神々の指輪～ Old-School Dungeon Crawling, Six at a Time
Roll a party of six from 9 races and 16 classes, then take them down into 3D labyrinths after five godly rings that never sit still.
Is エルミナージュORIGINAL ～闇の巫女と神々の指輪～ worth it?
エルミナージュORIGINAL ～闇の巫女と神々の指輪～ is worth it if…
- you grew up on Wizardry-style dungeon crawlers and want that feeling back
- you like building parties from scratch and rerolling stats for the perfect character
- you enjoy grinding levels far past the point where most RPGs stop counting
- you would rather explore dungeons in your own order than follow a set route
- you want a game you can play at your own pace, one session at a time
Screenshots
Building a party from scratch
Every adventurer starts at a desk, not in a dungeon. Pick from 9 races and 16 professions, then set name, nickname, gender, age and personality. Personality matters: some professions are closed off by it, and good and evil characters refuse to share a party. Each character gets a random bundle of bonus points to spend on stats, and since that bundle is random, rerolling is a legitimate strategy. Roll long enough and a character eligible for a high-tier job walks out of nowhere. Then arrange six of them, three in the front line and three behind. Mind weapon reach: a short-range weapon in the back row swings at nothing but air.
The hunt for five rings
The world of Haldorah Eir was warded by six rings enshrined in the Dragon's Fang tower, until priestesses shattered the ward and the rings scattered across the world. Monsters grow stronger by the day, kings mobilize their armies and find nothing, so the job falls to adventurers: find the five rings, rebuild the ward, get paid as handsomely as you like. The rings hide in dungeons, and their locations are randomized at the start of each game. Your tool is a compass that responds to offerings of Fame, earned by completing events. Feed it enough and it points the way. Side events are optional, but they pay in Fame, GP and sometimes new functions.
Loot, levels and monster gear
This is a hack-and-slash at heart, and it shows in the numbers. Levels rise past 100 without breaking a sweat, and even then some bosses shrug at a conventional party, so there is always a stronger target waiting. Gear pours in too: fixed enemies drop treasure for certain, and thieves can strip equipment straight off a monster. Punch a foe with its bare fist, then steal that very fist and equip it. The item descriptions are good for a quiet chuckle, which is exactly why collecting monster gear turns a quick trip into an afternoon. Alchemy adds resistances and elements to items, and certain professions can even recruit monsters, hidden bosses included, at absurdly low odds.
What should you know before starting?
Is it beginner-friendly for someone new to dungeon crawlers?
More than most games in this tradition. You can save inside dungeons (with a few exceptions, like timed underwater areas), so a party wipe or a nasty trap rarely costs you hours of progress. Levels climb quickly, gear comes fast, and a mid-game spell even warps you to any place you have visited, cutting the slog of walking back. The old-school quirks remain: there is little hand-holding or in-game explanation, and the interface shows its age, so looking up a guide now and then is part of the deal.
How long is the game, and is there a reason to replay it?
A straightforward run takes roughly 30 hours, and a practiced party can finish much faster. The rings are placed randomly at the start of every game, so a new run means new routes and new hunts. Repeat playthroughs also carry a concrete bonus: an increased rare item drop rate. Hidden bosses and dungeons exist for anyone who wants more, and ignoring them entirely to start the next run is a perfectly valid choice.
Can you customize the game to look and feel like your own?
Surprisingly deep, for a game this old-school. Each character can load a custom face image, spell names can be renamed to whatever you like, and the interface lets you toggle on-screen elements you find distracting. Combined with the freeform character creation, it is easy to make the party feel entirely yours. One caution from long-time players: the sound-loading feature, which swaps in your own music, is prone to crashes, so treat it with care.
