Dark Cloud 2

"A Little Something for Everyone"

The original Dark Cloud was an interesting attempt to blend several unique role-playing elements into one cohesive package. It came out at a time in the PS2's career when there wasn't a whole lot of variety available for the RPG genre. I therefore picked up Dark Cloud on something of a whim mainly because I was starving for an RPG that would test the limits of my shiny new PS2. What I got was a decent, if somewhat overly long and repetitive experience that I none the less enjoyed. Dark Cloud 2 picks up where its successor left off and improves on pretty much every aspect that anyone could have found to complain about the original.

It should be noted that there is a lot to do in the world of Dark Cloud 2. The basic premise is still around from the original Dark Cloud, but has been substantially tweaked and polished until it shines. Molded around a fairly coherent plot line, the basic gameplay has you hacking your way through randomly generated dungeons in order to find special stones which give you new pieces that you can build in order to restore various locales to their original splendor. The building system is dubbed the 'Georama' system and actually works rather well and is kind of fun. Basically you must build the locale up to certain standards that are outlined as you progress throughout the dungeons.

What makes this system rather interesting is the new time traveling aspect. Whatever you build in the past for your Georama therefore has an effect on the future. You can travel between the times easily and effortlessly and it becomes very interesting to see the effects of your work. The whole Georama thing has been toned down a notch since the original Dark Cloud however. In the first one, the Georama took center stage and everything revolved around it. In the sequel it is still a very important aspect to the game, but has been made a tad easier and therefore a little more accessible which I quite frankly, enjoy.

Now, it is easy to think 'Random Dungeon' and try to fight the urge to regurgitate, after all I too played Lufia the Legend Returns (worst random dungeons ever). Thankfully Dark Cloud 2 amazed me by presenting far and away, the best random dungeon experience I have ever seen. If you never replayed the dungeons, you would swear that they were built static. Each dungeon contains plenty to explore, a fairly wide variety of enemies, and some very beautiful graphics to admire as you go. This combined with a very nice action RPG battle system that actually makes blocking useful results in a very fun time as you clear away dungeon after dungeon. If I had to say one bad thing about this system, it is that the dungeons eventually become a little redundant and had me yawning every once and a while, but a wide variety of mini-games (Spheda anyone?), kept me going.

Speaking of mini-games, no Dark Cloud 2 review would be complete without mentioning them, as there are quite a few. Feel like fishing? There is an excellent fishing game merged seamlessly into the whole package and you can fish just about anywhere. There are even contests held regularly in town to force you to find the biggest, fastest fish that you can. Feel like golfing? Yep, I said golfing, Dark Cloud 2 contains not only an excellent version of golf (strangely name Spheda), but a very challenging version of it. At first frustrating as can be, I found my Spheda skills evolving over time. Initially thinking it to be mainly luck if I scored a good shot, I learned later on in the game that it is all about skill. I ended up being one heck of a Spheda playing pro, and had a lot of fun doing it.

Story wise, Dark Cloud 2 falls a little short for me. Perhaps I should not have played this right after playing Xenosaga, but the story to me just seemed a tad kiddy and a little bit boring. That's not to say that it is terrible, far from it, it just seemed to me to be a bit too childish and did not have much suspense or anything to keep me going. That said, what I really enjoyed about Dark Cloud 2 were the characters. I truly enjoyed the interaction played out between Max and Monica and had my share of laughs at many different parts. The localization is, thankfully, fantastic. The voices fit perfectly and it really felt as though the actors had truly gotten into their parts. All in all, a solid plot brought together by an amazing localization.

As you can see, Dark Cloud 2 provides a little something for everyone, the question is, does it do it in style? The answer, heck yeah! Those who are annoyed with cel-shading or think that it is merely a gimmick should have a look at the beautiful piece of art that is Dark Cloud 2. Every character, every background, every cut-scene is lovingly rendered and comes across looking like a very vibrant cartoon. Maybe it is my TV, but a few times after playing I would look away and feel as though someone had turned off the lights. This game looks fantastic. Each character really has their own style and has been intricately detailed. What's even more impressive is the wide variety of clothing you can array the main characters in. Everything is here, from a bikini to an Arabian looking dress, mixing up your character’s threads adds a fun bit of customization and looks good doing it.

The music in Dark Cloud 2 left me with a little bit to be desired. I enjoyed it, and felt that it fit for the most part, but it seemed a bit too laid back for my tastes. The music is rather light hearted, which makes sense since this is a light hearted game, but there are some rather suspenseful parts that just didn't seem to match up with the sounds, which was a little disappointing. The voice acting however, is fantastic, as are the sound effects. All in all, a decent audio attempt, but not really one I will find myself listening to now that the game is finished.

Finished? Did I really say that, I am not too sure anyone could ever truly finish Dark Cloud 2. I clocked in at 58 hours and am still hammering away at the little bonus that is given to you once you beat the game. The crazy part is, I have yet to mess around with a lot of aspects to the gameplay. For instance, Monica has the ability to transform into all manners of monsters to fight with, yet I never transformed even once (well, a couple times by accident). I never competed in any fishing tournaments and will undoubtedly never get every medal available (for passing certain conditions on each level). The point is, if you want a game that is totally worth your money and will keep you busy for a very long time, then pick up Dark Cloud 2. I cannot think of a type of gamer who would not enjoy it; it kind of has something for everyone. All in all, if you are still undecided, go ahead and rent it first, but I think that you will have a good time with it; I certainly did, now to start hounding Level 5 for a sequel.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/03, Updated 04/06/03