"Dark Cloud 2: 2nd, but not 2nd best."

Introduction- As I was a HUGE Dark Cloud fan, I was skeptical about picking up Dark Cloud 2. It's been proved time again in both games and movies that sequels just don't match up to the shine of the original. Dark Cloud 2 is definitely an exception to that rule.

Story - 9/10 Although I don't need a good story to enjoy a game, that wasn't an issue with this game. I still have my favorite story line scenes in this game and watch them thoroughly like I did the first time I watched them. The setting starts in the future with Monica then switches to Max in the present. After teaming up, Max and Monica go through out the worlds to recreate them so that they can keep the future from being destroyed. Following along with Max as he sees everything for the first time, you start to connect with him as he begins to find out about his own past. What better way to get into a story than to learn everything right along with the characters.

Gameplay - 10/10 Where to start? First of all, I think the main appeal of this game is creating your world. The world is being erased and it's your job to put it all back together so that you can eventually gain the knowledge to stop the world's destroyer. How cool is that? You do have guidelines in which certain requirements need to be met to have 100% completion, but most of them are so minor that there are several variations of how you can set up each world. Instead of just meeting the requirements, you can add extras and customize your buildings to your liking. Paint them even!

But of course you need materials and the Geo stones and naturally you have to go through dangerous dungeons to find these important materials. I think that's another great turn on for the game. Instead of wandering around and bumping into battles here and there, you have designed battle areas. That makes it easier for those to want to concentrate on some of the side adventures of the game if they choose to do so. While it's a bit monotonous that every floor in each dungeon looks the same, the fact that the monsters vary a little helps to overshadow that little detail.

The characters definitely add to the charm of this game. You start out as Max, a young boy who is literally oblivious to the outside world who then meets up Monica, an energetic girl from the future. Their unique qualities shine through even down to their weapon preference. Max fights with a wrench or a hammer and a gun while Monica slashes through her enemies with a sword and an armlet. Each character has their own “alternate” fighting partner as well. Max has a ride pod, or a robot, that he built to help aid him battles while Monica can transform into various monsters! Along with these great characters, you have support characters that you can't fight with in battle, but use as aids for different things.

While I personally didn't get into Monica's monster transforming, that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve its spotlight. You buy monster gift capsules and put certain items in them, depending on the monster you want to transform into and throw them at the monster. After defeating that monster, you receive a badge and can use that to transform Monica into the lowest form of that monster. Now you can fight the monsters with a monster! You can also talk to the monsters of the same species. Good for finding out what a monster is thinking and also getting items here and there.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with and upgrading Steve, Max's ride pod. When you defeat a monster with Steve, he gains Experience. After enough experience points you can start to trade them in for different ride pod body parts, different and more powerful weapons for Steve, upgrading his core, energy packs and defense. I also found that I could trade the points in for parts I didn't need and then sell them for cash or Gilda as it is called in the game. Not a bad way to get ahead.

Leveling is great in this game. You have little boxes that you collect after completing different stages of the game that contain power up items for both Max and Monica, but the main focus is leveling your weapons. You could spend hours alone on weapon leveling. Both characters start with a beginner weapon and after defeating a monster, it drops Absorption Bonus Spheres, along with other various items, that are absorbed into your weapon. After collecting so many of these ABS, your weapon moves up a level and you get synthesis points. There a few different beginner weapons out there and many different paths to take to each final weapon, so the possibilities are endless.

It's fairly easy to level up quickly if you go through the dungeons several times like I did. What was I do going through the same dungeon over and over? Medal collecting! Each floor in the dungeons have a list of four or five requirements that aren't needed to complete the floor but that you're rewarded with a medal for completing. The requirements vary from floor to floor, but include and are not limited to: Defeating all the monsters in a certain time frame, defeating the monsters with a certain weapon, completing Spheda, completing without healing and much more! You can then trade the medals in to the Mayor for items.

The camera, fishing and spheda are wonderful side adventures in the game. Not only is it cool to be able to take pictures in games, but it has a purpose. With each picture you take, your photography level increases and as you reach certain levels, one of your support characters gives you items! But the most useful aspect of the camera is the pictures you take. If you take a certain kind of picture, a light bulb appears in the bottom of the picture next to the name. You have just taken a picture of an idea. If you can combine the right 3 ideas, you just came up with an invention that Max can now make. The inventions vary from weapons, ride pod parts to even health restoration items. Not bad, eh?

Those who played Dark Cloud were familiar with fishing but were you ready for this? Not only did they add technique to fishing, but you have multiple uses for your fish now! First the fishing and the fishing rod. After a fish bites, the fun begins. You have two meters, a safety meter and a distance meter. You have to deplete the distance meter without filling up the safety meter. That's easy enough. You have to be more patient with the bigger fish. They take more time to reel in. So what do you do with the fish after you catch them? Sell them, fry them for food, have them weighed to win prizes for the biggest fish, raise them, breed them and race them! What can't you do with them?

Spheda. Okay seriously. Miniature golf in an RPG? Give Level 5 a medal for this awesome idea. Basically after a certain point in the game, you start getting time distortions after you complete a floor in a dungeon. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to hit the time sphere back into the vortex and make it disappear. Of Course you have rules. You have to hit the sphere into the vortex in a certain number of swings and the sphere the vortex must be different colors to cancel each other out. I spent many hours on Spheda in this game. For me, this was the best addition to the game.

Graphics/Sound - 10/10 From the characters to the backgrounds, this game is easy on the eyes. You have these very colorful worlds that the characters stand out in. The dungeon sights match their respectable worlds and the music matches the feel of the moment as well their worlds. The music not only changes with each world but even in the dungeons when it's battle time! The voices of the characters are done very well and it's nice that they gave the main character a voice as opposed to Dark Cloud.

Play Time/Replayability - 10/10 With Spheda and the fishing, you could play this game many times and still do something different. The first time I played through the game I was obsessed with Spheda, which I still am, honestly. I don't progress in the dungeon until the Spheda challenge is complete. This time, playing through, I've gotten more into the fishing. Leveling up my rod, racing the fish and entering them in the fishing contest. This is a game you could get into a few times.

Final Recommendation - I would and frequently do recommend this game. It's definitely a game you want to own instead of just renting. From the colorful characters to the extra features, this game provides many hours of fun. Whether you enjoy using the different characters, upgrading different weapons or you're a medal collecting fanatic like me, this game provides something for everyone. A well balanced game and worth the money. I give this game a 10/10 for over all experience.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/05