Dark Cloud

For other uses, see Dark Cloud (disambiguation).

Dark Cloud
Developer(s)	Level-5
Publisher(s)	SCE
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	December 14, 2000 May 28, 2001 September 21, 2001
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single player

Dark Cloud is the first in a series of action adventure games by Level-5 with elements of RPG and simulation games. There is currently one sequel to the game: Dark Chronicle (known as Dark Cloud 2 in the U.S.), which is also exclusively available for the PlayStation 2. The series has been compared to the action-adventure/simulation hybrids ActRaiser and Soul Blazer. Sony went on the record to state that it was a Zelda "killer". A third title, Dark Cloud 3 was announced at E3 2004, but its current status is unknown. What was originally planned as Dark Cloud 3 is speculated to have become Rogue Galaxy over the course of its development. Dark Cloud was one of a few games that was distributed in demo form bundled with the initial release of the Playstation 2.

Gameplay

Dark Cloud is a role-playing game in which the player battles through randomly-generated dungeons, defeating monsters and collecting items. Inside these dungeons, the player also has the option, providing that the correct item and transportation gate are located, of entering a "back room". An exception to this is the Gallery of Time, which, through a programming slip, the back room key would never appear.

Unlike most RPGs, the main characters do not level up, but rather their weapons do (the player characters themselves can only grow stronger with the consumption of certain foods). Weapons level up through use, but they will eventually wear out with constant usage and it is necessary to repair them lest they break. With the exception of the starter weapon, a broken weapon is immediately removed from the player's inventory. The weapon upgrades themselves are achieved through obtaining absorption points which are dropped by enemies. After reaching level five a weapon can perform a "Status Break," in which it becomes an attachment that can then be equipped to other weapons for an increase in power.

Dark Cloud features six different main characters: three ranged fighters and three melee fighters. Melee characters can use many weapons, from generic swords and hammers to such unusual tools as giant cacti and frozen fish. Ranged characters use magic rings, guns and slingshots. To navigate the dungeons through various traps and barriers, each character's unique skills must be used at some point.

A 100-level hidden dungeon called Demon Shaft becomes available after beating the game. An elemental shift occurs every twenty floors. On the final floor, the player must fight the Black Knight, the hidden boss of the Demon Shaft. After defeating the Black Knight, the player obtains the Chronicle 2 sword (the most powerful sword in the game).

A fishing mini-game is also available at four spots in the game, with "fishing points" awarded for successful catches. These points can be traded in for various supplies and equipment, some extremely valuable.

Georama Mode

A large part of Dark Cloud's gameplay involves special items called "Atla" which are used to reubild the above-ground world. These items, one of which is present in every dungeon level (apart from boss levels), are large spherical objects and can only be retrieved by the main character. Once removed from the dungeon, they become pieces of geography (such as trees, houses and villagers) that must be placed in the above-ground world through "Georama Mode", an element of the game similar to city-building games. After villagers have been placed in the above-ground world, the main character must talk to them and discover what their wishes are for the rebuilding of the village. These wishes can range from the villagers wanting to have annex rooms (obtainable from Atla) built onto their houses to wanting to be near someone else's house. As the player approaches the ideal state of affairs, his or her progress is recorded as a percentage of completion in the Georama menu. Completing additional villagers requests gives the player new items; upon reaching 100% completion, the player's characters are granted a special reward such as a unique weapon or a powerful battle move.

Plot

Characters

Dark Cloud features several characters, many of which are playable. Like most role-playing games, the playable characters can be renamed; however, they each have a default name. Each character utilizes different weapons and fighting styles as well as different abilities that aid in the exploration of dungeons. The main protagonist, young boy named Toan, fights with daggers, knives, and swords. Toan is from Norune Village and does not speak during the game. After the events of the prologue, he is charged with the restoration of the world by The Fairy King. The Fairy King gives Toan the "Atlamillia" to gather and restore the scattered pieces of the world. During the course of the game, Toan meets new characters that can be chosen to explore and battle in dungeons. He normally has to accomplish certain in-game events for new characters to join. The avaible characters include: Xiao, a slingshot wielding 'catgirl,' Goro, an aggressive boy from Matataki Village who favors large hammers, Ruby, a beautiful magic ring using genie from Queens, Ungaga, a morose Muska Lacka villager with a preference for staves, and Osmond, an oddly garbed moon-man equipped with a wide variety of guns and blasters.

The main antagonist is the Dark Genie, an evil genie that was released by Colonel Flag, a military commander seeking to conquer the world. Other characters include Seda, a former ruler of a great kingdom, and Dran, the God of all beasts. Seda made a contract with the devil to kill his enemies during a war. When his fiancé, Sophia, was murdered, his hatred gave birth to the Dark Genie. Dran is the guardian of Norune Village and is first met in the Divine Beast cave while in control by the Dark Genie. He makes another appearance later in the game, when the group goes to the Dark Heaven Castle.

Story

The game begins with a group of militants, led by Colonel Flag performing a ceremony of to release the "Dark Genie". Colonel Flag plans to use the Dark Genie strictly for military conquest. While the common folk of Norune Village are celebrating a festival for the bountiful harvest, the Dark Genie starts a rampage to destroy the village. The Fairy King casts a protective spell around the village as well as other locations of the world. This spell causes the buildings, objects, and people to be only scattered by the Dark Genie's attack. Toan, a resident of Norune village, is bestowed a stone of Atlamillia from the Fairy King and learns that he must travel through dungeons searching for the scattered people and objects in the form of floating orbs called Atla. Toan then goes to the Divine Beast Cave and journeys through it and collects the Norune Village Atla. When Toan approaches a certain floor, a mysterious white-haired man called Seda, challenges him to a duel. Toan loses and notices a little cat on the ground, which he attempts to protect. The white-haired man throws him a changing potion and tells him to allow the cat to drink from it.

Toan gives the potion to the cat, which causes the cat to change into a half-human/half-cat form. He eventually reaches the bottom of the Divine Beast Cave where he meets Dran, the God of all beasts. Dran is under control of the Dark Genie and attacks Toan. Defeating Dran released him from the genie's control. Dran tells Toan to find the Moon People, and directs him to a giant tree called the Great Treant in Brownboo Village, found deep in the Matataki forests. While entering the village Toan is challenged by a robust, hotheaded boy called Goro. After defeating Goro, he runs back up to his tree house and drops magical earrings which allows Toan to understand the creatures of the forest, including the Great Treant. Goro eventually joins Toan's. After speaking with Treant, Toan fights his way to the final area of the forest. There he faces the giant primate called Master Utan, who was also once the guardian of the forest.

After defeating Master Utan and freeing him from the same control as Dran, Toan makes his way to Brownboo Village. The village residents are the magical Moon People tribe that he is looking for but ends up being captured by them. After learning of the Dark Genie, they release Toan and devise a plan on how to defeat the Dark Genie’s magic permanently. The Moon People plan to call the Moon Ship using the Moon Orb. To find the orb Toan must travel to the seaside village of Queens. Upon arriving at Queens, Toan learns of a Shipwreck where the Moon Orb may be located. While searching the Ship wreck, he finds and restores the town similarly to the other villages. In the process, Toan finds a lamp which kept a genie, Ruby, who joins the group. He later faces La Saia, the boss holding the Moon Orb.

Toan returns to Brownboo Village but the Moon People are unable to summon the Moon Ship. The send Toan to desert village of Muska Racka to investigate. There he finds the Sun and Moon Temple and begins to to collect Atla to restore the village and locate the ship. During this mission, Toan befriends a desert warrior called Ungaga, who later becomes a party member. After reaching the final floor of the temple, they face The King’s Curse. Once they defeat the King’s Curse a passage opens up that leads to the Moon Ship. With the help of the Moon People the ship is finally able to be activated and they set their destination for the moon city of Yellow Drops. Upon reaching Yellow Drops, Toan meets Osmond, a Moon person, who asks to Toan to help collect pieces of a giant battle robot, called the Sun Giant. The Moon People believe they can destroy the Dark Genie for good by using the robot. After meeting Osmond, he too joins the group. Toan collects the scattered pieces of the robot, by searching the Moon Sea. He collects the final piece by fighting a giant Minotaur in a coliseum-like battle. Once the Sun Giant is completed, Toan and his group, along with a crew of Moon people, pilot the Sun Giant towards the Dark Heaven Castle, where the Dark Genie now resides.

The group arrives at the castle and confront the Dark Genie. After defeating the genie they learn that it was actually a rat that had adsorbed some of the true Dark Genie's powers while sealed away with the real genie. The true Dark Genie had possessed Colonel Flag and destroys the Sun Giant. Toan continues to pursue the Dark Genie and enters the castle where he meets Seda again. Seda explains the Dark Genie's origin and his role in its creation. He asks Toan to collect Atla which hold fragments of his memory to discover what lead to the creation of the Dark Genie. Seda opens up a portal to the Gallery of Time to allow Toan to find the Atla. When the Genie reappears, wishing to reunite with Sedas body, Seda commits suicide to bar the Genie from his power. Toan goes through the years of the Gallery of Time and collects and views the fragmented memories contained in the Atla. Despite Toan's intervention, he is unable to prevent the Dark Genie's creation. Toan then faces and defeats the true form of the Dark Genie.

Development

The other distinction between the Japanese and American versions of Dark Cloud is the Demon Shaft; this location does not appear in the Japanese version.

Audio

See also: Dark Cloud Official Soundtrack

Reception

Dark Cloud is known for its innovative boss-defeating tactics. There are several "bosses" in Dark Cloud, the first one being the winged-beast named Dran. As you progress through the game, different playable characters and their weapons will give you a necessary advantage to defeating bosses. Usually, more than one character is needed to defeat a boss.

Dark Cloud is notable for having relatively bad Japanese translation. Many of the monster's names are put together (Masterutan, Kingprickly, etc.), as well as many items, such as georama parts (Anticurseamulet, Leaningtower). Some names and items are even misspelled (Corsae, Auntie Medu).

External links

• Sony's official Dark Cloud website
• RPGClassics' Dark Cloud Shrine
• Dark Cloud at MobyGames