sk yourself if you're prepared to spend a sleepless four-day weekend glued to your PlayStation 2, because that's what will happen if you load up Dark Cloud 2, Level 5's role-playing extravaganza.
This single-player adventure blends real-time fighting with exploration, city-building, puzzle-solving, quests and a multitude of subgames, such as a fishing game, a breeding game, even a golf game called Spheda. There's also an intricate invention system based on taking photographs of everyday items (and some not-so-everyday monsters), and combining them into better tools and weapons. Depending on what mood they're in, players can whack monsters, refine their weapons or mellow out and go fishing.
Players begin the game as Max, a boy whose town of Palm Brinks has been isolated for an unknown number of years. The train station lies abandoned; the town's inhabitants are withdrawn and wary. As Max begins to unravel some of the secrets of his parentage, he learns that an evil being, Lord Griffon, has interfered with the present and brought the future to ruins. Of course, Max steps up to the challenge of restoring the rightful state of affairs, and he finds a companion to help him—Monica, a pink-haired princess from the future.
Max and Monica use hand weapons (Max is deadly with a wrench) and ranged weapons (Monica has a magical armband) to clear monsters out of a number of dungeons. As they do, their weapons increase in ability, and can be upgraded by "spectrumizing" items into the weapons. Almost any item in the game can be spectrumized, from loaves of bread (adding flame damage) to potent power crystals. Soon a robot named Steve joins the party. Steve is also highly customizable, and good for taking down mechanical
enemies.
When not slaying monsters, Max and Monica must rebuild the world using a giant construction robot called a Carpenterion. Dungeons contain Geostones, which are eggs full of information that enables the
Carpenterion to build houses, food stands, fruit trees, and much more. Fulfilling the conditions required to restore each town—and fighting a dungeon boss—moves Max and Monica on to the next chapter of the story.
Superb art colors a storybook adventure
A large part of this game's appeal lies in the graphics, which combine 3-D rendering with a cell-shaded look. It's like an animated movie under the player's control. There are beautiful backdrops, such as the Rainbow Falls, and a plethora of exotic monsters from the fantasy realm—dragons,
fairies, floating heads. Robots that attack with gigantic yo-yo arms are a particular favorite. The sound design also contributes to Dark Cloud 2's success. The music, arranged with real instruments and not electronic bleeps, ranges from spirited to evocative. The voice acting also stands out from usual gaming fare.
One of the nicest features of the game is that it provides multiple paths to success. Someone who doesn't like photography can ignore the invention system and still find ways to complete all the requirements. Not a fisherman or golfer? No problem. As long as Max and Monica keep slaughtering evildoers, rebuilding towns and moving their friends into them, players can devote as much or as little time to the side games as they like. Be warned, though, if you don't acquire the special medals by completing extra goals in the dungeons, you'll miss out on getting some racy outfits for Monica to wear.
Supporting it all, the game's inventory system, battle controls and the like are straightforward and easy to master. The help feature is a marvel: a library of short, narrated clips reminiscent of school-day filmstrips.
Level 5 and Sony have cooked up not just a game, but an entire gaming system in Dark Cloud 2. Wrapping together action and role-playing in a gorgeous and imaginative fantasy setting, seasoned with all sorts of subgames and surprises, this is a don't-miss choice for PlayStation 2 owners.
You know a game's a winner when there's always just one more thing you have to do before you can quit playing and go to bed.
— J.B.
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