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One of the Best Games on the PS2

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Just looking at Dark Cloud's cover makes you think of Zelda games. Toan, or whatever you happened to name him, looks remarkably like everyone's favorite little guy, Link. Still, DC, in my opinion, turned out to be remarkably different from the Nintendo 64 editions of Zelda, and I believe this was a good thing.

The only complaint I have is that the dungeon crawling is annoying because of the weapon break addition to the game. That's right, weapons, if used long enough, will break. While this may seem realistic, the quickness with which your weapons wear down in the early stages of the game is absurd. What's worse is that unless you have your original weapon(the one you started the game with) equipped, the weapon that breaks will dissappear altogether. I haven't yet lost a weapon because of this yet, but I know I will be very pissed if it happens.

Dark Cloud's story, while fairly original, is very childish, and a lot of the bad guys look less than frightening. The first boss made me laugh. He was a giant flying dog or pig or something named Dran. It didn't really strike fear in my heart when he flew into the cavern to do battle with me.

While Dark Cloud has many negative aspects, it outweighs them with its positive ones. The city building was a taste of something new and was a lot of fun, especially since after you place a house and people you can go talk to them to get advice on where their house should be and what items are missing from their home. It was a lot of fun to walk around in my newly build town.

I highly reccommend Dark Cloud to anyone with a PS2 who enjoys Action/Adventure RPGs like Zelda and Diablo. It may not live up to the hype, but it succeeds in its own ways.

Excellent Game from SONY

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: June 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Most of the reviews before me are based on speculation before the game was released. It didn't receive so well in Japan, but they've changed it for America. And what a job they did! This game is so fun! It's not a Zelda a rip-off in anyway. It only looks slightly like Zelda. It's actually pretty different than Zelda. It has some GREAT features to it. The Geo-Rama thing is so much fun to use! This is game is MUCH deeper than Zelda too. The weapons, magic, and fighting system all are more complex than Zelda for the N64. The only problem is that the graphics could have been a bit better, but it in no way hinders the fun of the game

This is just a great game and I think you should buy it for your PS2. Luckily it lasts a long time too! 30+ hours! Unfortunately most of the reviews below are based on people who haven't played it. Well I have! and it is AWESOME!

Combination of tried and true RPG standards

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

While there may not be a lot about this game that isn't recognizable, I think that it's the combination of elements that make this a great game. It does follow the examples of many of many other RPG's (Zelda 64 for example) I think that the end result is a fun playable game.

I have about 30 hours on the game so far. There are several small puzzles that were fairly easy to figure out but I enjoyed them more then some of the illogical and almost impossible ones I've seen in other games.

The graphics were quite nice and the movies were nicely made if a bit long (especially in the beginning).

The world creating section is excellent. Searching out parts of a destroyed world and not only recreating it but also making it better is one of the most enjoyable and original aspects of the game.

My favorite part of this game is the dungeons. While the levels in a single dungeon are very similar to each other, I really liked the way the layouts changed every time you entered it and the way that you never knew what you were going to get out of it. The monsters are interesting and I liked the way that you had to figure out which of your characters worked best and with which weapon.

This is a game that anybody can beat if they work long enough - the challenge is in beating it fast. The fun is in creating a world, characters, and weapons to do it. All in all this is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone from the age of 10 up. I really liked it.

Why Rate Something You Haven't Even Played?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 17
Date: April 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Personally, I am looking forward to Dark Cloud. The prior reviews state things in the Japanese version, but fail to mention that the reason the game has been delayed here is so that Konami can make improvements to the game. I have seen a few different movies of the game, and they look absolutely fantastic, especially compared to the likes of Summoner and Orphen. Websites such as Ign.com have various movies of the game, and are worth checking out. The gameplay supposedly makes use of the Zelda-esque lock-on system, to make battling in 3D more feasible. The clips of the fight scenes were quite impressive. As for the earlier review downing the main character, he or she failed to note that you actually control various characters throughout the game, and they all have different abilities that you can use to your advantage. Also, Dark Cloud brings back the old "World Building" schematic found in games such as Soulblazer and Actraiser for the SNES. This involves placing houses, and even individual pieces of furniture as you progress through the game. As the subject states, however, do not judge the game until you have played it. I am placing five stars not as a rating, but rather because it is a required field. This is Konami bringing out the game, and from Metal Gear Solid to Suikoden I & II, to Ring Of Red, and even the stunning Castlevania series, they have held a bar of excellence in their games. The name Konami alone is, in my opinion, enough to warrant buying the game the day it is released.

Not bad. Not bad at all.....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

As a 28 year old mother who still plays video games and owns her own PS2, Dark Cloud was worth the cost. It's even made the discussion list at the computer support company that I work for.

Sure, there are elements that are like Final Fantasy (especially VII and IX), Zelda, Aladdin, and a little Sim City thrown in, but hard core RPG players will still find this a fresh breath of air compared to all the inferior games trying to be FFX knock offs.

The graphics are solid (jaggies are minimal) and the storyline is good for a non-Final Fantasy RPG (most of the other RPG's in this catagory usually downright choke.)

Dark Cloud is interesting enough to keep your attention and the fight sequences are well articulated without being gory. (I have Onimusha for that.) I actually prefer this game over Zelda because of the Georama features. Plus, it seems easier to advance the storyline, which mean less frustration for the player.

There are times where your tasks are repetitive, but really, thats part of the nature of all RPG games, I cannot think of any exceptions to this rule.

Overall, this is a pretty good game, a very good one for new RPG players to cut their teeth upon.....

Its a love/hate relationship to be sure.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

First off: This game is NOT for everyone. I have always had trouble with reviews of games that essentially only say: BUY THIS NOW! So far, Dark Cloud has the greatest number of them I have ever seen. A more apporpriate claim would be: RENT THIS NOW! Why? I'll try and explain. Also, I won't mention the graphics beyond thay they are truly PS2-level for the time. Awesome.

First off, you have to like random dungeons. I don't mean Diablo-style random dungeons that are generated once, but dungeons that are recreated EVERY time you enter them. We're talking Chocobo's Dungeon-level random. The only things that stay the same are the area enemies and the key events scheduled on certain floors. This tends to make all the floors look bland and a little boring after a while. I like a feeling of progression when I go through dungeons. All I get in Dark Cloud is a level number. Oh yes, the duels, which are supposed to be epic swordfights with strong adversaries,.. well, just aren't. They never get beyond dully distracting, frankly. Don't look for them to add any kind of value or replay to the game, as they are the same every time and you get unlimited tries.

The weapon system and the Georama system I'll discuss later are the most interesting parts of the game, and obviously got the most attention. So much attention that other parts of the game suffered severely, but I'll get to that at the end. As much as I enjoyed upgrading and changing the weapons, I couldn't get past the durability system. What are these weapons made out of? Aluminum?!? Granted that early weapons would be weak, it seems that no amount of upgrading can save these flimsy contraptions. A durability counter closer to Diablo's would have been appreciated. The Georama system is extremely well executed and interaction with the town in construction is smooth and simple. However, I just can't bring up the patience to delve through a 10+ level dungeon just to find someone's laundry or a set of stairs. Whoopee. Maybe you can. It is also unfortunate that I dislike Sim City, which this game strikes me as being very close to. I also couldn't resist a Soul Blazer comparison as well.

The thirst meter is also inetersting (think of it as stamina). Don't look for any kind of realism, though. I never want to meet the person who can be subject to life-threatening levels of dehydration in under five minutes or less. And since when is it possible to cure said dehydration by wading into a mildly deep puddle? Can't I at least get an animation of Toan drinking out of it? The meter was put into the game to add a little strategy to the gameplay, but I just found it annoying. Making it a true stamina meter would have been better (and more believable).

Now for the part of the game that suffered - the plot. I thought it was a general rule to put anticlimaxes at the end of games. Dark Cloud hits you with one in the opening movie. The appearnce of the "Dark Genie" is everything it shouldn't be. Long. Uninspiring. Dull. After that happens Dark Cloud's plot disappears into thin air. It never goes beyond "defeat the genie". All I have to say about your friends is that if the game didn't force you to use them sometimes, I would have forgotten about them completely. Yes, they're that useful.

Rent Dark Cloud if building cities appeals to you more than an intriguing plotline. After all, it is the most brilliantly executed part of this game (it is resposible for two of the stars in my rating, the third is for the weapons). I hope developers are paying attention to this aspect at least. You should also be tolerant of repitious dungeons and randomly disperesed items and monsters. Dark Cloud is definitely for people who like collecting things in games (key items, cards, and such). This game just wasn't for me. But hey, since when have any games been universally liked? Even games like Code Veronica and Skies of Arcadia have their share of disappointed buyers. Try it out for yourself and see.

A Sim City-RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is fantastic. The object of the game is to rebuild your world by collecting Atla. It is a Sim City-RPG mix, the first of it's kind. The graphics are great (although there are a few glitches the programmers should have found). The controls are simple and easy to learn. The music fits the scenery, even if it does get repetitive (you listen to the same music for every floor of a 18 floor dungeon). While moving around in the same dungeon for an hour can be annoying, you really don't care due to the fact that you want to see what your next atla holds. The enemies are sort of cartoony but they fit in well. This game provides 30-40+ hours of gameplay, and when you beat the game a new dungeon is unlocked. Below are the various elements that make this a Sim City-RPG. I definately reccommend this game to RPG fans.
Sim City elements- You must build what you have collected from atla any way you want, but if you want to recieve a good prize you will have to please the residents.
RPG elements- This has classic RPG elements such as upgradable weapons. You can apply attachments to make your weapon stronger and when it is strong enough, you can "Build it-up" into a more powerful one. You can increase you characters' health, defence, and water containers individually with various items.

Lots of fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I must say I was one that was looking at the bad reviews at first and wondering if this was going to be a good game. Well I am glad that some people actually took the time to explain why the bad reviews were written. I can't say how this game is in Japan, but the American version is loads of fun. I would not call it a kiddy game though. I am 25, and at first I was having a difficult time figuring everything out. But once you get a couple of hours into it and get aquainted with everything it gets great. It just takes a litle bit of time to know what is going on. Your weapon can break so you have to fix in often, you also need water so you need to drink quite a lot too. But that's okay, I mean it may seem tedious at first but once you get rolling "it's all good" to use the slang of today. The graphics are quite impressive too. And the combination of great graphics and great gameplay make for an enjoyable experience. I am a big RPG fan and I am really glad that I bought this game for the PS2.

I also liked Summoner, but I believe this game will be better than that. So far it is. If you didn't like Summoner that's okay, like I said I am a big RPG fan, and it's nice to see another RPG out there for the PS2, I think we have enough sports games. I do not feel like I have wasted my money on Dark Cloud and I am really impressed with it. So far it's the best game I have, but I only have it and Summoner so far. Hopefully my review was helpful to someone. Take care and good gaming.

Dark Cloud fun for new and old gamers...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: January 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Dark Cloud was the first game that our family bought for our PS2 system and everyone in our family plays it and thoroughly enjoys it. This includes the Mom of the house, who has never played any type of gaming system game with us before.

The game is very easy to pick up on. It contains fighting of course, but no mangled body parts or blood, so it's very family friendly in that respect. Somehow though it manages to be challenging and interesting enough to capture the attention of those of us who have been spoiled by the creativity and excitement of Final Fantasy type games.

The dungeons, while admittedly similar, change each time you go through them and offer new opportunities for key items and experience to build up your characters and weapons. The story line is actually kind of cool, requiring you to take sort of a "Sim City" approach to acquiring city pieces and putting them back together.

The final battle was difficult enought to require several attempts (we hate it when they are too easy -- hear that FFIX makers?), and you get the nice bonus of 100 additional levels of play (the Demon Shaft) if you can actually make it through.

All in all, Dark Cloud is a great game and one that any true lover of PS2 RPG's MUST have in their collection. By the way, this is a great game to use to turn others on to the system and the genre.

One of the PS2's best

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: June 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The media has overly-hyped this game as a "Zelda Killer," while the representatives at Sony have made no such claims. People may argue, with good reason, that this game "borrows" certain elements from the Zelda series, but certainly no more than Zelda borrowed from mythology and the like. Other than a few earmarks (i.e. each dungeon has a map/compass, the main hero has pointy ears and brown hair) there's little semblance to any Zelda game, and this comes from a Zelda veteran. Dark Cloud, taken at face value, is extremely fun. Each dungeon is small (less than 15 minutes), unlike Zelda's hour-long dungeon romps. The "Georama" feature breaks up the dungeon action, and it's almost fun in and of itself to rebuild the towns. The special characters are also a welcome addition, although it sometimes becomes bothersome to use them to open locked doors in dungeons. The random dungeon generator is solid, with no bugs, like forgetting to leave a key, but it can be a bit monotonous, as it seems at times like the generator has some strict rules to follow. Taken at face value, however, Dark Cloud is a great game, and should fit well in most PS2 libraries.

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