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By Lonnie on July 27th, 2001
Introduction Every once in a while someone attempts something new, however there is also a time when something new is so old its funny. Dark Cloud introduces many elements from
Games of the old, as well as ads some quirky twist of its own. Earning its place as one of the top action RPG’s on the playstation 2. If you liked Orphen for ps2 then you will defiantly like this game. However it does have a real Zelda feel to it.
Presentation Dark Cloud does a very good job of presenting itself, from the very moment the game starts you will be amazed at the sheer beauty of the scenes. Everything is pretty simple you basic RPG elements mixed with some action elements. Dark Cloud is not very hard to get into and once you do you will be hooked for hours on end playing over an over until you get all of the atla.Graphics & Sound The majorities of the graphics in Dark Cloud are real time and show how much the ps2 first gen. games can pull off. The Real-Time weather and Day/Time system is also a trendy feature being found in more games as console power increases, as the time of the day changes everything in your environment changes also. Including how the villagers react to your presence.
Something about Dark Clouds music makes me scream Wild Arms, the theme song is very close to Sony’s groundbreaking RPG for the psx. However the music really sets the mood and the tone, nothing wrong with Sony using their own music more than once if it works right.
Gameplay Here is where Dark Cloud really shines. The main focus of game play is to rebuild a lost civilization after an evil genie destroys everything you knew in life. In order to achieve this you must gather atla throughout dungeons each containing a part of your village and/or a villager. Once you have finished your journey through each dungeon you can leave the dungeon to begin assembling the village, or you can wait until you have collected all the atla. Throughout your journey you will come into contact with six other team members each with their own special skills. Their help will be needed.
Lasting Appeal The appeal of this game ranges from full fledge RPG fans like myself, all the way to those who just want to relax and kick some monster ass. Any fan of Nintendo’s Zelda series will most likely enjoy Sony’s attempt at an action RPG
The similarities are there even the control scheme is so similar its not funny, but maybe that’s what happens when Nintendo comes up with something that cant be done better.
Conclusion With the large number of annoying games on the ps2 to start with it gave many people worries that the ps2 would not pull off what the playstation had, however Sony is beginning to show the world what it can do, and Dark Cloud definitely is one of the finer games released this year for the ps2. | 
