Dark Cloud 2

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 239 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 195 out of 239
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 239
  3. Negative: 21 out of 239
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  1. PR9Gaming
    Aug 12, 2023
    9
    Best fishing in a video game, and surprisingly nothing's gotten close in 20 years. It even has a pokemon minigame for racing or showing off fish you catch.
  2. Warrior_of_Doom
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    The overall score is based on how much fun I personally had with every component of the game
    and the overall experience.
  3. DeadmansVariety
    Apr 24, 2022
    10
    This is the first game I've ever played and it's still the love of my life.
  4. grimreapersims
    Sep 8, 2021
    8
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  5. OmegaChase1002
    Jun 11, 2021
    8
    Beautiful underrated masterpiece of a game.
    Skip Dark Cloud 1 and play this one. This one is the good one. You don't even need to play the first game to understand this one.
    Dark Chronicle (A.K.A "Dark Cloud 2") trims the fat of the original, removes perma-breaking weapons so your progress doesn't just go out the window, and removes that annoying thirst meter. And in exchange, the combat    Beautiful underrated masterpiece of a game.
    Skip Dark Cloud 1 and play this one. This one is the good one. You don't even need to play the first game to understand this one.
    Dark Chronicle (A.K.A "Dark Cloud 2") trims the fat of the original, removes perma-breaking weapons so your progress doesn't just go out the window, and removes that annoying thirst meter. And in exchange, the combat has been immensely upgraded and the controls feel much more refined. Building weapons, upgrading a giant robot to pilot, being able to transform into monsters, and a more fleshed out Georama system make this game the definitive "Dark Cloud" experience.    … Expand
  6. Xemnios
    Apr 4, 2021
    6
    The first game was a masterpiece. This is a game for children, repetitive, confusing and that has no connection with the first
  7. SebbyPlaysMusic
    Mar 25, 2021
    9
    Dark Cloud 2 is fantastically addicting, complex, long, and often very fun, though the amount of content it has to offer can be a bit unbalanced as a whole.

    This game has many layers to it. Of these layers are: - A story based on time travelling to reunite the main characters with their parents while saving the planet from chaos. I honestly played this game because my girlfriend had    Dark Cloud 2 is fantastically addicting, complex, long, and often very fun, though the amount of content it has to offer can be a bit unbalanced as a whole.

    This game has many layers to it. Of these layers are:
    - A story based on time travelling to reunite the main characters with their parents while saving the planet from chaos. I honestly played this game because my girlfriend had recommended it, and she originally played it just after she lost her mom, which kind of made it really sad, tbh.
    - Randomized dungeons with specific sets of objectives and enemies; This helps keep gameplay fresh.
    - There's an invention system that's impressively elaborate, involving taking potentially hundreds of pictures and combining these picture ideas to give the main character(s) the capacity to create important items and equipment, which can then be accomplished by combining materials. A good few pictures are miss-able, like pictures of bosses doing special attacks.
    - There's a very intricate leveling system to the weaponry with multiple paths that's a lot of fun to plan out. You can also transmute weapons into other weapons in order to maximize stats on your main weapons. (I had no clue about that for a while.)
    - There's a dynamic that lets you turn into creatures from dungeons after you effectively use the right lure on them to unlock the ability. Sadly, this is the most under-utilized aspect of the game, as most of these creatures become pointless to use towards the latter half of the game. Contrasting that, the roughly built mech you can use maintains significance as it becomes the fastest way to move in dungeons. If you're looking for a good retro game where you can transform into other creatures, Threads of Fate for PS1 was pretty interesting.
    - You can play an alternate version of golf in dungeons called Spheda, which is a combination of game mechanics I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else. This is actually really fun, as unexpected as it is in this type of game. Although! The randomization of levels may make it a total pain to complete this objective in certain areas, making the game feel severely unbalanced to complete 100%. Particularly, playing golf in the canyon area was daunting, since you have to clear out the area every time before you try again.
    - There's a town-building dynamic; You learn what objects you need to build by completing dungeons. Building these objects and having specific people move in to these locations then causes changes when travelling to the future that allow the main character to progress and acquire rare items.
    - You can fish. It's not my favorite part of the game, but it works.
    Overall there are a lot of optional tasks.
    - Many unique, unforgettable characters.
    - A quirky and endearing style, in terms of art, graphics, characters, voices, and plot choices.

    All of these elements come together to do an excellent job of pulling you into an alternate world.
    Strong recommendation.    … Expand
  8. Chriscalton
    Nov 8, 2020
    0
    I love the first Dark Cloud, and I am absolutely baffled at how much more popular the second game is by comparison. The is the most I’ll-designed game I’ve ever played. The combat system is entirely imbalanced—to level up my weapons, I basically just used the RidePod to kill everything and then switched characters to absorb the ABs. So what’s the point of having a variety of differentI love the first Dark Cloud, and I am absolutely baffled at how much more popular the second game is by comparison. The is the most I’ll-designed game I’ve ever played. The combat system is entirely imbalanced—to level up my weapons, I basically just used the RidePod to kill everything and then switched characters to absorb the ABs. So what’s the point of having a variety of different weapons at all? The monster-transformation feature was phoned in—leveling was a grind, and they didn’t adapt the combat mechanics to the monsters you could fight as. For instance, to unlock a target, you have to press back+O, but when you do this with a monster, it just turns the character around (whereas the main characters stay facing the target), so it basically is impossible to unlock a target when using the monster transformation. There are a number of other oversights with the combat controls that should have been fixed before release (the changing camera orientation, for example, also screws up the combat direction-dependent combat controls). Overall, the big boast of the game is that it take like 300 hours for completionist runs, but this is only because the entire game is a numbingly tedious grind. I’m not sure why so many people like this game more than the first, but their opinions are bad and they should feel bad.… Expand
  9. Ashtar124
    Oct 5, 2019
    9
    And excellent sequel to dark cloud 1 with improved graphics, voice acting, a better story and most importantly: less repetetive gameplay.
  10. ArthanNarronish
    May 20, 2019
    10
    One of the best games i'd ever played. A game ahead of its time. Has many activities to do, ranging from fishing to the notorious spheda.
    there is a very consistent system of weapons evolution that is likely to please the majority, since it is simple, but well functional and dynamic.
    A great but underrated RPG
  11. RafaelBarrera
    Feb 21, 2019
    10
    First role playing game I played in my life. After finishing it I fell in love with this genre... Adventure, customizing, good quests, the Georama mode (which was very well implented), the amount of content the video game has... It was such an epic adventure for the little kid I was. The graphics are beautiful, the dungeon design is good, I have no words for this game, it might not be aFirst role playing game I played in my life. After finishing it I fell in love with this genre... Adventure, customizing, good quests, the Georama mode (which was very well implented), the amount of content the video game has... It was such an epic adventure for the little kid I was. The graphics are beautiful, the dungeon design is good, I have no words for this game, it might not be a 10/10, but it's one of those video games that will have a space in my heart.… Expand
  12. jimfaindel
    Jun 15, 2016
    10
    There are few experiences in my life that have left such a deep and permanent mark as when I first started playing Dark Cloud 2 all those years ago. To this day, the story, the characters, and specially the music still bring tears to my eyes every time I think back to the hundreds of hours I spent in the world of Monica and Maximilian. The game holds up incredibly well and is a true PS2There are few experiences in my life that have left such a deep and permanent mark as when I first started playing Dark Cloud 2 all those years ago. To this day, the story, the characters, and specially the music still bring tears to my eyes every time I think back to the hundreds of hours I spent in the world of Monica and Maximilian. The game holds up incredibly well and is a true PS2 classic, a must-have for any collector worth it's salt and easily my number 1 pick for the best game of it's generation.… Expand
  13. jrb363
    Jan 20, 2016
    10
    One of the deepest and most rewarding RPGs I've ever played.

    Everything in this game lines up to make for a wonderful experience. The music, graphics and gameplay all come together in a complete package that takes Dark Cloud 2 to new heights unseen by most games that came out during the PS2 era. (Which is saying something due to it's legendary game lineup.) This is definitely a must    One of the deepest and most rewarding RPGs I've ever played.

    Everything in this game lines up to make for a wonderful experience. The music, graphics and gameplay all come together in a complete package that takes Dark Cloud 2 to new heights unseen by most games that came out during the PS2 era. (Which is saying something due to it's legendary game lineup.) This is definitely a must play and well worth owning for anyone who has a PS2 and even a passing interest in RPG games.    … Expand
  14. Von_Fred54
    Jun 21, 2015
    8
    Charming story, great characters and vibrant cities and locations !! Everything is so colorful and full of life. The weapons building system is fun and diversified, and it can make you really over-powered if you grind it out.

    It does tend to be a little repetitive, but nothing like the first installment.
  15. DarkMaxax
    Sep 12, 2014
    10
    I love this game :D It´s so beautiful. The Cel-shading, the Battlesystem, the Feeling and last but not least the awesome Soundtrack made it to the best game ever made.
  16. bosst2
    Apr 17, 2014
    10
    My real score back then would be a 8-9/10, but looking back I realized how utterly nostalgic I was for this game. It is as if there was endless content from building, dungeon crawling, golf, fishing, contests, customization, medals and more. The game is the most perfect RPG on the ps2 for me. The graphics were gorgeous and it had a great soundtrack that, in itself, sounds nostalgic. AfterMy real score back then would be a 8-9/10, but looking back I realized how utterly nostalgic I was for this game. It is as if there was endless content from building, dungeon crawling, golf, fishing, contests, customization, medals and more. The game is the most perfect RPG on the ps2 for me. The graphics were gorgeous and it had a great soundtrack that, in itself, sounds nostalgic. After downloading the ISO, I was able to finally finish the game that I was so determined to finish before my console broke before the very last boss in zelmite mines.… Expand
  17. Wolfie1987
    Mar 26, 2014
    10
    I love cel-shaded Level 5 RPG games. When I play one it feels like every day is my birthday. They're like Skittles candy. This game is a birthday cake, an infinite supply of salty tears to oceans everywhere in the universe. You better believe extraterrestrials are playing this, for they made this game.
  18. Rox22
    Sep 11, 2013
    9
    An almost flawless game. Graphic are gorgeous, story is engaging and deep, main characters are well developed and very likable. Gameplay is rich and varied.

    The pacing can get a little slow at some points and the levels suffer from similar repetitiveness that the first game had. But, while these flaws are noticable they are also easily overlooked as there is enough variety in the level    An almost flawless game. Graphic are gorgeous, story is engaging and deep, main characters are well developed and very likable. Gameplay is rich and varied.

    The pacing can get a little slow at some points and the levels suffer from similar repetitiveness that the first game had. But, while these flaws are noticable they are also easily overlooked as there is enough variety in the level designs and side activities to keep you distracted.

    Overall:
    Dark Cloud 2 (or Dark Chronicle) is perhaps one of my favorite PS2 games. It has everything I want in a game, if not more. For me this is a classic that I can replay over and over and every moment is a joy.    … Expand
  19. Fudman
    Mar 6, 2013
    9
    Dark Cloud 2 has an amazing world you can lose your self in and there's just so much to do you'll never get board.
    the RPG mechanics are a little shallow and the UI is a little tricky to navigate near end game when you have hundreds of items, other than that i love this game
  20. xboxlikewater
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    The only drawback to this game is the voice acting, but that isn't too important. Everything else about the game is unique and refreshing and enjoyable.
  21. Proxymate
    Jun 30, 2012
    10
    Dark Chronicle is an RPG adventure in its own class. The surroundings are great, both the music and the visuals. They managed to create a varied, interesting and immersive world on the PS2 hardware with something that can almost be considered revolutionary graphics back in 02. The way game just grabs hold of you and keeps you playing is great.

    This game joined by other great PS2    Dark Chronicle is an RPG adventure in its own class. The surroundings are great, both the music and the visuals. They managed to create a varied, interesting and immersive world on the PS2 hardware with something that can almost be considered revolutionary graphics back in 02. The way game just grabs hold of you and keeps you playing is great.

    This game joined by other great PS2 adventures makes the PS2 my favorite home console to this date.    … Expand
  22. wesker2012
    May 28, 2012
    7
    Great game.
  23. Unreal
    Nov 20, 2010
    10
    The joy of adventure, inventing, and saving the world are every kid's dream, by playing Dark Cloud 2, it felt as if those dreams came true for me. I love Dark Cloud 2's storyline and originality, not to mention the believable graphics and extras, no other game contains such a broad scope of things to do. Many games either focus on the battles or focus on the skill. Dark Cloud 2 containsThe joy of adventure, inventing, and saving the world are every kid's dream, by playing Dark Cloud 2, it felt as if those dreams came true for me. I love Dark Cloud 2's storyline and originality, not to mention the believable graphics and extras, no other game contains such a broad scope of things to do. Many games either focus on the battles or focus on the skill. Dark Cloud 2 contains a mixture of battles and skills and somehow it intertwines everything to the main plot of the story in a very easy to understand way. I was very sad when the game ended but was overjoyed to see that there was a "epilogue" chapter for Dark Cloud 1 fans =P I'm worried about Dark Cloud 3 though, it may not be able to pass up its predescessor since Dark Cloud 2 is just so good, especially after this long way all of us have become way too anxious. Nevertheless, this game is for anyone who loves adventure and the feel of actually being in the story!… Expand
  24. DillonDabunny
    Aug 23, 2009
    10
    Dark could 2 though its known as Dark Chronicles over here in Europe.

    I see some people havent rated this game well at all, maybe they didnt complete it. I cant tell you what my score would of been an hour in, or maybe five ours in. But I probably put over 50 hours in to this game, and hands down its the best RPG I have ever played. Dont get me wrong FFVII -FFXII are incredible games,    Dark could 2 though its known as Dark Chronicles over here in Europe.

    I see some people havent rated this game well at all, maybe they didnt complete it. I cant tell you what my score would of been an hour in, or maybe five ours in. But I probably put over 50 hours in to this game, and hands down its the best RPG I have ever played.
    Dont get me wrong FFVII -FFXII are incredible games, breath of fire, fallout, Dragon Quest,... persona.. all these games are so amazing. but DC2 touched me in the same was that Ico did. and for that reason alone a perfect score is the least I can give it.
    There may of been faults with the fighting system when I first played it, but after the story grabs you ...but then after youre sucked in nothing else matters. story, gameplay, playability, graphics.. all there.
    Read the reviews from the industry they dont lie, this really is one hell of a game.

    I just hope DC3 lives up to expectation.    … Expand
  25. JakeS.
    Aug 15, 2008
    7
    I'm not going to lie and say I've played this game a lot, but I've played it for a number of hours and after reading the reviews up here, I'm pretty disgusted. I don't understand why this game is so highly rated; the battle system is just so bad. Everything about it is a chore and feels redundant and uninspired from the getgo. I'm not going to give it a 1 and I'm not going to lie and say I've played this game a lot, but I've played it for a number of hours and after reading the reviews up here, I'm pretty disgusted. I don't understand why this game is so highly rated; the battle system is just so bad. Everything about it is a chore and feels redundant and uninspired from the getgo. I'm not going to give it a 1 and say it's the worst game, but best on the ps2?! Not even close! If I was on the development team, I would have been screaming because this game has potential, but there are several major aspects that I absolutely hate. FFX and XII destroy this game on so many levels, and I could think of quite a few improvements for those two. I love RPGs, but I definitely do not love Dark Cloud 2.… Expand
  26. NightraiderofDeath
    Sep 16, 2006
    9
    This has got to be one of the best RPGs on the PS2. However, like all RPGs, it gets very repetitive with its dungeons and monster battles. The first time you go through a dungeon it's plenty of fun, but 10? 20? I got tired of it eventually. Luckily, the rest of the games features help distract from this one downside.
  27. DanielV.
    Aug 12, 2006
    9
    I think this game was pretty darn good. It had amazing visuals, the charcters you meet were all very intersting, and the invention system in the game was really fun to play with. it could be kinda repetitive at points, but you can easily forgive it for the rich story offered. so yea pick it up and enjoy.
  28. LeeM.
    Mar 30, 2006
    9
    Anyone who doesnt like this game has either 1.Not even played it 2.Played it for like 2 minutes 3.Not even tried to like it and outlined all its bad points. Yes i am talking about you mr Anonymus first reviewer! This game is beautiful. I liked the opening credits so much I got the theme on MP3. The story really kept me going. Yeah I know it can be repetitive, but not too often, and the Anyone who doesnt like this game has either 1.Not even played it 2.Played it for like 2 minutes 3.Not even tried to like it and outlined all its bad points. Yes i am talking about you mr Anonymus first reviewer! This game is beautiful. I liked the opening credits so much I got the theme on MP3. The story really kept me going. Yeah I know it can be repetitive, but not too often, and the story makes you want to defeat those dungeons. You could even do a dungeon once in a while, and wander off-theres often something else to do. This is the best RPG on the PS2. Without a doubt. Now to go and listen to "Time is Changing" again.… Expand
  29. [Anonymous]
    Oct 27, 2005
    1
    This game is extermely repetitive i can't figure out why it is being scored so high. the story is lame the characters are lamel, and the weapon system is lame. every floor of every dungeon looks exactly the same and when you leave a floor and come back the layout is different wtf!!!!! the only good thing about this game is music which like the gameplay is very repetitive.
  30. LoganD.
    Apr 29, 2005
    10
    This game is so fun on so many levels, it has strategy, roleplaying, adventure, puzzle, as well as quests.
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PS2 Game of 2003
14
#14 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
5
#5 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Game Informer
    93
    The complete package for RPG enthusiasts. The exhilarating heights of the story are equaled by great gameplay depth. [Mar 2003, p.80]
  2. Edge Magazine
    60
    When the game eventually gets going, it's almost as much fun as it's predecessor. It's just that it takes several hours to kick off. Dark Cloud 2 still has merit, but it's simply not as enjoyable as the first game. [May 2003, p.95]
  3. Eurogamer
    90
    A bitch of a game to review. But for the same reasons it's a joy of a game to play. There's just so much to it. It's a town-builder, a compelling dungeon-crawler, a fishing game, a golf game and, in short, a great RPG.
    Read full review
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