Back when I was but a small lad growing up in the 90s and 2000s, there existed these wonderful things named demo discs. Sony would show off games for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, which, as we have discussed, have the best catalogue. One such disc contained one of the greatest RPGs of all time: Dark Cloud.
I would spend hours replaying the section it gave you. I loved everything about it. And then, as if by divine intervention, I discovered a relative had the actual game. I subsequently borrowed it, and I still have it in my collection to this day. My first theft, and I regret nothing.
Level-5 is one of the most consistent developers
Developed by the phenomenal Level-5, Dark Cloud was released in 2000, and follows the adventures of a young lad named Toan. Or whatever you want; all playable characters are renamable. Anyway, after some opening cinematics with some impressive choreography, the world gets destroyed by the recently resurrected and very Dark Genie. Game over. Or is it?
The Fairy King rescues Toan from death and grants him the ability to rebuild the world through something named Georama. We will get back to that. Toan then sets off on this quest, traipsing through dungeons, collecting allies, and amassing an armoury of ridiculously fragile weapons. Even Breath of the Wild can’t compete with this brittleness.
Dark Cloud has a simple combat system that still manages to be fun
Combat takes place in an action-RPG style that holds up pretty well. You lock on to targets, strafe around their attacks, and then hammer the attack button. Each character wields different weapons. For example, Toan has swords, and Xiao has a slingshot for range. It definitely is a simple system, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, especially since your weapons lose durability with each hit.
Your equipment can actually break permanently, barring your first one, so you have to keep an eye on its durability meter. Not that this is a difficult task, as it will beep annoyingly when it gets low. Helpful to monitor, sure, but it also drives you insane. You will want to keep your weapons going, and not just for the obvious reason of not wanting to be hand-to-hand with a dragon.
As you fight with your chosen tool, it will amass something akin to experience points. Max these out, and you can powerfully upgrade its stats. Plan well enough and upgrade with attachments to influence attribute increases, and you can transform them into stronger weapons entirely.
There’s a host of traits to discover and add to weapons, too, making this a fun system that will keep you engaged. Until you get the ultimate sword and accidentally break it on a stone enemy. Make sure you save often, children.
No character levels, only delicious stat-improving food
Despite this in-depth levelling system for weapons, your playable characters do not level up. Instead, they each have Health, Defence, and a Thirst Meter that can be upgraded in a rather elegant manner; stuffing their faces with food. Or in the case of Thirst, you will fill them up with Gourds. You won’t get enough to max out all your characters, so make sure that you pick your favourites first. Toan will be your most consistent, just FYI, so make sure you fill him up at least.
Out of these, arguably the most important resource is the Thirst Meter. As you adventure through dungeons, this will continuously drain faster than if your character were in the Sahara. Seriously, you should not be as parched as these guys get just from walking around one floor.
Luckily, you have pockets, which you can fill with water bottles. A big part of your adventure is inventory control. You need to bring enough water so you don’t die of thirst, food to restore HP, and Repair Powder so your weapons don’t break. There are also status ailments to cure, and attack items to throw at people. And you never have enough space for it all. This is arguably the most annoying part of the game, and it isn’t even that frustrating. Dark Cloud is that great.
The Fairy King had to catch them all
So, you have your weapons in good condition, and your pockets properly organised, but the world is still destroyed. Happily, the Fairy King got quite into Pokémon Go before the incident and, as well as saving you, he shoved everyone and everything into floating spheres named Georama. During dungeon crawls, you open up these spheres and collect these new building blocks, and then it is time to build.
This is a central part of the gameplay, and it is incredibly fun. Each area has its own set of houses, people, and objects for you to collect and put together. For example, your house needs your mother, a cat, a llama, and a storage shed. Stick all that together, and you have just restored a part of Nolun Village.
The Georama system is one of the best parts of Dark Cloud
Of course, it is not as simple as that. Despite rescuing everyone from the empty void of the Poké Balls they were in, they have requests to make their village better. Stuff like, “I want to be near this pond”, or “This person snores so loud, keep me away from them”. So, you become a godlike architect, trying to create the perfect place where everyone is happy.
It is quite fun trying to make this utopia, not to mention rewarding and, in a lot of cases, mandatory. Some homes and areas need to be restored to continue the story, such as Matataki Village requiring a fully completed river from one end to the other. Others are optional, yet provide services such as shopping or storage. And then even more, just reward you with weapons and items, which is always welcomed.
Entitled residents, but at least they are generous
Fully complete a place and fulfil every request, and you will receive a super special reward. The starter village will reward Toan with the ability to perform a spin slash when everyone is satisfied. It eats through durability, so you should never use it, but still, it is nice to have if you feel like pulling off a Link cosplay.
Dark Cloud is, without a doubt, one of my highest-rated RPGs of all time, and even now it holds up as a fantastic time. Yes, the combat is a little basic, and the inventory management can be a bother, but those are just minor niggles. The Georama system is amazing, so much so that Level-5 added it to White Knight Chronicles, another beloved series of mine. And, you can buy it from the PS Store for £12.00, making it much more affordable and, frankly, better than a lot of new releases. Definitely an old gem that still stands up.
