Dark Cloud
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
The Dark Cloud games are interesting JRPGs from the masters over at Level-5. However, like with Rogue Galaxy later on, Sony acted as a publisher and does own the rights to the titles. The title is an action-RPG that works in elements of a city building game as you follow the story of a band of adventurers that work together to fight a Dark Genie. The main protagonist, a young boy named Koan, is given a stone by the Fairy King that has the power to completely rebuild destroyed lands.
The mix of gameplay elements works surprisingly well in Dark Cloud, even more so in Dark Cloud 2, known as Dark Chronicle in Japan. This makes the series genuinely unique, along with a cartoony aesthetic and characters that really give the games character. Surprisingly Dark Cloud 2 was a drastic improvement over the already strong first game, with much better graphics, gameplay systems, and a load of activities to undertake. With JRPGs advancing leaps and bounds since the release of the two Dark Cloud games, it’d be great to see how a new entry in the series could blend gameplay elements.
