Dark Cloud 2 nailed so many aspects of what makes a great rpg. The music, the characters, the story, the world building. It's one of my favorite comfort games to return to. It's by no means perfect. There are a few mechanics that are either half-baked or just tedious to deal with. Also, many will agree that the dungeon crawl aspect starts to become a major slog as the game progresses. That being said though, the rest of the game easily makes up for it.
I played the original Dark Cloud 1 and 2 on PS2, and I still have them. Even if DC2 isn't a true sequel, I feel it refined a lot of flaws from DC1. I still love these games to this day. DC2, in particular, is one of my favorite games of all time. You can do more than just "3-hit combos" with Monica. There's a different combo you get while holding forward, and some weapons attack differently with different combos. Also, it's not that hard to control whether you do the jump attack or backflip or not. You've just gotta get a feel for it. How quickly you press the stick before you hit your button and how much you tilt the stick matter. You really paint a pretty bad view of the story. I don't really feel that's fair. You've gotta keep in mind, this game is 20 years old, and it was great for its time, and I feel the story is better than you give it credit for. I spent over 300 hours in that game in my first playthrough.
Look I wasn't trying to ruin the game or say that it was bad. This review is definitely from my perspective and everyone is going to feel differently about particular things especially nostalgic ones. I unfortunately didn't play this one as a kid like I did with dc1 so that for sure means I look at this one completely different which may come off as uncharitable. All of your points are valid and I appreciate you watching and leaving feedback.
Back when it came out DC2 felt like 5 games in one. Seems like a very Gen-Z viewpoint review, some older folks or ppl back in the 00s appreciate a game that stretches out to give you more for longer cuz it didn't used to be you could download any game right now and everything needed to be max excitement all the time. Nothing wrong with hopping on just to do some chill fishing by the oceanside
I love games where you get to build up a town, village, kingdom, etc filled with npcs. why is this not a more popular mechanic? Fallout 4 with its NPC settlements is the only one i can think of recently. And I just found out about Ni No kuni 2 which was also made by the same people who made Dark Cloud. A lot of people say its like Dark Cloud 2 so hyped to try it out. But lots of colony sims Rimworld being the best one. I guess those fill the niche instead.
I agree, I've always imagined that this would be the future of open world games but none of them have really implemented it. Fallout 4 with mods was really fun since you could get some insane settlements. Eagerly awaiting a game where they fully implement this.
This was gifted to me from a friend as a kid and I loved it! I was so mad when I discovered my sister snatched it from me. Now, I hope it brought her as much joy as it did me.
I enjoyed DC2 just as much as Zelda WindWaker...maybe even more. And even though DC2 was awarded PS2 game of the year with many high review scores, I still think it was underrated and under appreciated.
Dark Cloud 2 is my favorite game on the PS2. Honestly, from the perspective of a kid/teen, the repetitive exposition for both this and DC1 was a positive toward my experience over many months completing this game and the predecessor. I want to replay them soon... I wish the Monster transformation system wasn't so underpowered. Maybe that could be a slightly interesting challenge run to try and utilize that form of combat the most. I would have liked to see a more in-depth criticism from you than what this video had. It feels to me that you probably had more you wanted to comment on, but wanted to keep the video nice and brief. For you saying that the game is "worth the playthrough", I don't believe the balance of criticism to praise in this video reflected that statement.
Really appreciate the feedback. I've had similar feedback from others and you're right. I didn't cover it as in depth as I should have and gave a very subjective opinion whereas most of my reviews are far less biased. I never played this as a kid so didn't have any nostalgic feelings which made me grade it far harsher than I probably should have.
Yep I've got 100% completion and know the game intimately, biggest error in the game is how in depth the monster transformation system is for being entirely unusable in game
This just proves that a lot of people and games now a days cannot stand focus to long and in depth story and content. People want fast fast fast and then complain the main game is not long. This is a true JRPG, long content, in-depth, rich. I feel people are very inpatient if there are not going 100mph. This is back when people would put 100’s of hours into games. Like they had to put a speed up button in the remastered final fantasy games because turn based battle was slow, it’s like come on people relax, enjoy, submerge into the game and story.
You're not wrong, I think content creation and playing tons and tons of games has made me feel differently about some game styles. I probably would have enjoyed this a ton as a kid but personally felt the slowness of the first one was more bearable because of how innovative it was. In the second it felt there were only a few things that kept the game feeling fresh. Definitely a subjective look at the game and not trying to knock anyone that enjoys it as I'm sure I'm in the minority.
This game had a lot of cool small ideas - I wonder if the item combining mechanic that’s coming in breath of the wild 2 was inspired by the invention mechanic in this series.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming I don’t know how old you are but this came out when I was in high school and the series as a whole felt pretty innovative and fresh for 3D adventure of the time.
@@CC-oi9mc ya I played the first as a kid and felt the exact same. I think because I never played the 2nd one, when I went back recently I didn't give it as much credit.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming yeah me too brother. The PS2 and GameCube era is what I grew up with the dark cloud, baten kaitos and Valkyrie profile series will always be my top RPGs maybe one day you can get around to reviewing them but I enjoy all your videos man so no matter what you reviewing, I'll watch it ☺️
Lol yeah I know it work and life have priority over our gaming time hey, I just wanted to let you know that I gave you a follow on Instagram and sent you a message if you have time to read it over there and had a question to ask that I don't know if I should put it in the public comments 😅
I have not played this second game. I do wonder if the georama still has the "every part has to be perfectly placed" to get the best perks and ending though?
Man, I don't remember if I ever beat either game. But I loved this game. I forgot about it for such a long time and then suddenly it starts popping up again and brought back all these estranged memories of playing it and trying to figure it out as a ~14-15 year old kid lol
People defending the cutscenes blaming short attention span haha. I grew up in this era. I played these games. The cutscenes ARE exposition heavy and tend to repeat things we already know A LOT. Now that’s not a reason not to play this. The main draw is the weapon and town building. The game play. If you don’t like the cutscenes you’re not missing much if you hit start then triangle. I mean he said the first game had the same issue which I don’t know where he’s getting, but it IS true about this game.
I love the review and you're pretty much spot on. A cool little game with all sorts of ideas and mechanics but doesn't really excel at any of them. It's one of my favorite childhood games along with Tekken 3 and a couple others so I can let a lot of things slide lol but to an outsider, you pointed out the flaws really well. If there are any new comers to the game: Tap R1 or L1 just before a finisher to reset your attack. You can stunlock enemies to death and kinda alleviates the clunky combat and damage sponge enemies. Also, get used to using L2 to reset the camera when fighting or navigating. it helps! Where did you get that Cactuar poster on the top left of your wall?
I was pretty harsh on this game so thank you for understanding that it was just my opinion haha. I wish I had known a few of those tips while playing! The cactuar and all other posters in the back are displates that the community bought for me.
This review is pretty fair. As much as I love Dark Cloud 2, I think it's perfectly fair to say the the game hasn't aged super well. This game blew my mind when I was young, but admittedly there are a lot of games that would blow you're mind when you're 12 years old and Dark Cloud 2 wasn't quite on the level of other huge RPG series like Final Fantasy `0 or Dragon Quest 8 that came out during this time period. That being said, while the cutscenes and plotpoints were a little goofy and not all that interconnected, I do think the game does a LOT of stuff very well. The combat, while kinda rough (especially with today's standards), was very interesting at the time and the progression systems via weapon crafting or building your Ridepod are extremely unique and fascinating. Not only that, the game is filled to the brim with absurd amounts of content for those who want to invest into that kind of stuff (they even have fish racing contests for anyone who cares about doing all the fishing stuff). I'm definitely sad that Dark Cloud is stuck in Copyright Hell since Sony owns the rights, because Level-5 have said themselves that they'd love to make a Dark Cloud 3 some day, but can't do it unless Sony gets on board.
I like these points. Had I played this when I was a kid I probably would have spent a ton of time in it like I did with the first one. I would however love a dark cloud 3 and see what they could do with far better technology available.
Play this game this is an essential PS2 game and an essential rpg. For me Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, Legend of Dragoon, Star Ocean The Second Story, Dark Cloud 2, Suikoden, Xenogears, Arc The Lad, are some of my top fave RPGs of all time
Love these games, still holding out for 3 but Sony's holding on to the licence. You gonna do the spiritual successor to these 2 called Rogue Galaxy? One of the *MOST* JRPG Weapon Upgrade systems I've ever seen.
Yo thanks Rocky! I will be back at some point but just too busy with basketball and youtube at the moment. Hope you've been well and I appreciate you dropping by!
You got it backwards, it was originally called dark cloud 2 when it released in North America, and then was renamed dark chronicle for its European release because dc1 was never released in Europe and Sony and level 5 didn't want to confuse European gamers, so technically it is a sequal
This game was proof that a game can be shipped with OK graphics, terrible (great) voice acting, a literal voice line misplacement (Dr. Dell: "Not good, not good. A few more days like this and she's done for."), an entire game mechanic that no one knows how to use or even wants to use (monster badges), an inifite money glitch, child level boss fights, and a terrible golf minigame (my favorite) and still be massively enjoyed and looked back on fondly. I spent hundreds on hours on this game over the year and I still get the itch to replay it every now and then. Yeah the game has tons of flaws, but I love it nonetheless.
I can easily see how people can love this game so damn much. I feel like it depends on which one you played first that dictates which you think is better.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming I played Dark Cloud first. Honestly, I was sold on the sequal with just the unlimited inventory and the lack of a thirst meter alone.
I watched a friend play this for a little bit and I wasn’t really vibing with it. There’s something with a camera too? idk not my job. But this review was awesome though!
I guess I just love the quirkiness of this game and it was a childhood one, I actually used to think the fish scene was kind of amusing cause of the exaggeration
Yea, but some people are pretty handy, like the moonperson you can move into a town. He sells crystals for weapon synthesis. But yea, you could make it easier and move them all into one town if you needed to, as long as you don't need them for the future era.@@WoddahMaloneGaming
You judged a classic jrpg by a modern lens, probably not the way to approach this one. This was a super chill game. For me, this is easily in my top 20 all time. You kind of have to compare to what other games look and play like in 2002.
You're not wrong. I talked about this since then but I probably judged the game too harshly. I had always known about it and always imagined it being different so was probably not completely fair to it.
I remember loving the game but dropping it in the last area/dungeons It kinda fell off at that point and started getting repititive and a slog I still give the game a solid 8/10 though, such a shame we didn’t get Dark Cloud 3
The game is amazing. I loved Dark Cloud 2. The game play and combat isn't that difficult, really. A little tricky but once you get the handle of it easy. The main points of the story is easy to follow so younger player's. But the story is detailed and well told for the 2000s. Not every story has to be fast passed
@@WoddahMaloneGamingnothing wrong with emulating older games. I say this as an artist too lolol. After a while, companies need to move on. But I personally own it digitally on ps4 cause I looovveee this game :D
@@jesseroberts1041 I have it on ps5 but I decided to play on emulator for the speed up function. Honestly it made the game far more fun and I highly recommend if anyone is struggling to get through it.
This game is in my top 15 favorite games ever. It is nastslgic and also just so amazing. I onvisoly have nastalgia, but nastslgia aside, how can someone think the misic in this game is jist "okay". The music in this game is amazing, especially the main theme.
Considering playing this, but I seem to run out of steam every time I boot up a JRPG. Played about 20 hours of chrono trigger recently, it was fun but eventually I just couldn’t give a damn. When I was 10 it was addictive, but now it’s just painful
MARK HAMIL voices griffin. Felt like I watched a hate video on the game over long cutscenes. Try pressing pause and hitting triangle. They are SKIPPABLE. There a few more characters from the first like master Utan who even references Toan. Also rufio I believe. No mention of the invention system, Fishing, Spheda, or Medals in the dungeons. This game is a gem with beautiful environments, wonderful soundtracks and gameplay beyond its time for 2002.
You have a lot of complains. How to make you happy? I think the people behind Dark Cloud 2 put a lot of love and effort into making this game. This game to me is a perfection. Even way too better than other rpgs games nowadays.
That's fair enough. I personally for whatever reason just didn't really enjoy my playthrough of it, however if I would have played it as a kid I probably would be a huge fan.
HEAR ME OUT!!! Too many floors in those dungeons. WAY TOO MANY. I had to stop at some point...but I got rather far in the second one. I just didn't like it as much as the original. I agree with all your points...100%
Cool vid, fun sketches! But you took til 5 mins in to really talk about the game, and the vid was only 10 mins long. It feels like by the time you get to talking about the game, the vid ends right after. Edit: it was about 4 mins in to talk about the game, but my point still stands, its 40%. Either way, im over joyed to see anyone talk about my childhood favorite games! The characters are a little bland for sure. Very much the "im a mechanic i can fix stuff!" And the "im a grandma i make cheese!" Wait was the cheesemaking grandma an archetype? Seems right. The monster transformations are so underwhelming, but its a fun thing to collect. And the ridepod really makes it less interesting to do any other combat. Slightly upgraded monsters with better strengths and weaknesses, and a ridepod with, well, any weakness overall could have made for a better game. Still, the game is definately worth a playhrough or even 2! Edit edit: scooby dooish dialogue was a good way to say it. Replaying the game, i was excited to rewatch the cutscenes. While i play it, im so quick to mash through dialogue or skip cutscenes.
Ya, still working on the story telling and flow of these types of vids. I just do this as a hobby and constantly tweaking the formula. One day I'm sure I'll be a bit better. Thanks for watching though, I really appreciate it and the feedback!
@WoddahMaloneGaming also think you didn't really do what the game offers. You have the golf game, every weapon has 4 upgrades I think, fishing tournament, end game dungeon and boss.
Haha, I apologize, I really enjoyed 1 and I never played 2 as a kid so I think I didn't give it much of a chance. I've had many others say the same thing so I'd agree with you that I probably didnt do it justice.
Came back to it. It hasn’t held up, at all. Spheda is fully randomized broken crap; the dungeons are painfully easy. And don’t even get me started on how the most USELESS combat style requires the most work to level up. This game is like every annoying fucking old JRPG trope rolled into one game. The only thing I genuinely enjoy is the fishing still. And that’s sad; cus it makes me wonder; what the fuck I did with my childhood. I could have been doing something worthwhile not playing mid JRPGs.
😂😂 this game really hurt you. I agree, it was probably super fun back in the day but I struggled to get through it recently. I only fished like twice in this game unfortunately.
wait wait wait, YOU DIDN"T LEVEL UP THE GUN????!!!!!! what is wrong with you? gun is the most powerful and the most useful weapon in the game , especially the jurak gun who max out as supernova who can have all stat over 500 and can kill the secret boss dark genie from the first game in less than 10 seconds , there is no weapon in the game stronger faster and easier to used than that, like seriously? what the hell is wrong with you? furthermore guns are the most variative weapons of them all , and each one is sooooo fun to used, even the most lame gun the bell pistol its still fun, my favorite the bazoka type is soooo badass , the laser is the most powerful and nearly impossible to miss any target and can shoot really fast, almost as fast as the gatling type which also very fun to used , its feels like you are the terminator , how you or anyone hate guns in this game, again, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
😂😂 I just used the ridepod for the first few dungeons so when I started using the gun it was so weak that I couldn't be bothered trying to level it. But I did pay for it at the end because I could hardly use max which made the game much tougher than it needed to be.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming but... there are people that sells powerful guns , even in the late game, like max father , he sold a quite powerful machine gun type, and the one in the lab if im not mistaken sell a bazoka type and laser type that already powerful from the start, you can just used those guns and level them up, no need to start from zero like jurak gun, while it is better to start from the weakest weapon to fill all the other parameter, but if you are too lazy to compound it from the weakest level , buying an already powerful guns is still a great option. and they are already deathly from the start
Dark cloud 2 is a game you’ll never find anywhere else. It’s truly one of a kind game. It’s amazing, beautiful and just a masterpiece
I should have taken a break and come back to it.
yeah man, i am brasilian and i say, nobody know aboult this masterpiece
100% agree.
The game's iconic. A lot of great games on PS2 but this game might have been the best. It has everything for everyone.
Dark Cloud 2 nailed so many aspects of what makes a great rpg. The music, the characters, the story, the world building. It's one of my favorite comfort games to return to. It's by no means perfect. There are a few mechanics that are either half-baked or just tedious to deal with. Also, many will agree that the dungeon crawl aspect starts to become a major slog as the game progresses. That being said though, the rest of the game easily makes up for it.
I am glad they tried new things though. It wasn't what I wanted selfishly and I was probably too harsh on it.
I played the original Dark Cloud 1 and 2 on PS2, and I still have them. Even if DC2 isn't a true sequel, I feel it refined a lot of flaws from DC1. I still love these games to this day. DC2, in particular, is one of my favorite games of all time.
You can do more than just "3-hit combos" with Monica. There's a different combo you get while holding forward, and some weapons attack differently with different combos. Also, it's not that hard to control whether you do the jump attack or backflip or not. You've just gotta get a feel for it. How quickly you press the stick before you hit your button and how much you tilt the stick matter.
You really paint a pretty bad view of the story. I don't really feel that's fair. You've gotta keep in mind, this game is 20 years old, and it was great for its time, and I feel the story is better than you give it credit for. I spent over 300 hours in that game in my first playthrough.
Look I wasn't trying to ruin the game or say that it was bad. This review is definitely from my perspective and everyone is going to feel differently about particular things especially nostalgic ones. I unfortunately didn't play this one as a kid like I did with dc1 so that for sure means I look at this one completely different which may come off as uncharitable.
All of your points are valid and I appreciate you watching and leaving feedback.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming Oh, of course, don't worry. I was just sharing my thoughts about your review. I understand your criticisms completely.
Back when it came out DC2 felt like 5 games in one.
Seems like a very Gen-Z viewpoint review, some older folks or ppl back in the 00s appreciate a game that stretches out to give you more for longer cuz it didn't used to be you could download any game right now and everything needed to be max excitement all the time.
Nothing wrong with hopping on just to do some chill fishing by the oceanside
I can dig that for sure. I dont disagree bit to me personally it felt most of the time was spent in between activities.
Play that awesome game guys u wont regret it
it’s not on the ps5 store for me THOOO 😭😭😭
@@LiviaReaper
Then use an emulator to play this game.
I love games where you get to build up a town, village, kingdom, etc filled with npcs. why is this not a more popular mechanic? Fallout 4 with its NPC settlements is the only one i can think of recently. And I just found out about Ni No kuni 2 which was also made by the same people who made Dark Cloud. A lot of people say its like Dark Cloud 2 so hyped to try it out. But lots of colony sims Rimworld being the best one. I guess those fill the niche instead.
I agree, I've always imagined that this would be the future of open world games but none of them have really implemented it. Fallout 4 with mods was really fun since you could get some insane settlements. Eagerly awaiting a game where they fully implement this.
This was gifted to me from a friend as a kid and I loved it! I was so mad when I discovered my sister snatched it from me. Now, I hope it brought her as much joy as it did me.
Haha, damn, did you get to finish the game at least?
I enjoyed DC2 just as much as Zelda WindWaker...maybe even more.
And even though DC2 was awarded PS2 game of the year with many high review scores, I still think it was underrated and under appreciated.
I actually haven't played wind water. I only hear good things about it.
@WoddahMaloneGaming Wind Waker is the 3rd best Zelda game ever, in my opinion...Breath of The Wild and Tears of The Kingdom are #1 and 2
Subscribing after that intro, that was 100% my thoughts when I was picking up Dark Cloud 2 as a kid.
😂😂 that's so awesome. Great minds think alike. Thanks a ton for the sub.
production quality, writing, and editing on this video is exceptional. Very professional when compared to other channels that make similar content.
Thanks man really appreciate it. I'll be back to making videos again soon.
Came from your Dark Cloud 1 video, this video is fantastic some brilliant points here
Yo I appreciate that! I've actually seen some of your videos so glad you've stopped by.
Dark Cloud 2 is my favorite game on the PS2. Honestly, from the perspective of a kid/teen, the repetitive exposition for both this and DC1 was a positive toward my experience over many months completing this game and the predecessor. I want to replay them soon...
I wish the Monster transformation system wasn't so underpowered. Maybe that could be a slightly interesting challenge run to try and utilize that form of combat the most.
I would have liked to see a more in-depth criticism from you than what this video had. It feels to me that you probably had more you wanted to comment on, but wanted to keep the video nice and brief. For you saying that the game is "worth the playthrough", I don't believe the balance of criticism to praise in this video reflected that statement.
Really appreciate the feedback. I've had similar feedback from others and you're right. I didn't cover it as in depth as I should have and gave a very subjective opinion whereas most of my reviews are far less biased. I never played this as a kid so didn't have any nostalgic feelings which made me grade it far harsher than I probably should have.
Yep I've got 100% completion and know the game intimately, biggest error in the game is how in depth the monster transformation system is for being entirely unusable in game
This just proves that a lot of people and games now a days cannot stand focus to long and in depth story and content. People want fast fast fast and then complain the main game is not long. This is a true JRPG, long content, in-depth, rich. I feel people are very inpatient if there are not going 100mph. This is back when people would put 100’s of hours into games. Like they had to put a speed up button in the remastered final fantasy games because turn based battle was slow, it’s like come on people relax, enjoy, submerge into the game and story.
You're not wrong, I think content creation and playing tons and tons of games has made me feel differently about some game styles. I probably would have enjoyed this a ton as a kid but personally felt the slowness of the first one was more bearable because of how innovative it was. In the second it felt there were only a few things that kept the game feeling fresh. Definitely a subjective look at the game and not trying to knock anyone that enjoys it as I'm sure I'm in the minority.
Indeed cause this generation dont know what the great game is, they choose automatic game play and watch the game play itself like in real life 😂
finally some content!!! great vid mate, looking forward to what's coming next
Haha, im sorry Lapotti, never again will I leave you!
This game had a lot of cool small ideas - I wonder if the item combining mechanic that’s coming in breath of the wild 2 was inspired by the invention mechanic in this series.
You could be right. I felt like the ideas were great too but with they executed a bit better. Probably asking alot of a 20 year old game.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming I don’t know how old you are but this came out when I was in high school and the series as a whole felt pretty innovative and fresh for 3D adventure of the time.
@@CC-oi9mc ya I played the first as a kid and felt the exact same. I think because I never played the 2nd one, when I went back recently I didn't give it as much credit.
Hell yeah man, this is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Glad to see you still making content
Yo whats up Thinh!? Ya I had a blast with this game as a kid and have enjoyed going back and replaying them.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming yeah me too brother. The PS2 and GameCube era is what I grew up with the dark cloud, baten kaitos and Valkyrie profile series will always be my top RPGs maybe one day you can get around to reviewing them but I enjoy all your videos man so no matter what you reviewing, I'll watch it ☺️
@@Thinh-Nguyen. I do have valkyrie profile on my list as Ive never even played them!! Also never heard of baten kaitos! So many gems to get to.
Lol yeah I know it work and life have priority over our gaming time hey, I just wanted to let you know that I gave you a follow on Instagram and sent you a message if you have time to read it over there and had a question to ask that I don't know if I should put it in the public comments 😅
I vividly remember enjoying the monster transformation system so much lol
I should have explored it more. I think child me would have loved it
I have not played this second game. I do wonder if the georama still has the "every part has to be perfectly placed" to get the best perks and ending though?
Ya I think there are specific requirements for one of the endings but im not sure how strict they are.
Man, I don't remember if I ever beat either game. But I loved this game. I forgot about it for such a long time and then suddenly it starts popping up again and brought back all these estranged memories of playing it and trying to figure it out as a ~14-15 year old kid lol
😂😂 it's funny how these things come back around. I played the first one as a kid but never the second.
So what’s it like over there in Austin?!
😂😂
The hometown reenactment was spot on! Flawless 😂
Haha, every freaking time.
People defending the cutscenes blaming short attention span haha. I grew up in this era. I played these games. The cutscenes ARE exposition heavy and tend to repeat things we already know A LOT.
Now that’s not a reason not to play this. The main draw is the weapon and town building. The game play. If you don’t like the cutscenes you’re not missing much if you hit start then triangle.
I mean he said the first game had the same issue which I don’t know where he’s getting, but it IS true about this game.
Town building and weapon customization 100%!
Love this game :) you have a great channel man! I just subbed
Thanks a ton!
I love the review and you're pretty much spot on. A cool little game with all sorts of ideas and mechanics but doesn't really excel at any of them. It's one of my favorite childhood games along with Tekken 3 and a couple others so I can let a lot of things slide lol but to an outsider, you pointed out the flaws really well.
If there are any new comers to the game: Tap R1 or L1 just before a finisher to reset your attack. You can stunlock enemies to death and kinda alleviates the clunky combat and damage sponge enemies. Also, get used to using L2 to reset the camera when fighting or navigating. it helps!
Where did you get that Cactuar poster on the top left of your wall?
I was pretty harsh on this game so thank you for understanding that it was just my opinion haha. I wish I had known a few of those tips while playing!
The cactuar and all other posters in the back are displates that the community bought for me.
Which was better Dark Cloud 1 or 2?
I preferred 1 but 2 did a few things better though.
This review is pretty fair. As much as I love Dark Cloud 2, I think it's perfectly fair to say the the game hasn't aged super well. This game blew my mind when I was young, but admittedly there are a lot of games that would blow you're mind when you're 12 years old and Dark Cloud 2 wasn't quite on the level of other huge RPG series like Final Fantasy `0 or Dragon Quest 8 that came out during this time period.
That being said, while the cutscenes and plotpoints were a little goofy and not all that interconnected, I do think the game does a LOT of stuff very well. The combat, while kinda rough (especially with today's standards), was very interesting at the time and the progression systems via weapon crafting or building your Ridepod are extremely unique and fascinating. Not only that, the game is filled to the brim with absurd amounts of content for those who want to invest into that kind of stuff (they even have fish racing contests for anyone who cares about doing all the fishing stuff).
I'm definitely sad that Dark Cloud is stuck in Copyright Hell since Sony owns the rights, because Level-5 have said themselves that they'd love to make a Dark Cloud 3 some day, but can't do it unless Sony gets on board.
I like these points. Had I played this when I was a kid I probably would have spent a ton of time in it like I did with the first one.
I would however love a dark cloud 3 and see what they could do with far better technology available.
Fam i just caught fish all day, raised them and raced them all day lmao
😂😂 I feel like this would be 10 year old me.
Play this game this is an essential PS2 game and an essential rpg. For me Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, Legend of Dragoon, Star Ocean The Second Story, Dark Cloud 2, Suikoden, Xenogears, Arc The Lad, are some of my top fave RPGs of all time
I need to replay it away from recording and making a video. I would enjoy a more relaxed playthrough of it I think.
Love these games, still holding out for 3 but Sony's holding on to the licence. You gonna do the spiritual successor to these 2 called Rogue Galaxy? One of the *MOST* JRPG Weapon Upgrade systems I've ever seen.
I do have rogue galaxy waiting to be played at some point. I'm hearing good things!
Hey, Woddah I heard you letting streams go to focus on TH-cam. Just wanted to drop in and wish you the best!!!
Yo thanks Rocky! I will be back at some point but just too busy with basketball and youtube at the moment. Hope you've been well and I appreciate you dropping by!
@@WoddahMaloneGaming YESSIR!!!
You got it backwards, it was originally called dark cloud 2 when it released in North America, and then was renamed dark chronicle for its European release because dc1 was never released in Europe and Sony and level 5 didn't want to confuse European gamers, so technically it is a sequal
Thanks for the heads up, I am but a lowely dark cloud casual. 😂
Umm.. but I own it on German(PAL) 🤔
So glad you're back, excited to give this a watch
I'm happy to be back! Hopefully I'm not too rusty!
This game was proof that a game can be shipped with OK graphics, terrible (great) voice acting, a literal voice line misplacement (Dr. Dell: "Not good, not good. A few more days like this and she's done for."), an entire game mechanic that no one knows how to use or even wants to use (monster badges), an inifite money glitch, child level boss fights, and a terrible golf minigame (my favorite) and still be massively enjoyed and looked back on fondly.
I spent hundreds on hours on this game over the year and I still get the itch to replay it every now and then. Yeah the game has tons of flaws, but I love it nonetheless.
I can easily see how people can love this game so damn much. I feel like it depends on which one you played first that dictates which you think is better.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming I played Dark Cloud first. Honestly, I was sold on the sequal with just the unlimited inventory and the lack of a thirst meter alone.
@@labooje2662 haha, that and the weapon breaking system was far better. 😂😂
@@WoddahMaloneGaming Most definitely. I think I didn't play the game for a few weeks after my first weapon broke within the first few hours of play.
I watched a friend play this for a little bit and I wasn’t really vibing with it. There’s something with a camera too? idk not my job. But this review was awesome though!
Ya, there were tons of other little side things I didn't cover and most of em just really get in the way.
One of my all time favourite games
I wish I'd have played it when I was a kiddo
Hola! Tengo un problema, no puedo pasar de la pantalla de ps5 de pulse START con ningún botón. Puedes ayudarme?
Sorry, no habla Español
I don’t know how I found you but good vid! Keep it up😁. That hidden sub button had me laughing. Earned the sub😂
😂😂 I appreciate it mate. Thanks for the sub and hope you enjoy the channel.
Probably my favorite overall game ever.
That's fair, nothing wrong with that!
I guess I just love the quirkiness of this game and it was a childhood one, I actually used to think the fish scene was kind of amusing cause of the exaggeration
I think I was a bit harsh on this game looking back at the review. It's just because it wasn't what I was wanting.
"If they sold unique items"
Literally 80% of them selling things you wouldn't find on your own normally:
You can buy all of those items from one town though so no need to visit all the other villages you made
Yea, but some people are pretty handy, like the moonperson you can move into a town. He sells crystals for weapon synthesis. But yea, you could make it easier and move them all into one town if you needed to, as long as you don't need them for the future era.@@WoddahMaloneGaming
I did enjoy this game back in the day. I mostly remember taking lots of pictures and playing that annoying golf mini-game.
Haha, nothing wrong with the minigames!
favorite game of my childhood hamds down
You judged a classic jrpg by a modern lens, probably not the way to approach this one. This was a super chill game. For me, this is easily in my top 20 all time. You kind of have to compare to what other games look and play like in 2002.
You're not wrong. I talked about this since then but I probably judged the game too harshly. I had always known about it and always imagined it being different so was probably not completely fair to it.
I remember loving the game but dropping it in the last area/dungeons
It kinda fell off at that point and started getting repititive and a slog
I still give the game a solid 8/10 though, such a shame we didn’t get Dark Cloud 3
Ya, they both get super repetitive at points. Really wish other games would take some of these mechanics though.
The game is amazing. I loved Dark Cloud 2. The game play and combat isn't that difficult, really. A little tricky but once you get the handle of it easy.
The main points of the story is easy to follow so younger player's. But the story is detailed and well told for the 2000s. Not every story has to be fast passed
True, I was pretty harsh on my review for this game and probably was more personal taste rather than being objective.
im about to fold and buy a console for the first time in over a decade just to play this game again.
If you've got a good pc you can most likely emulate it. Not that I would condone emulating but...
@@WoddahMaloneGamingnothing wrong with emulating older games. I say this as an artist too lolol. After a while, companies need to move on. But I personally own it digitally on ps4 cause I looovveee this game :D
@@jesseroberts1041 I have it on ps5 but I decided to play on emulator for the speed up function. Honestly it made the game far more fun and I highly recommend if anyone is struggling to get through it.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming Yeah by the end it can be repetitive haha. I admit I still take breaks months at a time from it when I get really into it lolol.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming don't even need a good pc! I'm playing it on samsung S10 phone at the moment!
This game is in my top 15 favorite games ever. It is nastslgic and also just so amazing.
I onvisoly have nastalgia, but nastslgia aside, how can someone think the misic in this game is jist "okay". The music in this game is amazing, especially the main theme.
Considering playing this, but I seem to run out of steam every time I boot up a JRPG. Played about 20 hours of chrono trigger recently, it was fun but eventually I just couldn’t give a damn. When I was 10 it was addictive, but now it’s just painful
Ya, some of the nostalgic games are so different playing presently.
MARK HAMIL voices griffin.
Felt like I watched a hate video on the game over long cutscenes. Try pressing pause and hitting triangle. They are SKIPPABLE. There a few more characters from the first like master Utan who even references Toan. Also rufio I believe. No mention of the invention system, Fishing, Spheda, or Medals in the dungeons. This game is a gem with beautiful environments, wonderful soundtracks and gameplay beyond its time for 2002.
You have a lot of complains. How to make you happy? I think the people behind Dark Cloud 2 put a lot of love and effort into making this game. This game to me is a perfection. Even way too better than other rpgs games nowadays.
That's fair enough. I personally for whatever reason just didn't really enjoy my playthrough of it, however if I would have played it as a kid I probably would be a huge fan.
10:51 to skip all the bullshit bc wtf did i just waste my time on
It looks great!
Not as bad as I made it seem.
@WoddahMaloneGaming it has that FFIX and DQVIII look to it
HEAR ME OUT!!!
Too many floors in those dungeons. WAY TOO MANY. I had to stop at some point...but I got rather far in the second one. I just didn't like it as much as the original.
I agree with all your points...100%
Soooo many, damn, floors!!!
Cool vid, fun sketches! But you took til 5 mins in to really talk about the game, and the vid was only 10 mins long. It feels like by the time you get to talking about the game, the vid ends right after.
Edit: it was about 4 mins in to talk about the game, but my point still stands, its 40%. Either way, im over joyed to see anyone talk about my childhood favorite games! The characters are a little bland for sure. Very much the "im a mechanic i can fix stuff!" And the "im a grandma i make cheese!" Wait was the cheesemaking grandma an archetype? Seems right. The monster transformations are so underwhelming, but its a fun thing to collect. And the ridepod really makes it less interesting to do any other combat. Slightly upgraded monsters with better strengths and weaknesses, and a ridepod with, well, any weakness overall could have made for a better game. Still, the game is definately worth a playhrough or even 2!
Edit edit: scooby dooish dialogue was a good way to say it. Replaying the game, i was excited to rewatch the cutscenes. While i play it, im so quick to mash through dialogue or skip cutscenes.
Ya, still working on the story telling and flow of these types of vids. I just do this as a hobby and constantly tweaking the formula. One day I'm sure I'll be a bit better. Thanks for watching though, I really appreciate it and the feedback!
Yes it is always will be.
You're not wrong.
@WoddahMaloneGaming also think you didn't really do what the game offers. You have the golf game, every weapon has 4 upgrades I think, fishing tournament, end game dungeon and boss.
I just bought this.
This game is amazing and you make it sound like a pill of sh*t. WHY?? 1 & 2 is in my top favorite games of all times and it will always be.
Haha, I apologize, I really enjoyed 1 and I never played 2 as a kid so I think I didn't give it much of a chance. I've had many others say the same thing so I'd agree with you that I probably didnt do it justice.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming I myself thought 2 was much better, plus I love thee song in 2 also. I have it on my play list, I lessen to it all the time.
@@Xenwing I think if I played this when I was younger I would have liked it waaaay more. I went in with this with way too high expectations.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming understand
This is the worst review ive seen of this amazing timeless classic. So bad, this was entertaining to watch. Thumbs up.... err down? idk
Definitely a thumbs down. 2 thumbs down if you're able.
Ur favorite game is probably call of duty part 74
😂😂
Always was
I will have to give it another try maybe on stream.
I’m in love with you
I love lamp?
I was tempted to get this game so many times as a lad and seen it all the time in gaming magazines....I am glad I never got it lol
Haha, it's still fun but just takes a lot of time.
It’s one of the best games ever made lmao.
maybe you have a different taste in a game, but DC game is one of the great rpg game in ps1 specially DARK CHRONICLE 2.
@@norval.tvonyt look at what I responded to his comment. I said it's fun but just takes alot of time.
This game was nowhere near hard. If you like Zelda, you'll love Dark cloud 2
my second most favorite game of all time, only losing a bit, very2 bit from radiata story my very best favorite game that i play over 30 times over
I need to try that one.
:DD
Came back to it. It hasn’t held up, at all. Spheda is fully randomized broken crap; the dungeons are painfully easy. And don’t even get me started on how the most USELESS combat style requires the most work to level up.
This game is like every annoying fucking old JRPG trope rolled into one game.
The only thing I genuinely enjoy is the fishing still. And that’s sad; cus it makes me wonder; what the fuck I did with my childhood. I could have been doing something worthwhile not playing mid JRPGs.
😂😂 this game really hurt you. I agree, it was probably super fun back in the day but I struggled to get through it recently. I only fished like twice in this game unfortunately.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming Wouldn’t say it hurt me per se, as the incessant tedious tasks required to do anything fun is what really did it in for me.
wait wait wait, YOU DIDN"T LEVEL UP THE GUN????!!!!!! what is wrong with you? gun is the most powerful and the most useful weapon in the game , especially the jurak gun who max out as supernova who can have all stat over 500 and can kill the secret boss dark genie from the first game in less than 10 seconds , there is no weapon in the game stronger faster and easier to used than that, like seriously? what the hell is wrong with you?
furthermore guns are the most variative weapons of them all , and each one is sooooo fun to used, even the most lame gun the bell pistol its still fun, my favorite the bazoka type is soooo badass , the laser is the most powerful and nearly impossible to miss any target and can shoot really fast, almost as fast as the gatling type which also very fun to used , its feels like you are the terminator , how you or anyone hate guns in this game, again, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
😂😂 I just used the ridepod for the first few dungeons so when I started using the gun it was so weak that I couldn't be bothered trying to level it. But I did pay for it at the end because I could hardly use max which made the game much tougher than it needed to be.
@@WoddahMaloneGaming but... there are people that sells powerful guns , even in the late game, like max father , he sold a quite powerful machine gun type, and the one in the lab if im not mistaken sell a bazoka type and laser type that already powerful from the start,
you can just used those guns and level them up, no need to start from zero like jurak gun, while it is better to start from the weakest weapon to fill all the other parameter, but if you are too lazy to compound it from the weakest level , buying an already powerful guns is still a great option. and they are already deathly from the start
Probably my favorite overall game ever.
That's completely fair.