Name: Dark Cloud 2
ESRB: Teen
Console: Playstation 2
Genre: Action RPG
Average Rating: 9
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America

Maximilian is a carefree boy who loves inventing and building things. One day, he gets a ticket to a popular circus in town.

That night, at the circus, Max overhears something he shouldn't. Something is wrong with the outside world. The circus master is after the stone that Max wears around his neck.

Max must get away from the circus troupe. He must escape town. He must find out what's wrong with the world.

Thus, his adventure begins...

~Linus

Linus - Rating: 9

Don't even try to compare Dark Cloud and its sequel. You can't. Dark Cloud 2 is infinitely better than the first installment.

In its most basic form, Dark Cloud 2 is a dungeon crawler, but there's a healthy mixture of story, features, and graphics tossed in there.

Gameplay is similar to the original, yet better in every way. Even though battle is just the same, it never gets boring. The levels are, of course, randomized ala Dark Cloud.
Each set of levels isn't that long, so it doesn't get stale, and every few levels there's usually a little sub-quest or cut-scene, so you don't feel like what you're doing has no point.

There are a two different characters you can use, Maximilian, or Max, who you start out as, and Monica, a sword-wielding girl from the future. But that's not all... You can even drive an upgradeable and somewhat customizable robot.

Weapons aren't nearly as aggravating as the first installment. When one loses all of its WHP (weapon hit points), it doesn't disappear forever. It merely loses some ABS (kind of like weapon experience) and you can't use it until you use some repair powder on it.
Weapon upgrading is similar to the first game; ABS reaches the maximum and it gains a level. You can turn just about anything into a synth sphere, which, unlike Dark Cloud, after you put one into a weapon, you can't remove it. When you spectrumize, (morph an item into a synth sphere) you can choose how many of the item you want to put into a synth sphere. One item will use one synthesis point from the weapon, two items will use two, etc. The weapon gains synthesis points when it levels or in certain scripted events.

Unfortunately, you can't play with georama until about half way through chapter two, which is kind of a bummer. Georama is fun! Anyway, it's pretty much the same as in the original, but, like everything, improved. You don't find "Atla" for each building and person and object, instead you find "Geostones" which let you build the buildings and trees and objects and such, and you have people from Palm Brinks move into the houses. Also, you have goals to complete with Georama in Max's time to produce things in Monica's time that you will need to progress in the game.

Overall, Dark Cloud 2 is a very fun game. Given a choice between Dark Cloud and Dark Cloud 2, you must get the latter... Unless, of course, you have that much money to blow.

Snoopy - Rating: N/A

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Woodstock - Rating: N/A

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Marcie - Rating: N/A

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