Dark Cloud
Action RPG blending dungeon combat with village reconstruction.
Last updated
Billy McCrorie · CC BY-SA 2.0
Released in 2000, Dark Cloud is an action role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, with Level-5 as its developer and Sony Computer Entertainment as its publisher.[1] The game includes a city-building mode where players arrange pieces of the world onto the landscape.[2] Level-5's first title was Dark Cloud, and the company's president and CEO Akihiro Hino handled the game's writing, production, and design.[3]
Making and release
The English language release in May 2001 added new weapons, monsters, improved AI, extra duels, and an extra dungeon called the Demon Shaft.[4] A playable early build was presented by Sony at the Tokyo Game Show in September 1999.[5] At E3 in May 2000, a demo that was 30% complete was playable, set in Norune Village with a single dungeon accessible.[6][7] Tomohito Nishiura was responsible for composing, arranging, and producing the game's music.[8]
What the cited sources add
Akihiro Hino stated in a 2003 interview that the company projected a development time of roughly two years for Dark Cloud.[9] Hino noted that the early demo was used to research the capabilities of the PlayStation 2 and had a good impact on the final game.[9] The RPGFan interview records that Dark Cloud sold 800,000 copies worldwide.[9] Liu described the graphics as "colorful if a bit bland".[10]
Liu concluded that despite derivative mechanics, Dark Cloud offers a solid, fun experience with its village building system.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Perry, Douglass C., "The PS2 Launch Titles", IGN, September 10, 1999 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: IGN staff, "Dark Cloud (Preview)", IGN, May 3, 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "RPGFan Exclusive Interview Series: Creator's Talk 2003 – Akihiro Hino (Dark Cloud 2)", RPGFan, March 2, 2003 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: GameSpot staff, "Dark Cloud ships", GameSpot, May 29, 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shaztopia, "Dark Cloud Beta Trailer Shown at Tokyo Game Show 1999", YouTube, September 4, 2020; Shaztopia, "Unseen Dark Cloud Beta Game-Play at COMDEX 1999", October 2, 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Perry, Douglass C., "TGS 1999: Dark Cloud - First Impressions", IGN, September 21, 1999; GameSpot staff, "Dark Cloud Impressions", GameSpot, September 20, 1999 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zdyrko, Dave, "E3 2000: Dark Cloud Impressions", IGN, May 11, 2000 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dark Cloud" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "「ダーククラウド」オリジナル・サウンドトラック", Amazon.co.jp (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "RPGFan Exclusive Interview Series: Creator's Talk 2003 – Akihiro Hino (Dark Cloud 2)", RPGFan, March 2, 2003. facts only, no text reused. rpgfan.com
- Liu, Johnny, "Dark Cloud Review", GameRevolution, June 15, 2001. facts only, no text reused. gamerevolution.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Dark Cloud (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dark Cloud (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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