Genre: RPG
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

For those ready to make the leap from the PSX, the PlayStation 2 was an incoming nimbostratus cloud-- dark, exciting, energetically pouring the output of cutting-edge technology. But there were no RPGs-- at least initially. Months later though and like a lightning strike, Level-5's "Dark Cloud" hit: the "Unreal"-esque opening castle fly-by gives way to imagination catalyzing dungeons, with volumetric torchlight, sunken pirate ships, and characters so detailed and well-animated they look straight out of a CGI film. Rippling water shows off the PS2's vector processing capabilities. Dark Cloud is not as sophisticated as much-later PS2 releases such as "Final Fantasy XII"-- but for a launch window title, it does much to impress.

Tomohito Nishiura, later known for his work on the "Professor Layton" titles, provides the soundtrack to this title. It's pure DSP music, betrayed by the trademark "hung then fading instruments when loading between areas" phenomenon. The instruments are of high quality, and there is some complexity to the compositions, as seen right from the title screen. The battle theme, which fades in and out dynamically in impressive manner, has a notable bass line. Unfortunately, the material sticks too close to tropey, "howdy doody" JRPG concepts such as "this is a town song", "this is a dungeon song", and so forth. The sound effects are well done, and do a nice job of helpfully conveying the actions of enemies off-screen.

In each of the game's large open areas, the player can toggle between "edit mode" and "walk mode" via the select button. "Edit mode" works like a lite city builder: structures, people, and objects, which are all unlocked by exploring the area's adjoining dungeon, can be placed freely via a cursor. During walk mode, the player wanders around talking to the NPCs, fishing, furthering the plot, or buying items. Dungeons are randomly-generated, level-based, and automapped. Combat is lock-on oriented, ala the 3D "The Legend of Zelda" titles, and player progression is gated through an elaborate, almost "Monster Hunter"-like weapon upgrade tree mechanic. All of the systems work well together, while the combat is simple yet has nuance at the same time.

Produced by Level-5 founder Akihiro Hino, Dark Cloud breezed its way onto early-adopting, RPG-starved PlayStation 2 units around the world. Its hardware-showcasing graphics, likable characters, meaty progression mechanics, and city-building depth have made the title a cult classic over the ensuing decades. Unfortunately, the game doles out weapon attachments like rainstorms appear in the desert, and it does not show the player the necessary stat values for weapon "build up" upgrades, creating a sort of frictioned, uncertain grind for materials. But when the game is rolling overhead like a cumulonimbus and the player is making progress, Dark Cloud is an innovative and enjoyable RPG.