We’ve been waiting. Ever since the rumblings about PS2 classics getting rated by the ESRB and PEGI, it was well-known that Dark Cloud 2 had been among those titles. Now it’s official. Dropped on the Playstation Blogcast (via Gematsu), you’ll be able to download that Level 5 goodness on January 19th. That’s Tuesday, if you’re like me and don’t have a calendar.
Known in Japan and Europe as Dark Chronicle, Dark Cloud 2 is not connected to the first game in terms of story. However, it shares similar action RPG gameplay and town building mechanics. Players hunt through procedurally generated dungeons, searching for special stones to rebuild the outside world. Along the way, your characters (there’s a whopping two in this game) grow more powerful through their weapons. Max’s wrench and Monica’s sword gain experience and will level up, but unfortunately there is also that pesky weapon durability thing. Ah, the things we thought were fun back in the day.
Of course, Dark Cloud 2 carries with it that Level 5 shine. Its art style and graphics were top notch in 2003. Admittedly, the environments don’t hold up so well, but the character models still have that magic touch the studio is known for thanks to the cel shaded design.
Look forward to reliving the classic journey next week, and remember to check back here at Bring It Back, where we’re always living in the past.
