In contrast with Dark Cloud, broken weapons do not disappear from the players' inventories but become unusable until repaired and lose some of the ABS they have accrued. Īs in Dark Cloud, weapons wear out over time and must be repaired to avoid breakage. Built-up weapons gain strength and revert to level one building up is the only way to acquire each character's most powerful weaponry. Weapons can be "built-up" into a more powerful weapon if it has a certain number of specified stats some weapons also require the player to have defeated particular types of enemies. A spectrumized level-five weapon will result in considerable stat growth. When attached, instability will result in minimal stat growth. Weapons can also be spectrumized but the resulting SynthSphere will be unstable unless the weapon is level five or higher. Attachments cost synthesis points when the weapon's points are depleted, no more attachments can be made until the weapon is leveled up and more synthesis points are attained. Most items in this game can be broken down, or "spectrumized", which turns the item into a "SynthSphere" that can be attached to a weapon to raise specific stats, depending on its properties. As weapons level up, their number of "Synthesis Points" increases, determining how many "spectrumized" items can be attached to it. Unlike most action role-playing games in which the characters level-up, weapons in Dark Chronicle attain absorption points (ABS) with each kill once a certain number of points have been gained, the weapon is automatically leveled up. Combat in the game uses real time hack and slash techniques. Monica uses a sword and a magical bracelet. Throughout most of the game, players control characters Max and Monica Max fights with a wrench as his melee weapon and a gun as his ranged weapon.
The player moves through procedurally-generated dungeons, battles monsters and collects items. Monica lifts up a rock to throw at an approaching enemy.ĭark Chronicle is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective.
Dark Chronicle won several awards, and sold almost 250,000 copies in Japan within a month.Ĭombat in Dark Chronicle. The game was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised the improvements over Dark Cloud, in particular the graphics and variety of gameplay styles, while some criticism went towards the plot. The game features themes of time traveling, with Max and Monica trying to prevent Griffon's destruction by altering the past to change the future. Players control two main protagonists, Max and Monica, who must work together to stop the game's main antagonist, Emperor Griffon, from destroying the world. The game is a spiritual sequel to Dark Cloud (2000), with which it shares the same basic game mechanics, but features new characters and plot. In January 2016, an emulated version of the game was made available for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Network. It was released in Japan in November 2002, in North America in February 2003, and in Europe in September 2003. Dark Chronicle, released as Dark Cloud 2 in North America and South Korea, is an action role-playing game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 (PS2).