In the early 2000s, developer Level-5 would work in conjunction with published Sony Computer Entertainment to bring life to a new RPG experience for the PlayStation 2. Dark Cloud was released in December 2000 to an RPG-hungry audience in Japan and would later be released to North America in May 2001. The title was well-received in both parts of the world, with many critics giving it a high score and praise thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics combined with familiar action-based hack-and-slash combat.
Only two years later, in November 2002, Level-5 would return with a sequel titled Dark Chronicle (Dark Cloud 2 in North America). Once again, the West wouldn't receive the game until a bit later, in February 2003. Like its predecessor, Dark Cloud 2 was critically acclaimed, managing to capture higher scores than the release that inspired it. This time around, new mechanics were introduced, the combat was finely-tuned, and players gained access to a unique photography mechanic that allowed them to build new inventions after taking photos of particular items.
Dark Cloud 1 & 2 will soon be making their way to the new PS Plus service (for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers), giving players that missed out on these adventures a chance to run through them both. The games are an absolute blast to play through, but exactly how long will they take players, and is there any additional content that players can sift through? Here's a look at how long it takes to beat Dark Cloud 1 & 2.
How Long Does It Take To Beat Dark Cloud 1?
- Main Story: Approximately 31 Hours
- Main + Extra Content: Approximately 40 Hours
- Completionists: Approximately 44 Hours
Dark Cloud one is a pretty expansive game thanks to its bevy of mechanics and lengthy dungeons. Players will be forced to contend with all sorts of sinister creatures throughout the game's many dungeons and the Thirst mechanic, in which players must drink or absorb water (by walking into it) from time to time will have them backtracking occasionally. There is also an engaging world-building mechanic in which players will find specialized items called Atla, which will then transform into buildings and other items once players leave a dungeon. These items can then be placed around the map, similar to a city-building release, with players customizing and creating their own areas to unlock new things as they progress.
Dark Cloud gives players access to six characters, each with their own unique abilities and movements, allowing them to explore dungeons in different ways. With a hack-and-slash combat system in which players' weapons level up (instead of the character themselves, as in traditional RPGs), gamers may find themselves grinding out particular enemies in order to morph their weapons into something better to carry them further through the game.
Because of all of these mechanics, players can expect to spend approximately 31 hours on the main story itself. That number grows by approximately 13 hours for completionists.
How Long Does It Take To Beat Dark Cloud 2?
- Main Story: Approximately 51 Hours
- Main + Extra Content: Approximately 70.5 Hours
- Completionists: Approximately 142 Hours
Although Dark Cloud 2 feels similar in terms of combat and core mechanics, it features many more mechanics than its predecessor. This effectively lengthens the gameplay two-fold, and developers added a lot of additional content to the release to give completionists and side-questers something to really sink their teeth into. Aside from the weapon-leveling and world-building via placing new objects and buildings, players will contend with even more expansive dungeons than before. The dungeons in Dark Cloud 2 are procedurally generated, giving players a sense of replayability if they wish to dive back into a previous zone to grind out weapon levels and collect materials.
Although there are only two characters this time around, each one has access to a melee and ranged mechanic. Players are also introduced to a photography mechanic in which they can seek out special items and subjects in the game world, taking pictures of them to "come up with inventive ideas." If players take the correct pictures, they will gain access to new items through invention, including weapons. Players can also build their own custom robot that Max will use in battle and play a unique mini-golf-style game called Spheda, once a dungeon has been cleared. Monica has her own unique combat mechanic too, in which players can collect special key items that allow her to transform into all sorts of monsters. There is even a relaxing and engaging fishing mini-game that evolves as the adventure drags on.
Thanks to all the additions, as well as a dedicated developer that really packed the content in this release, Dark Cloud 2 takes approximately 51 hours just to complete the main story. That number climbs to a staggering 142 hours for players that want to "see and do everything."