Dark Cloud

This article is about the video game. For other uses, see Dark Cloud (disambiguation).

Dark Cloud
Developer(s)Level-5[a]
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Akihiro Hino
Designer(s)Akihiro Hino
Programmer(s)Kenji Matsusue
Artist(s)Takeshi Majima
Writer(s)Akihiro Hino
Composer(s)Tomohito Nishiura
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: December 14, 2000[2]
  • NA: May 29, 2001[1]
  • EU: September 21, 2001
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Dark Cloud[4] is an action role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. Originally intended as a launch title for the system in March 2000,[5] the game was eventually released in Japan in December 2000, in North America in May 2001, and in Europe in September. A spiritual sequel, Dark Chronicle (Dark Cloud 2 in North America), was released in Japan in 2002 and worldwide the following year.

Uniquely combining the mechanisms of action role-playing games with elements of city-building games, Dark Cloud tells the story of a group of adventurers who band together to fight against the Dark Genie, who has attacked and destroyed many villages. The main protagonist and player character is Toan, a boy who is given a magical stone called the Atlamillia by the fairy king Simba, granting him the power to rebuild the destroyed lands.

Dark Cloud was met with mainly positive reviews by critics, who praised its blend of gameplay types, although some criticized its repetitive combat. The game sold over a million copies worldwide by 2014. It was later released via emulation for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Network in December 2015.

  1. ^ "DARK CLOUD™ EMERGES ONTO THE PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM". Sony Computer Entertainment America. May 29, 2001. Archived from the original on October 7, 2001. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  2. ^ Winkler, Chris; Eve C. (March 2, 2003). "RPGFan Exclusive Interview Series: Creator's Talk 2003 – Akihiro Hino (Dark Cloud 2)". RPGFan. Emerald Shield Media LLC. Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "JAPANスタジオ作品一覧 2000年～1999年" [List of Japan Studio works 2000–1999] (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Japanese: ダーククラウド, Hepburn: Dāku Kuraudo
  5. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (September 10, 1999). "The PS2 Launch Titles". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.


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