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Description Dark Cloud 2 is the story of Max, the wealthiest boy in Palm Brinks. Shortly after being given a necklace with a shiny red stone by his father, his life becomes very complex. He goes to visit a circus in town and instead of enjoying the show is forced to fight for his life. It turns out that the rest of the world has been devastated by an evil, unknown entity bent on recovering the stone Max has received. Max is forced to travel the world rebuilding towns to save the existance of mankind.Joining him on this journey is Monica, a girl from the future. Her father was killed by someone looking for a shiny blue stone, which Monica happens to have. So she traveled to the past to join Max in the fight of shiny stones against evil bad guys. At first I was not sure I would like this game because of the animation style. I was a big fan of the style of the original Dark Cloud which had a more live-action feel to it. But the variety and playability of this game won me over immediately. Although there are less playable characters than most RPGs I am used to, the ones you do have require a lot of work! Max carries both a wrench and a gun, Monica carries a sword and uses a magic armband, Max rides a robot that requires build-up, and Monica changes into monsters that must be built up level by level also. There is a good variety of locations in this game, not only in the towns but also the dungeons. And unlike the original, this Dark Cloud has some very extensive dungeons. The unbelievable number of tasks that must be completed both in and out of the dungeons will keep you satisfied for hours.
back to top On my current game I would like to get every medal available in the game and take all pictures that are possible. I would also like to catch a Baron Garayan, which the book lists in Murada Springs (with Duke)??? If anyone knows what that means, please let me know. The Baron Garayan must be caught with a lure rod, which is very hard to fish with. I haven't used the lure rod much, so I need to practice with that. Hints, Tips, and Tricks Let's start with a very mini-walkthrough. This will describe how I usually play after I know what I am doing, and what I consider important. At the beginning of the game, don't worry too much about the fighting you have to do. Your main objective is to stay alive, since you are getting no experience. First you will fight with Monica in the future. Learn how to block. This is the most important skill in the game and now is the time to learn it. In Dark Cloud, blocking was optional. Not so here.After fighting with Monica you meet Max. I won't try to trash him too much here, but he does get to be very annoying. Anyone who has played Final Fantasy X will find many similarities to the "Wonder Years" style of narrative. To add to it, Max is talking to his mother whom he hasn't seen in several years. Move through this as quickly as possible and get to the good part. Next you meet Donny, a kid who lives in the sewer. But he will teach you a lot about how to move around in the world. As soon as you receive the help receiver go through everything that is available. These tutorials are very helpful. In the first dungeons you should pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of the game. Get proficient at using both kinds of weapons, and get used to locking on to the monsters. Learn how to do a charge attack. These things will make a huge difference. When you reach level 4 you will encounter a monster that you can't beat, but you will be saved by the Ridepod, a big robot that you can ride and build up in battle. But you must first invent a power pack to make it be able to last in battle. I recommend that you take only the pictures you need to invent the pack and then take the ridepod to the previous levels to build it up a little. Don't forget about the scoop pictures, though. Your first chance is when fighting Brave Little Linda. Pictures of bosses can only be taken once, so don't kill her until you have it! After this level, there are only a few more to go until you move on. Next Monica will join your party as you journey to Sindain, where you must travel a forest of dungeons collecting geostones which contain information about how to rebuild the world one piece at a time. Again, follow the instructions you are given for the best results. At this point you can return to Palm Brinks and take pictures. The other areas of town are opened up and ready to explore. Now is when the game begins to be really complicated. Level 4 of Sindain is the Fish Monster Swamp, where you will receive a fishing pole. So you have pictures to take, fish to catch, and weapons to build up. My recommendation is to mix it up a bit. Take some pictures in one area of town. Then go do a little build-up (in previously opened levels, of course). When you get tired of that, do a little fishing. If you play this way, you should never get bored. Support Characters: Try to get all of your support characters as soon as possible. Many are needed to move into the towns that you will build. Others can sell you important items. For me, I just like to do everything! Be warned that there is one support character not listed in the book. She is a female firbit that appears where the fishing contest happens (but when the contest is not there). To get her to join your party, you must win the fish races. This will take a lot of work, but it is worth the time. Fishing: Another necessary skill. The best trick I have learned is that you need to pull the left joystick towards you when the red exclamation appears above your head. You can either do this or push down on the left joystick, but pulling it works much better. Eventually you will be able to raise the fish, have them fight with each other, and even take them to the races. The best way to build up the stats on your fish is to feed and fight them each time you leave a dungeon. This way you get in the habit of doing it. It took me probably 50-75 hrs of gameplay to get a fish good enough to win the races. Spheda: I love this game. It's like golf with a twist, because you have to have your ball the opposite color of the target to make the shot. The best way to learn spheda is to go back to earlier floors for build-up and do the spheda at the end. The best club to use for spheda is the Falcon. Go back to the earliest floors and fight with your spheda club to build it up as you would any weapon.
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