Dark Chronicle - PS2

Reviewer: Gareth Allen
Review Date: 7 October 2003
Manufacturer: Sony
Price as reviewed: £35
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5/10

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User: Dave Mongoose, South East, UK
Date Posted: 14 June 2005
Review: I recently purchased this game on EBay because I'd heard great reviews about it, and I love it. There are some incredible unique features in the game, such as the town building and inventing systems, and being able to transform into one of the monsters you are fighting is also a very original idea. The levelling up system is simple and very enjoyable too, with your weapons gaining experience instead of the characters. Once you've improved them enough, they can be built up into an entirely new weapon with a completely different look and often very different abilities. The dungeons are randomly generated so they can sometimes get a bit same-y, but the combat, although simple, feels very solid, and little extras such as the challenges (e.g. complete this level using only your ranged weapon to gain a medal) and the seals (which restrict you to one of the two characters or prevents you from healing with items) stop them from becoming repetitive. The shear range of different enemies also ensures that there's always something new for you to beat up. I haven't mentioned the catchy music, great help system or the fun mini-games like fishing and 'spheda', but there is so much to this game it is difficult to list everything. I would give it 9.5/10.
Rating: 5 people have rated this review helpful

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User: Riltani, Australia
Date Posted: 19 December 2004
Review: I also had heard great reviews about this game, and I actually liked it. I thought the characters, whilst not the most imaginative, were drawn well. The dungeon levels were straightforward, so not for those who enjoy unravelling mysteries, and the fighting was simplistic, but it was neither of these things that made me love this game so much. It was the side activities like building a town, inventing items and character interactions that made Dark Chronicle so much fun. Whilst not for everyone, as it is aimed at a younger audience, I still found some enjoyment in it and I'm definitely not in a 'younger audience' demographic.
Rating: 4 people have rated this review helpful

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User: Salamander, Notts UK
Date Posted: 6 September 2004
Review: Having heard excellent reviews for this, I couldn't wait to play it. What a disappointment! Poor level design, unimaginative dungeon levels, and early 1990's battle moves. Graphics are "nice", but the fact that I found myself forcing myself to plough through it because I thought it was going to get better says it all. When you compare it to titles such as "Beyond Good and Evil" which has a far more intuitive menu system, doesn't force you to restart entire levels if you die, and doesn't have such a hackneyed "boys seeks lost parent and saves world" plot, Dark Chronicle falls well short of all the hype accorded to it. The world has moved on since the RPG'S of the early 1990's
Rating: 4 people have rated this review helpful

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