Dark Cloud (Patreon)

The game that kickstarted Level 5, the one, the only, Dark Cloud. A game I have vivid memories of playing when it was new, or maybe it was on a demo disc of yore!
(Still wild the ps2 had demo discs, truly something I really tie to the ps1 aesthetic).

Years later I would buy Dark Cloud myself, and only make it halfway through but for this demake I did the dark cloudy deed and finished it. It's truly got a stronger first half than the second and any real complaints I have feel like they were ironed out in Dark Cloud 2/Chronicle (also on the list to play) but truly, what a well aged game all things considered. Launch titles rarely age this well and it's a game that really tried so many different ideas.

A rogue-likey generated dungeon system, town building with a focus on fulfilling peoples desires to be placed/facing certain ways, weapon building systems and upgrade systems, no armour throughout the entire game, a hydration/thirst meter. And of course....FISHING MINI GAME :D. Quite the eclectic action RPG! 

So why a JRPG of all things to demake it into? Truly the game...just has a certain JRPG quality to it, it's unusual (I think) for action RPGs like this to dip into 6 whole characters as a party but have you only control a single member at any time. And the MONSTERS, the designs were primo, creme de le creme material for turning into FFL2 style battle sprites! (or er, baked into the Background as it were!) 

Truly the sequel is on my radar and who knows, may very well be on the demake docket in the future, but who knows!