<s>
released	O
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
2002	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Level-5	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
(	O
PS2	B-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
emulated	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
spiritual	O
sequel	O
to	O
2000	O
's	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
,	O
with	O
which	O
it	O
shares	O
the	O
same	O
basic	O
game	O
mechanics	O
but	O
features	O
new	O
characters	O
and	O
plot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
who	O
praised	O
the	O
improvements	O
over	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
,	O
in	O
particular	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
variety	O
of	O
gameplay	O
styles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
won	O
several	O
awards	O
,	O
and	O
sold	O
roughly	O
250,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
within	O
a	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
real	B-General_Concept
time	I-General_Concept
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
techniques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
most	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
games	I-Application
in	O
which	O
the	O
characters	O
level-up	O
,	O
weapons	O
in	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
attain	O
absorption	O
points	O
(	O
ABS	O
)	O
with	O
each	O
kill	O
;	O
once	O
a	O
certain	O
number	O
of	O
points	O
have	O
been	O
gained	O
,	O
the	O
weapon	O
is	O
automatically	O
leveled	O
up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
,	O
weapons	O
wear	O
out	O
over	O
time	O
and	O
must	O
be	O
repaired	O
to	O
avoid	O
breakage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
with	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
,	O
broken	O
weapons	O
do	O
not	O
disappear	O
from	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
inventories	O
but	O
become	O
unusable	O
until	O
repaired	O
and	O
lose	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
ABS	O
they	O
have	O
accrued	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
major	O
component	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
gameplay	O
involves	O
special	O
items	O
called	O
"	O
Geostones	O
"	O
which	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
rebuild	O
the	O
world	O
outside	O
the	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
dungeon	O
,	O
Geostones	O
can	O
be	O
placed	O
into	O
the	O
database	O
of	O
a	O
machine	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Carpenterion	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
turns	O
them	O
into	O
plans	B-Application
for	O
building	O
objects	O
,	O
including	O
houses	O
,	O
trees	O
,	O
lights	O
and	O
rivers	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
may	O
build	O
once	O
the	O
plans	B-Application
are	O
available	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
the	O
necessary	O
materials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
enter	O
"	O
Georama	B-Application
mode	O
"	O
—	O
a	O
gameplay	O
mode	O
similar	O
to	O
city-building	B-Application
games	I-Application
—	O
and	O
arrange	O
the	O
pieces	O
on	O
the	O
landscape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
Georama	B-Application
map	O
must	O
complete	O
as	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
conditions	O
for	O
that	O
map	O
as	O
possible	O
;	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
necessary	O
to	O
achieve	O
100%	O
to	O
advance	O
the	O
plot	O
in	O
any	O
map	O
,	O
but	O
doing	O
so	O
earns	O
the	O
player	O
bonus	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
also	O
build	O
a	O
customizable	O
robot	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Ridepod	O
"	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
Max	O
in	O
battle	O
,	O
and	O
transform	O
Monica	O
into	O
monsters	O
by	O
collecting	O
badges	O
,	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
play	O
"	O
spheda	O
"	O
—	O
a	O
sport	O
similar	O
to	O
golf	B-Application
—	O
in	O
completed	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Griffon	O
plans	B-Application
to	O
summon	O
the	O
Star	O
of	O
Oblivion	O
,	O
which	O
will	O
destroy	O
all	O
life	O
on	O
Earth	O
and	O
allow	O
a	O
new	O
,	O
better	O
world	O
to	O
grow	O
in	O
its	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Element	O
reveals	O
it	O
was	O
born	O
from	O
Sirus	O
 '	O
hatred	O
of	O
humans	O
and	O
plans	B-Application
to	O
rule	O
over	O
the	O
destroyed	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rumors	O
about	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
first	O
appeared	O
in	O
April	O
2002	O
,	O
when	O
Level-5	O
Inc	O
.	O
updated	O
its	O
website	O
with	O
an	O
image	O
of	O
a	O
silhouette	O
from	O
its	O
newest	O
game	O
,	O
although	O
no	O
other	O
details	O
were	O
made	O
available	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
on	O
May	O
16	O
,	O
when	O
Level-5	O
launched	O
a	O
full	O
website	O
that	O
revealed	O
the	O
new	O
game	O
would	O
include	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
Georama	B-Application
mode	O
and	O
had	O
more	O
features	O
than	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
information	O
was	O
revealed	O
at	O
E3	O
later	O
in	O
May	O
,	O
when	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
Europe	O
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
and	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
with	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
late	O
2002	O
to	O
early	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
both	O
featured	O
previews	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
E3	O
demo	O
;	O
IGN	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
improved	O
Georama	B-Application
system	O
and	O
praised	O
the	O
cel-shaded	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
looked	O
at	O
the	O
dungeons	O
,	O
finding	O
the	O
combat	O
improved	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
visual	O
style	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
departs	O
from	O
that	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
by	O
using	O
cel	O
shading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
were	O
created	O
with	O
Softimage	B-Device
3D	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cutscenes	O
use	O
the	O
models	O
that	O
are	O
used	O
in	O
normal	O
gameplay	O
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
generated	O
in	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
,	O
thus	O
costume	O
changes	O
are	O
carried	O
over	O
from	O
gameplay	O
to	O
cutscenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
emulated	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
was	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
1080p	O
resolution	O
,	O
trophy	O
support	O
,	O
Remote	B-Device
Play	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Share	O
Play	O
compatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
two-disc	O
album	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
Original	O
Sound	O
Tracks	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Scitron	O
on	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Brad	O
Shoemaker	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
music	O
ranges	O
from	O
good	O
to	O
excellent	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
generally	O
there	O
are	O
enough	O
tunes	O
that	O
you	O
wo	O
n't	O
get	O
too	O
bored	O
of	O
hearing	O
any	O
particular	O
one	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Kaiser	O
Hwang	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
music	O
in	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
ranges	O
from	O
really	O
good	O
,	O
to	O
really	O
really	O
good	O
,	O
to	O
exceptionally	O
good	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remix	O
album	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
Premium	O
Arrange	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Team	O
Entertainment	O
in	O
April	O
21	O
,	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
potentially	O
titled	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
3	O
,	O
was	O
first	O
rumored	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
in	O
an	O
alleged	O
leak	O
published	O
in	O
2006	O
by	O
,	O
which	O
said	O
Level-5	O
was	O
aiming	O
for	O
a	O
March	O
2009	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reporting	O
on	O
a	O
2017	O
interview	O
that	O
Hino	O
gave	O
to	O
Nikkei	O
Business	O
Publications	O
,	O
Rolling	O
Stone	O
lamented	O
that	O
a	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
3	O
was	O
not	O
among	O
Level-5	O
'	O
s	O
plans	B-Application
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hino	O
told	O
Polygon	O
that	O
Level-5	O
could	O
not	O
produce	O
a	O
new	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
game	O
on	O
its	O
own	O
because	O
the	O
license	O
was	O
co-owned	O
by	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Level-5	O
has	O
never	O
officially	O
released	O
a	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
sequel	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
some	O
evidence	O
that	O
Rogue	B-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
developed	O
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inside	O
the	O
NTSC-J	O
version	O
of	O
Rogue	B-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
,	O
two	O
images	O
named	O
DC3-Title	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
graphics	O
presents	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
Rogue	B-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
aggregate	O
score	O
of	O
87	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
on	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
forty-one	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Brad	O
Shoemaker	O
scored	O
the	O
game	O
9	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
finest	O
games	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
so	O
far	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
an	O
aesthetic	O
masterpiece	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
praised	O
the	O
variety	O
of	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
"	O
there	O
's	O
so	O
much	O
to	O
do	O
that	O
it	O
's	O
almost	O
overwhelming	O
"	O
and	O
concluded	O
that	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
simply	O
a	O
class	O
act	O
all	O
the	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Every	O
element	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
georama	B-Application
system	O
to	O
the	O
weapon	O
upgrading	O
to	O
the	O
interaction	O
with	O
a	O
large	O
cast	O
of	O
characters	O
,	O
displays	O
a	O
polish	O
and	O
attention	O
to	O
quality	O
that	O
you	O
find	O
only	O
in	O
real	O
classics	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publication	O
named	O
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
the	O
best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
game	O
of	O
February	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Kaiser	O
Hwang	O
also	O
scored	O
the	O
game	O
9	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
arguably	O
the	O
best	O
looking	O
PS2	B-Device
game	O
out	O
there	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
that	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
takes	O
the	O
standard	O
sequel	O
road	O
and	O
gives	O
us	O
everything	O
that	O
made	O
the	O
original	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
great	O
,	O
only	O
bigger	O
and	O
better	O
...	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
the	O
incredible	O
graphics	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
great	O
sound	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
refined	O
gameplay	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
just	O
oozes	O
of	O
quality	O
and	O
polish	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
conclusion	O
was	O
:	O
There	O
's	O
no	O
question	O
in	O
my	O
mind	O
that	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
solid	O
RPG	O
adventures	O
for	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
;	O
but	O
...	O
it	O
does	O
n't	O
quite	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
its	O
potential	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
Level-5	O
had	O
worked	O
out	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
kinks	O
,	O
it	O
'd	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
my	O
favorite	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Revolution	O
's	O
Johnny	O
Liu	O
awarded	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
B	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
variety	O
of	O
gameplay	O
but	O
said	O
it	O
became	O
somewhat	O
repetitive	O
towards	O
the	O
end	O
:	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Cloud	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
very	O
serial	O
in	O
nature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
sold	O
235,917	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
won	O
"	O
Best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Game	O
"	O
(	O
2003	O
)	O
from	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
and	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Console	O
Role	O
Playing	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
(	O
2003	O
)	O
from	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
1st	O
British	O
Academy	O
Games	O
Awards	O
,	O
losing	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Wind	I-Application
Waker	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Chronicle	I-Application
was	O
named	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Month	O
"	O
for	O
February	O
2003	O
and	O
given	O
an	O
"	O
Editor	O
's	O
Choice	O
"	O
award	O
by	O
IGN	O
,	O
which	O
in	O
2010	O
placed	O
it	O
at	O
#31	O
in	O
their	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
