Dark Chronicle - Gameplay

Gameplay

Dark Chronicle is a third-person role-playing game in which the player moves through randomly-generated dungeons, battling monsters and collecting items. These dungeons are periodically interrupted by set rooms/events where either a cutscene is shown or the player fights a boss. In the dungeons, the player will find various materials to use in item construction and Georama mode.

Outside of dungeons, the main focus is on the Georama system where the player is tasked with rebuilding particular locations to restore the future. By retrieving Geostones from the dungeons, the player is given guidelines for the town rebuilding, as well as plans to make objects (houses, bridges, shops etc.) required for fulfilling those guidelines. After rebuilding the infrastructure, the town must be populated with inhabitants by completing mini-games.

The goal of each Georama map is to complete as many of the ten objectives for that map as possible. While some objectives are requisite for advancing the plot, many are optional and provide bonus items when completed. The theme of rebuilding a decimated world is carried over from Dark Cloud, but unlike in the first game, Dark Chronicle uses a large machine named the 'Carpenterion' to rebuild the villages.

Three features of Dark Chronicle are fishing, spheda (a sport similar to golf) and Georama. Players can bring their fish to weigh-in contests, or raise them in a fish-tank and enter them in races. Other features include NPC recruiting, photography, an invention system and a powerful and customizable robot that can be used in battle.

Another notable feature of Dark Chronicle is the focus on weapon growth instead of the traditional focus on character growth. When monsters are defeated, they drop absorption points (ABS), which, when collected, raise the experience of the weapon that dealt the final hit. When a weapon accumulates enough ABS, it will level up and gain Synthesis Points. Synthesis Points are used to infuse a weapon with an item that has been "spectrumized," which results in the weapon gaining specific stats depending on the item(s) that were spectrumized. Almost every item in the game can be spectrumized and synthesized to weaponry. Weapons themselves can also be spectrumized, but, unless it is level five or higher, the resulting spectrumized weapon will not carry over much of its stats.

Weapons also have the capability to be "built-up." To be do so, a weapon must meet certain criteria. In most cases, a weapon needs to have at least a certain number of specified stats, while some weapons also require the player to have defeated particular types of enemies. Some weapons can be built-up into more than one new weapon. When a weapon is built-up, it gains strength, and starts over at level one. Built-up weapons are stronger than weapons that have not been built-up, and tend to earn more synthesis points when they level up.

Weapons also have durability. When a melee weapon hits a monster, or a ranged weapon is fired, the durability of the weapon decreases. If it reaches zero, the player can no longer use the weapon until it is repaired with an item, or for no cost from an NPC. When a weapon breaks, the ABS points it has accumulated drops to zero, and must be raised once again.

The player, controlling either protagonist, can recruit non-player characters into their team by performing different tasks. The characters are not controllable and do not appear in battle, but through the 'Characters' portion of the menu, the player can access a party member's special ability. Some party members also have an influence on the battle, for example increasing item drops or adjusting enemy behavior. Outside of dungeons (in the train and in Georama locations), some of these characters sell items.