Dark Cloud/Walkthrough

Opening
The game starts with an introduction about the story being found in an old book. This really has nothing to do with the rest of the game though. You can change your name from the default, Toan, here.

The opening cutscene involves a military type, Flag, releasing a genie from a giant urn. The upshot is that once released, the genies uses his magic to destroy much of the world.

Meanwhile you, Toan, leave your house to attend the Harvest Festival of Norune, your village. The genie attacks just as you arrive and you lose consciousness.

You are awoken by the Fairy King. He tells you that while it appeared that Norune was destroyed, enough so that the genie was fooled, it was actually saved in spheres called Atla. He gives you something called an Atlamallia, which you can use to restore what was hidden in the Atla.

The Fairy king gives you some encouragement and a bit of advice, then you can start playing.

Game start
Start by going to the Mayor’s house which is the only building still standing. It's the barrel shaped thing on the ledge. A dialog start when you enter.

The Mayor is thankful you survived but distressed that you and he seem to be the only ones. He asks you to contact Dran, the guardian of the village, who is to be found in the Divine Beast Cave. The Mayor gives you the Cave Key so you can enter, and a few basic supplies for your journey. After you visit the dungeon, but only up certain point in the game, he tops these off if you talk to him. Eventually he no longer does this and you’re on your own. Items replaced are Tasty Water, Bread, Repair Powder, Escape Powder, Antidote Drink. Look for a Prickly in the Mayor's closet.

Head for the cave and use the key to enter. (Press square when you see the exclamation mark, then select the key.) The key disappears after use. Select the floor (there is only one choice at this point) to start exploring.

Enter Dungeon first floor
A dialog starts. The Fairy King greets you and gives you information about how to get around in the dungeon and how to escape if needed. He also gives you a tutorial on weapons. Finally he reminds you about finding Atla to restore the village.

The monsters on the first level are weak, but your weapon and defense are also weak, plus your supply of healing and thirst quenching items is limited, so this may be a tough level if you can't find a spring. Open chests to find a map and if you do then look for a blue area, otherwise keep exploring. If you do find a spring then keep returning to it whenever your health or water level gets low. If not then find as much treasure and Atla as you can and use escape powder to return to the surface, there may be a spring the next time you enter the dungeon. Pay attention you your weapon's WHp since you won't be able to defeat every monster here without a repair. If you find Dran's Crest then use it to open level 2 but exit the dungeon when offered the option. In fact it's almost always a good idea to return to the surface after every level if only to save your progress.

Return to Norune with Atla
(At this point the sequence of events may change according to your actions and random factors. So this guide may differ somewhat from what actually happens in the game.)

There is a dialog where the Fairy King gives you a tutorial on rebuilding. He also gives you a player’s manual with additional details. The player’s manual is added to the main menu and also appears in your inventory. You can now start restoring the village but since there are a number of requirements you need to satisfy, and there’s no way of knowing what these requirements are at this point, it’s pointless to put much effort into it now. Which Atla you get on leach level is partially random, but it’s likely that you’ll have Macho’s House from the first level. Restore the house and check it for treasure. In general, keep checking for treasure in the village as it appears in various locations as you progress. Check in with the Mayor to top off your items, and keep doing this every time you return the the village until the Mayor tells you to stop asking.