Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is a 2010 role-playing video game created by Camelot Software Planning and released by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the third game in the Golden Sun series and takes place thirty years after the events of the first two games. The story follows the children of the heroes from earlier games as they explore the fictional world of Weyard. The game uses features first introduced in earlier games, such as a type of magic called "Psynergy," which players use to fight enemies, explore new areas, help people in the game world, and find elemental djinn that help strengthen the player's abilities.
Dark Dawn received mostly positive reviews from critics, earning a 79% score on Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. However, its score was lower than the scores of the first two games in the series. Reviewers praised the game for changing the 2D-style graphics of earlier games into 3D and for being easier for new players to learn. Some critics also noted that the game had similar problems as earlier games, such as too much in-game dialogue, and that some features that were exciting when the first games were released now seemed outdated.
Gameplay
Dark Dawn, like earlier games in the series, follows the traditional role-playing video game format. Players guide characters through a fantasy-themed world, interacting with other characters, fighting monsters, collecting Psynergy and equipment, and following a set story. Unlike previous games, some areas become unavailable after certain points, though new areas open up when players obtain a ship. A new feature is the encyclopedia system, which explains and tracks new and returning game elements for players.
Most gameplay outside of battles happens in the game's overworld or within dungeons, caves, and other areas with puzzles built into their design. To solve puzzles, players use their surroundings to complete tasks. Many puzzles involve Psynergy, the game's type of magic spells, requiring players to use different Psynergy spells to overcome obstacles. As the game progresses, players gain more Psynergy spells through leveling up or finding special items. Each new Psynergy spell allows the party to access more locations and uncover hidden secrets. The Nintendo DS hardware lets players use Psynergy to interact with their environment in ways not possible in earlier games.
Dark Dawn includes both random monster battles and required fights that advance the story. Battles occur on the lower screen, showing the enemy and player parties on opposite sides. During battles, players defeat enemies using direct attacks with weapons, offensive Psynergy spells, and other methods of causing damage, while keeping the party alive with items and supportive Psynergy that heal or boost defenses. Unlike the first two games, Dark Dawn has a more advanced targeting system that allows one of two party members targeting the same enemy to switch to a different enemy once the first is defeated.
The game also includes the Djinn system from earlier games, where players collect and manage elemental creatures called Djinn found throughout the world. Dark Dawn adds several new Djinn. Djinn are the foundation of the game's stat improvement system, and Djinn assigned to specific characters determine those characters' Psynergy abilities. Distributing Djinn among different characters changes their classes, affecting hit points, Psynergy points, general stats, and available Psynergy. There are 72 Djinn available in the game, offering many possible class setups and combat strategies.
Synopsis
Dark Dawn takes place in the world of Weyard, where alchemy is a powerful force. In earlier games, the seal that kept alchemy's power hidden at Mount Aleph was broken at the end of The Lost Age. This allowed the Golden Sun's energy to help restore the world. Dark Dawn begins thirty years after The Lost Age ended. During this time, the continents of Weyard changed, new countries formed, and new species appeared. However, dangerous "Psynergy Vortexes" began to appear worldwide. These vortexes drain the elemental energy called Psynergy from the land and from people who can use it, called "adepts." The story follows the children of the heroes from earlier games as they work to fix the problems caused by the vortexes.
Like other games in the series, players begin by controlling a small group of characters. As the game progresses, more characters join the group, totaling eight playable characters. At the start of the game, players control Matthew, Karis, and Tyrell. Later, other characters join the group, including Rief, Amiti, Sveta, Eoleo, and Himi.
The main group consists of the children of the heroes from the first Golden Sun games. All of them are adepts. Matthew is the leader. He is the son of Isaac and Jenna and is quiet but determined. His initial companions are his childhood friend Tyrell, who is the son of Garet, and Karis, who is the daughter of Ivan. When Tyrell accidentally breaks a flying machine that Isaac was working on, Isaac sends them to find a rare feather from a Mountain Roc to repair it. They are told to go to Konpa Ruins to meet Isaac's mentor, Kraden, and Mia's children, Rief and Nowell. However, they are attacked by three mysterious adepts: Blados, Chalis, and Arcanus. The group is separated, with Matthew, Tyrell, Karis, and Rief trapped on the southern part of the continent, while Kraden and Nowell are stuck in the north. To reunite with them, Matthew and his group seek help from Prince Amiti, who guides them to Morgal, a region home to the beastmen.
In Morgal, the group meets Briggs, a pirate captain who is once an enemy of Felix. Briggs asks for help to rescue his son, Eoleo, who is being held in the capital of Morgal, Belinsk. They also meet Sveta, a woman with part-beast features, who helps them find the Mountain Roc and steal a feather from it. In Belinsk, Matthew reunites with Kraden, who explains that Nowell has stayed with his old friend, Piers. They try to sneak into Morgal's castle using an underground path with Sveta's help, but Blados, Chalis, and Arcanus return. The group activates the Alchemy Dynamo hidden in the ruins, causing the Grave Eclipse, which brings death and suffering across the continent. Morgal's king, Volechek, who is Sveta's older brother, and Briggs sacrifice themselves to help Matthew and his group escape. In response, Eoleo vows to avenge his father's death and joins Matthew's group.
While sailing across Weyard's oceans, Matthew's group learns that the only way to stop the Grave Eclipse is by using the Apollo Lens, an alchemy machine powered by the Alchemy Forge and the Alchemy Well. To reach the Apollo Lens, they must find the legendary Umbra Gear. With the help of a priestess named Himi, they locate the Umbra Gear and reach the Apollo Lens. The group fights and defeats Blados, Chalis, and their beast companion, the Chaos Hound. Matthew and Sveta attempt to activate the Apollo Lens but fail. The Chaos Hound, revealed to be a brainwashed and mutated Volechek, sacrifices himself to activate the Apollo Lens, ending the Grave Eclipse. Arcanus, who is actually Isaac's old enemy, Alex, escapes. At the end of the game, Matthew, Karis, and Tyrell return home and find Isaac and Garet missing, with a large Psynergy Vortex waiting for them.
Development
When The Lost Age was released in 2002, people began talking about a third game in the Golden Sun series. A year later, Camelot said the status of a third game was still uncertain. In 2004, the game's creators, Hiroyuki and Shugo Takahashi, mentioned that the first two games were meant to be "introductions to a bigger story." At that time, some people thought the third game might be released for the GameCube.
Discussions about a third game continued. In 2007, the Takahashi brothers said they still wanted to make a third game and claimed Nintendo had asked them to do so. They wanted to spend enough time developing the game to make it good. In 2008, Shugo Takahashi was interviewed about a new Golden Sun game and answered, "A new Golden Sun? Well, I personally think I want to play a new RPG, too."
Without clear news about a new game, false information spread. For example, a fake Nintendo DS game called Golden Sun: The Solar Soothsayer was shown at a small event before E3 2007. After officials said it was a hoax, the creator admitted he made it to spark more interest in the series. Later, Hiroyuki Takahashi said the idea for The Solar Soothsayer "sounds really cool… I want to see how it would turn out."
In 2009, Nintendo announced a third Golden Sun game for the Nintendo DS at E3, with a planned release in the 2010 holiday season. At E3 2010, the game was named Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, and a playable demo was available.
In July 2010, Shugo Takahashi told Weekly Famitsu that Dark Dawn was created independently, unlike earlier games. Hiroyuki Takahashi explained that the long time between games was due to the series' large story and background. He said he felt tired after The Lost Age and that his team needed time to rest before starting work on Dark Dawn. When development began, Camelot gave the team more people than before, allowing them to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites for inspiration.
Reception
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn received mostly positive reviews from critics. It scored 79% on Metacritic and 80% on GameRankings. This game was not as well received as its earlier versions. Golden Sun scored 91% on Metacritic and 90% on GameRankings, while The Lost Age scored 86% on Metacritic and 87% on GameRankings. Edge magazine said, "Although the game lacks some strong features, Golden Sun still has many things to say." However, IGN noted that the game "feels somewhat outdated."
Many critics praised the game's graphics, Djinn system, and puzzles. 1UP.com said the battle graphics were "vivid … [and] never [grew] tedious or overblown." GameSpot described the game's visuals as bringing the 2D world of earlier games into full 3D on the DS, saying, "The world, characters, and combat attacks look great." Wired agreed, stating the game "does a fine job of showing the DS's graphical abilities." GamesRadar said the Djinn system made the game interesting enough to keep veteran RPG players engaged. Game Revolution praised the game's puzzles, noting they were "rarely very difficult, but the satisfaction of completing them is very rewarding." The game's encyclopedia system helped new players learn about earlier games, and Kotaku said it was "extremely easy for new players to understand."
Some critics found the battles too easy and the cut-scene dialogue too long. Game Revolution said players could "use Djinn to summon monsters and attack enemies." GamesRadar noted that battles were easy and that Psynergy recharged quickly, making it simple to heal and attack without using recovery items. Edge praised the combat system but said Camelot, the game's developer, did not create challenging battles, saying, "Except for a few bosses, Dark Dawn is easy and does not require players to face difficult challenges." 1UP.com said the long dialogue scenes were similar to earlier games, with characters "saying simple things in a long and unnecessary way." The game added an emotion system that allowed a silent character to respond to others, but critics said it was not needed and did not affect the story.
In Japan, Dark Dawn sold 46,000 copies in its first four days and ranked fifth during that time. In the UK, it was the 23rd best-selling Nintendo DS game during its first weekend. As of January 2012, the game had sold 80,000 copies in Japan.