Arc the Lad: End of Darkness, known in Japan as , is a 3D action role-playing video game developed by Cattle Call exclusively for the PlayStation 2. It is the second and last game from the Arc the Lad series on the console, the first being Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits. Arc the Lad: End of Darkness takes place five years after Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits, and reuses many of the settings, characters, enemies, and music from the previous game. The world has many new technologies and job classes and is less rife with racial tensions between the Deimos (intelligent creatures) and Humans. However, the main natural resource from Twilight of the Spirits, Spirit Stones, are nearly depleted, and there is uncertainty about the future of the Deimos and Humans. This is the only Arc the Lad game to use a real-time battle system, instead of a tactics-based battle system. Generally, this was viewed as a step backwards for the series because of its poor execution. End of Darkness also featured online play with up to 8 players playing in a 4-on-4 death match or 4-person co-op. However, the servers were taken down in June 2006. Gameplay Arc the Lad: End of Darkness is a role-playing game that requires the player to travel from city to city around the world in order to complete missions assigned to them by the guilds located there. There are two types of missions: storyline missions whose completions allow the player to take tests and further the plot, and optional missions for items and experience. Unlike the previous four games, which were tactical, End of Darkness is a real time action RPG. In battle, the player can execute standard attacks, dash forward and backwards, target enemies, strafe enemies, and use four abilities. The player's abilities and equipment are determined by what cards they have assigned to their character. There are ability cards (magic, "gimmick", and special skill), and "part" cards (attack, defense, and accessory). Cards can be acquired by picking them up during battle or purchasing them in shops. The player can also synthesize cards to create new ones. The player can unlock and play with up to 24 other characters from previous Arc the Lad titles. These cannot be used in the storyline missions, but can be used in extra missions and in online play. The playable characters include