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Intro For years, the Baldur's Gate series has stood as some of the most venerable and classic computer role-playing experiences to be had, offering top-notch combat, characters, and stories. However, when it was announced that the series would be making a quick stop-over on the PS2, many were left scratching their heads, wondering as to how this often complex and involved system could possibly be successfully transported to Sony's relatively new system. And so it was no small surprise when Snowblind Studios - comprised of a few Black Isle folk - created a highly entertaining D&D action romp that's more akin to Gauntlet than Baldur's Gate. Still, you can't keep a good game down, and now Xbox fans have their own chance to decide for themselves if Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance truly is worth the effort. Gameplay: 8.5/10 Bringing gamers back to the Forgotten Realms once more, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance finds your character arriving to the titular city, only to be attacked, robbed, and nearly killed by a handful of ruffians. They're scattered by the city guard before they can finish you off, leaving you penniless and filled with a thirst for revenge. And so it is with murder on your mind that you make your way to the legendary Elfsong Tavern, in the hopes of picking up on the trail of your attackers. Naturally, before you can do anything of the sort, you're forced to run a few minor errands for the barkeep and a few assorted pub patrons, which in turn sets you not only on the path of your assailants, but also introduces you to a dark, twisting and well-written plot that threatens the very city itself. There are countless differences between this particular incarnation of the Baldur's Gate and previous installations in the series, not the least of which include the strong, dominating focus on action. Rather than solving quests through conversation or negotiation, you'll be seeking to right wrongs with the tip of your sword, arrow, or fireball, depending on which character you've selected. As you work your way through extremely expansive dungeons that range from sewers to guildhouses to mines and beyond, you'll almost always find yourself under attack by an endless stream of monsters who want nothing more than to see you dead. This means that you'll rarely have a moment's peace, as hacking and slashing make up 95% of the game's core; for those who haven't tried the PlayStation 2 version, this will come as quite the shock, though it's all so well-done that you can't help but have fun with it. Also, in a rare departure from the standard party-based D&D formula, you're on this bloody journey completely alone - unless you have a friend and an extra controller -- making the teeth-clenching action feel like an interesting mix of Diablo and Neverwinter Nights. You can leap into action in the form of three different characters: Vahn the Arcane Archer, Kromlech the Dwarven Fighter, and Adrianna the Elven Sorceress. Each possesses their own set of strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will drastically affect the way each of them play. While Kromlech's burliness and strength make him perfect for bloody, up-close melee battles, Adrianna's slightly more fragile frame and strong magical powers make her far more suited to hands-free, longer-distance spellcasting. Since he's less capable at melee than Kromlech and weaker at long-range attacks than the sorceress, Vahn is arguably the more challenging to play of the three, especially when you consider that it doesn't take long to find yourself swarmed with monsters. Thankfully, he offers just as interesting an experience as the other two characters, and together, they combine to assure that there's something here to suit different styles of play. Apart from these tactical differences, the action-oriented nature of the title means that there's very little difference between the three in terms of conversation or quests; the role-playing here is focused upon the action, not the dialogue, and surprisingly, this is a good thing. It will certainly be of interest to RPG fans that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is one of the growing number of titles to be based upon the D&D Third Edition ruleset, and although it's not quite implemented as freely as it is in other games, it's nonetheless significant. In fact, the most important use of this new and admittedly superior system is its use of Feats, which have been pared down to combat-related items to reflect the new focus, and act as skills, skill enhancements, abilities, or spells that can be invested in following level-ups. For example, you may choose to use your points to boost the accuracy of your ranged attacks, or the frequency with which you score critical hits, or you might decide to give your Fighter the ability to block continuously with a two-handed weapon. There are also the Active Feats, which are class-specific and act as a character's heavy arsenal: whereas the Archer might use exploding arrows to dispatch his foes, the Sorceress can use the incredibly deadly Ball Lightning, while the Fighter could swing around in a Whirlwind Attack. While these and many other elements, such as the largely meaningless Armor rating, aren't as all-inclusive as the Third Edition rules were meant to be - meaning there's no multi-classing or giving one character the abilities of another - it's definitely for the best. Additionally,
the moderately interactive worlds that are normally offered in Baldur's Gate
have largely been done away with, and although you're offered a very minor amount
of freedom, it basically all amounts to being led by the nose from one spot to
another. Although there are often large numbers of NPCs littered about the various
"base camp" areas, very few can be interacted with, although the ones
that can be spoken to are wonderfully alive, each with their own personality and
well-written dialogue. This trimmed-down approach might seem jarring at first,
but it soon becomes obvious that this streamlined system does wonders for keeping
things on track and focused on what the game is really about: heavy doses of exciting
non-stop action. Graphics:
8.5/10 Sound: 9.5/10 Control:
9/10 Overall: 8.5/10
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