You start by killing rats in the basement. Classic action RPG Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance still shines despite its simplicity
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a hack'n'slash action RPG that has aged remarkably well. This compact title can still appeal, and its size and lack of complexity mean that basically anyone can play it.
Last summer, in this series, I wrote about Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, which was a failed attempt to introduce the post-apocalyptic universe of the Fallout series to console players. It turns out that the Baldur’s Gate franchise went through a similar process too. Nevertheless, its hack'n'slash spin-off, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, created by the Snowblind Studios team, managed to achieve artistic and commercial success.
Let's see if players who are used to the two installments of the Child of Bhaal adventures and the latest game from Larian Studios have something to look forward to in this release.
A Compact Hack-and-Slash
It must be admitted that Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance isn't as complex as games like Diablo or Path of Exile. We received a rather modest hack'n'slash action RPG, the completion of which takes only a dozen or so hours. Along with that, you've got pretty basic character development and inventory management systems (I'll dive into those in a bit), plus quests that don't really make you rack your brain too much.
And yet, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance was well-received by both other players and reviewers, as evidenced by the "very positive" reviews on Steam and the Metacritic score, which for the PlayStation 2 version is 87/100. Why is that?
For me, the "compactness" and simplicity of this title really hit the spot. While I really enjoy hack 'n' slash games, I'm not into spending time crunching numbers and analyzing character development paths to find the best one. The same goes for equipment—I simply like collecting increasingly powerful swords and armor without delving into their parameters. So I can confidently say that Dark Alliance is a hack'n'slash tailored to my needs.
Adventure on the Sword Coast
Fans of creating their own characters from scratch may feel disappointed with what Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance has to offer them in this regard. Snowblind Studios gives us three predefined characters to choose from. My favorite is the dwarf warrior Kromlech, although there's also the elven sorceress Adrianna and the human archer named Vahn to check out. We first meet the character when they're attacked by a gang led by someone named Karne. They barely escape with their life, thanks to the city guards from Baldur's Gate. They find refuge in a local inn and, in return for the care provided, decide to repay the owners by killing the rats infesting the building's basement.
Sounds familiar, right? There's no denying that the story told in this game is a classic of the genre. After stumbling upon a secret passage that Karne and his crew use to sneak into the city, our main character decides to follow them. This begins a three-act adventure that takes us through, among other places, undergrounds, dense forests, and snowy mountains. As I said – a classic of the genre. The story is driven by quests that push the plot forward, accompanied by side activities.
Lights, Camera, Action
The storyline in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is pretty engaging, but as you'd expect from a hack’n’slash game, it's really the fast-paced battles that steal the show. While my chosen dwarf-warrior eagerly jumps into melee combat, his companions prefer to eliminate enemies from a distance. Along our path, we encounter goblins, giant spiders, and even dragons or beholders (observers). Taking them out is all about quickly mashing the attack button and juggling whatever weapons or spells you've got.
Over time, we develop our character by enhancing selected abilities and occasionally increasing the value of certain stats. Additionally, their combat potential grows thanks to increasingly better equipment.
I want to spend a bit more time on this last point because it's the part of the game that really bugged me the most during my experience. The game overwhelms us with "junk": items that are inappropriate for our character's level. At first, it's pretty easy to collect and sell stuff, but as you go on, the items your character uses (not just weapons, but potions too) start to weigh so much that you just run out of space in your inventory. This cuts us off from one of the sources of income. Despite this, I somehow managed to grow stronger and reached the end of the game without much trouble.
Age is just a number, and appearance isn't everything
Maybe it's just my sentiment speaking, but I would risk saying that the graphics of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance haven't aged as much as you might think. Sure, the character models are a bit blocky, and the environment lacks detail, but I still feel that Snowblind Studios' project can hold its own. The game also has a local co-op mode for two players, which isn't the norm for this type of production (though it totally should be).
What happened next?
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was so successful that it was followed by Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 in 2004. It was developed by Black Isle, while Snowblind Studios later devoted themselves to working on the genre-related Champions of Norrath. But that's a topic for another story...
Let's pretend that 2021's Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, which shares a subtitle with the game in question, never came out.
How to play Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance today?
Time to explain why, unlike pretty much every other game I've talked about in this series, I'm discussing Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance in the present tense. In 2021, the game in question was re-released on modern platforms, from personal computers to consoles and mobile devices. Even though it's not a remaster, you can really tell the game's age from the cutscenes and character selection screen, which are still in their original resolution. Nevertheless, this can be overlooked.
If you're thinking about picking up a used copy for PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube (there's a separate version for GameBoy Advance), expect to spend around 20-30 bucks, depending on the version and condition.
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Author: Christian Pieniazek
Started working with Gamepressure.com in August 2016. Although the Game Encyclopedia has been his pride and joy from the beginning, he also writes for the Newsroom and the Editorial section. Gained professional experience through a now-defunct service, in which he worked for almost three years. Graduated in Cultural Studies at the AGH University of Krakow. Runs his own business, jogs, cycles, loves mountain hiking, is a fan of nu metal, is interested in space, and of course, enjoys playing games. Feels best in action games with an open world and RPGs, although won't turn down good racing or shooting games.
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