- You have been the victim of a brutal robbery, and are drowning your sorrows in a tavern, when you are approached with a job offer. This job offer will lead you into the adventure of a lifetime!
- You’ll get into hack-and-slash combat as you fight frost giants, dragons and undead
- Use magic and strategy to stay alive in the most perilous situations
- Thrilling quests and subquests await you in an exquisitely rendered 3D universe!
Product Description
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance takes you into the world of Dungeons and Dragons in a thrilling new action game!Amazon.com Review
The Baldur’s Gate series redefined and reinvigorated the PC role-playing scene, and now Interplay brings it to the PlayStation2. Don’t be fooled, however. This isn’t a traditional role-playing game, but rather a fun, wall-to-wall action hack ‘n’ slash adventure in the mold carved by Gauntlet and the storied Diablo games–one t… More >>
If you like hack & slash dungeon crawling games like Diablo, then you’ll like this game. It is the first game of this style for the Playstation 2.
In this game, you play as one of three characters. You will be given quests by other people and creatures. These quests take you thru dungeons, sewers, caves, castles, woods, and mountain paths and usually involve killing a boss enemy or finding specific objects. Along the way, you must kill (or run from) enemies while picking up items (dropped by enemies, found in treasure chests, barrels, etc.) that may be useful to you or that may be sold. Fighting is in real-time (not turn-based as in Final Fantasy). As you complete quests and kill enemies, you gain experience. This experience allows you the change your character’s attributes and learn new skills/spells. There are numerous types of weapons and armor to be bought or found during the game. As the enemies in the game get tougher, your experience and improved weapons/armor allow you to still put up a good fight.
The graphics and audio are amazing. The movement of water as you walk thru it and the movement of the leaves on trees as the wind blows shows the level of graphic detail that they gave the game. Also, the detail on many of the creatures in the game is outstanding. Voices and music are great. As you walk thru the woods, you hear coyotes howling in the distance. As you walk on the mountain path, you hear chunks of ice falling in the distance. Controls are simple and intuitive. Every button on the controller may be used during a game, but you’ll find yourself using them like a pro in just a matter of minutes. I really like that fact that my character can change between a melee weapon (such as a sword) and a range weapon (such as a bow) during battle with the simple push of a button.
Gameplay is great and is almost identical to that of Diablo II. Unfortunately, the game is too short. Your saved games tell you how long you’ve been playing. On the Easy difficulty setting, I completed the game in about 12 hours. However, if you enjoy the game, you’ll probably want to play each of the three characters and take at least one of your characters thru the three difficultly levels. Completing the game opens up something called the gauntlet where you have 15 minutes and one life to defeat all the various types of creatures (not too easy). Completing the game also opens up an Extreme difficulty level. Completing the game on the Extreme level opens up a fourth character. Playing a two player game is also a blast. It’s just like the one player game, but allows two players to work cooperatively.
Don’t let the shortness of the game keep you from trying it. I feel that this is one the best games for the Playstation 2 right now.
Rating: 5 / 5
Although it’s set in the Forgotten Realms D&D universe, BG:DA features a gameplay style closer to Diablo than the Baldur’s Gate games for the PC. I loved both series, so that makes me happy. And those who worried that BG:DA would be a tepid port of the PC games, rest assured that it is an all new, all different adventure.
The graphics effects and sounds are fantastic, and the soundtrack is as good or better. It’s almost worth getting this game just to show off what the PS2 can do.
A few caveats:
- The game could be a bit longer, but the three character choices offer decent replay value. Still, it will leave you wanting more.
- It helps to have a handle on how to use the gamepad. The controls aren’t as simple as the point-and-click interface of Diablo and the original Baldur’s Gate, but they are well designed.
- Like Diablo, BG:DA is more of an RPG-lite experience than the original Baldur’s gate. You only get to choose from three characters that are mostly pre-determined. It’s still D&D enough to please me.
- Also like Diablo, the hack and slash action can get a little repetitive in spots. When it looks and sounds as good as it does, I don’t mind.
BG:DA is a different experience than the original Baldur’s Gate games for the PC, but it’s a good one. And you gotta love the gelatinous cube! Definitely recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
As many others have pointed out this game is very similar to Diablo, only in 3D, and not as good. Which is not to say it’s a bad game, it’s not, it’s quite good in fact, but its flaws keep it from being great.
First off I should say I’ve only played it all the way through as the Archer (you can also choose from the Sorceress or Dwarven Warrior) and only on the easy level. Be forewarned, the easy level is VERY, VERY easy – that’s OK with me, these days I prefer my video games to be relaxing rather than frustrating, but if you’re looking for a challenge use the hard setting.
On the easy setting it’s easier than Diablo.
The things the game has going for it are:
1) A good control scheme – this is really designed for the PS2 controller, rather than the awful controls you often get when a game is adapted from the PC
2) Easy to get into, lots of places to save your progress – keeps it from getting annoying
3) Nice graphics, good use of the 3D environment
4) Simplification – they’ve removed things that can get tedious like having to have every item or weapon you find identified, and having to have them repaired – looses realism perhaps but I’d rather not have to deal with that type of thing in a game
5) It allows you to play in whatever style you like – cautious and conservative, going back to town often to load up on healing potions and exploring every inch of the map, or wild and reckless, running through at top speed. Again this is similar to the way Diablo plays.
On the down side:
1) It’s fairly short – I was surprised how quickly I got to the end, only playing it a few hours a week
2) Not too much replay value – Diablo did this a lot better with more quests, randomized so you have to play it more than once to experience all the quests and randomly generated dungeon maps
3) Arrows never really became an effective weapon, and for the Archer they really should – even at higher levels with a good magic bow and magically charged arrows it was still much more effective to simply hack and slash through with a good sword or axe
4) The magic items you find stink right up until the end. At the very beginning of the game you start off with only basic equipment so the first few things you find are useful – after that though all the good items are in the shops – until the very last levels of the game (when you can no longer go back to the shops) when you find some decent things. There is plenty of gold to be found however, so at least you can buy the expensive items.
5) Could have used MORE. More levels, more monsters, more weapons, more character classes. The monsters especially get a bit repetitive
6) I would have liked to see a better mapping system. Again the one it’s got isn’t too bad but I’d have liked to be able to scroll through it and have a better representation of which areas I had explored and which I had not
7) It would have benefited from a better explanation of some things – certain characteristics of weapons and spells aren’t explained in the manual or the game itself – also could have used more customization options, this is a D&D based game, why can’t I choose my characters race, sex, etc.
In conclusion it’s an enjoyable game …. better still rent it – quite easy to finish in 5 days if you play it a lot.
Rating: 4 / 5
I thought Dungeon’s & Dragons was long dead, resting comfortably in a grave with a colourful wreath of the success in endured in the 80′s. I had never heard of the Baldur’s Gate numerous times for the PC, and the last game I played of Dungeon’s & Dragons was all the way back with “Slayer” on the Panasonic 3DO. Simple game, 1st person navigating through basements and castles while fighting off hordes of ugly looking enemies like ogres and the infamous Gelatinous Cubes. And now, at least 8 years later comes Baldur’s Gate for the Playstation 2, the same idea as Slayer, but a whole new world of action/RPG gaming.
Baldur’s Gate has enjoyed a successful run on the PC for the past few years, and just now has been transferred to the console masses, and PS2 is lucky enough to be first to receive it. However, instead of direct ports from already existing titles, Dark Alliance creates and entirely new gaming system for the PS2 version (About time). We’ve seen this type of game before no doubt, most recently Drakan and Dynasty Warriors 3, and even back as far as the original Gauntlet for that matter. Baldur’s Gate is nothing more than a hack & slash at heart, but manages to become so much more than its blood vein genre has ever offered. Being this is the first PS2 title taken from a PC game that actually utilizes the full power of your Playstation system.
Three playable characters are offered for your journey, the female elf who possesses great magic capabilities, the male human who is a master with arrows and the physical powerhouse male dwarf. All characters can be armed to the teeth with dozens of weapons from axes, swords, hammers and armour from leather to steel. Grab a friend to join you in the melee and I can guarantee you’ll be [in] your chairs in no time. And it is very nice to finally play a 2-player game that doesn’t use a split-screen method, but rather and overhead so both characters are displayed on screen at once which is a welcome for those with small TV screens. The 2-player mode is a fantastic breather from the typical deathmatch that’s carelessly thrown into every game for a quick buck on replay value (Half-Life’s PS2 is my prime example). Which could have been added into this no doubt, but thank god, it wasn’t.
The story is drawn straight from the classic blood vein of old school medieval adventures. Your arrival in Baldur’s Gate is greeted by being beaten and robbed by a band of thieves who are currently at war with another guild of thieves in Baldur’s Gate. And as you seek your revenge, the ploy of the war of thieves is a mere tip of the iceberg of events to come as an ancient evil threatens to burn Baldur’s Gate to the ground. And your journey takes you to distant lands in mountains, swamps and your final destination a sinister tower that seemingly rises from the earth itself.
Whether you draw big on story driven games or not, Baldur’s Gate has to be commended for its astonishing voice actors and probably the best lip-sync ever created in gaming history. The battle system is simple button mashing but increases its life-span by intertwining dozens of hand weapons, bows, and magic spells to lay waste to enemies, not to mention many special items that can be claimed for the wide assortment of side-quest and for those who prefer to search every inch of the levels will find that their efforts will be rewarded. Armour also plays a huge part in Baldur’s Gate not only actually improving characters defence (Unlike Drakan) but literally giving players a mind-boggling assortment of customization for their appearances. Elements such as fire and ice are attributed to swords and axes, for instance swords with ice have a great chance of freezing enemies then allowing them to be smashed to pieces with the following attack. I was amazed to see a hack & slash game be so incredibly addictive and enjoyable. It’s even more fun if you play with a friend and the experience system will keep you playing for hours to master new techniques and gather the ultimate weapon arsenal. It’s one of the few games that grows beyond its genre and creates a pedestal for all others to follow. Dark Alliance is a fantastic game and one I sincerely hope to see continue, a must have.
Rating: 4 / 5
I finished the game and very pleased that I had purchased it. As a fan of the series on PC I was very pleased with the transition to the Playstation. The graphics are great and no lags during combat. The storyline is pretty good but it leaves it open to continue the series same as PC versions do. The character you play is limited to archer, fighter or sorceress with the development a little lacking but you still have control over your stats on advancemnt. The story is slow to develop and the side quests are few and usually completed during your normal quest but this is made up for with playability. Controls are quick and easy to adjust and adjusting camera angles allow for a better experience. Weapons and Armor both enchanted and not are plentiful in types and quantity. Spells are somewhat limited but you develop them to more powerful levels. To any RPG or Baldurs Gate fans they should enjoy the transition to Playstation with this game and hope of future releases in the series.
Rating: 5 / 5