Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 
I admit it, when I first heard about Baldur's Gate games heading to consoles in the form of first Dark Alliance title, I was a little disappointed. It seemed at the time that there was no need to strip meaty game play elements of classic PC RPG and turn it into a much more accessible hack & slash fest. As a person who owns and loves all instalments of Baldur's Gate available for PC, I blamed Black Isle for not staying loyal to its long time fans and seeking for more ways to cash in on the franchise. After the original Dark Alliance game hit the store shelves I discovered how I could not be more wrong with early conclusions. The truth I came to realize after playing the game was that nothing, I mean absolutely nothing of same calibre was available to a gamer before and that Dark Alliance was the only title which was able to compete with aging Diablo games in my eyes. While it was truth that the game play was as simplistic as excepted, the game play was flawless. Do not get deluded, DA did not have a chance to compete with heavy RPG's from the very beginning, but it opened a new series of great hack & slash games to many gamers instead. After playing the original game almost exclusively for a quite long period of time, and loving every minute of it, I instantly knew the sequel had to be mine as well. Last week I grabbed my copy of it along with few other games , suspecting that all other newly purchased titles will remain nothing more than coasters until I'm done with Dark Alliance II. I was of course completely right.
Gameplay:
It is evident that developers of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II followed the golden rule of 'if it ain't broken - don't fix it'. The sequel does everything the original did and does it just a little bit better.
We'll start with characters, selection of which was extended to seven this time around. At the beginning you get a chance to play as Dwarven Rogue Borador "Goldhand", Human Cleric Allessia Faithhammer, Elven Necromancer Ysuran Auondril, Drow Monk Vhaidra Uoswiir and Human Barbarian Dorn Readbear. Additionally, you could unlock two more secret characters upon completion of the game. So far I did not have enough time to go through the game with the entire group of heroes, and my experience is limited only to barbarian Dorn. My impressions will surely reflect this fact.
Dorn is a tough melee fighter, not strong in magic, but capable of unleashing powerful attacks with close range weapons. Swords and axes are his favorite 'tools' to smash enemy skulls and crack bones of anyone standing in his way. Seeking thrill and glory are what drives Dorn, barbarian from one of the tribes in Western Heartlands.
Role-playing elements of the game are based on experience points you gain for defeating foes and completing quests. You level up based on your total experience, increasing your stats and abilities each time you go one level up. I will not concentrate on this aspect of the game, because it did not change much(if at all) when compared to the original(see my review of it). I will just add that RPG elements are simplistic and should not cause any trouble to anyone somewhat familiar with basic D&D rules.
Dark Alliance II takes you through four acts, containing well over fifty areas to explore. Levels vary from deep forests to dark dungeons, from warehouses to catacombs. One minor complaint when it comes to level design would be that I did not see any snowy levels in the game. I do not recall any weather effects or night time missions either, which is very unfortunate. Another minor disappointment was longevity of last two Acts. First two are long and make about 75% of the whole together, where last two(and especially Act number four) are very short and leave you wanting more. These gripes are minor though, because the complete game is definitely very polished and thoroughly thought of.
In Dark Alliance II you face various types of enemies, from skeletons and mummies to trolls and spiders. There are more enemy classes here than seen in the first game, plus it is very welcome to see original touches like Rust monster, which attacks you only if you carry metal ammunition immediately destroy anything of made metal. Each enemy had his own attack pattern and requires different strategy to be defeated most effectively. Just as you would use your sword to kill off annoying bats around, you would use a ranged attack to destroy green 'jelly' monsters that will deal great damage to you if let too close.
Most of attacks could be effectively blocked by pressing and holding block button, but some of the spells get through any block dealing significant damage to your character. It is the best tactic in my opinion to lure an opponent away from the group and kill them one by one.
The game offers a broad selection of weaponry. From daggers and swords to throwing axes and staffs, from crossbows and bows to spears and maces. You could even fight unarmed, making use of some deadly glows you could find. Since my character was barbarian, I obviously put the most accent of close range weapons, such as swords and axes. Axes usually deal more damage to an enemy then swords, but they are also heavier and your hit rate isn't quite as efficient. Swords, while usually having a great difference between minimum and maximum damage, could become very efficient if used properly. At the beginning of the game your character isn't capable of holding two great weapons at once, but this becomes possible after getting Hero's Arm ability, which is absolutely crucial for any melee fighter. Blunt weapons(maces) are most effective against undead foes(skeletons), they will also stun your enemy making it much easier to finish him off. Additionally some enemies could be only defeated with help of poison or fire.
But by far the most exciting feature seen in Dark Alliance II is of course workshop where you could craft jewellery stones into your weapons and accessories. Wisely upgrading your stuff in workshop is not the only way to beat the game in extreme mode, but also something that will make your hero's life much easier on lesser difficulty levels. Workshop requires knowledge of all gems and their combinations. I could spend hours explaining the details, but I believe it is more fun to discover things on your own.
In hack & slash games it became a norm to have a magic meter along with a health one. Your magic is needed to cast spells and use magical abilities. With my barbarian hero I barely used it, but I am sure that for Necromancer or Cleric this meter means perhaps more than the life bar. To add to the above, every time you use a feat like Sprint(makes your character move faster) it will drain your magic bar, and you will need to refill it with rejuvenation potions(found in game or purchased from merchant) or wait until it raises by itself over a period of time.
Graphics/Sound:
Dark Alliance II uses slightly enhanced engine of it predecessor. While it isn't the most graphically advance engine out there, I found it to suit the game just fine. It has a very clean look to it and most importantly runs without any significant slowdown even with much action on the screen. This time around we got a zoom feature, which brings camera a little closer to your character. I personally found the default view to be better, hence I barely used the zoom. Too bad that this game does not support 480p(yet I found the picture to look much more vibrant when 480p is enabled from dashboard). Cut-scenes are rendered with help of game's engine and they will remind you once again of multi-platform origin of Baldur's Gate. Overall Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II looks very good, especially for a multi-platform title which it is.
Soundtrack of the game consists of typical for the genre epic orchestral themes with a lot of ambient sounds and noises. The main menu music is great and really helps to set up your mood for the game. Sound effects are well done, and monster voices are above average. Sadly you will not hear hilarious noises made by orcs as you keep hitting them with your weapons anymore. You did in the original game and I'm not exactly sure why this was taken out of the sequel, because I liked it a lot.
Lasting Appeal:
While Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a rather short game and you could blast through it in under 15 hours, it encourages you to replay it several times to unlock two hidden characters. It also has character specific quests and some areas that could be re-visited several times. When changing your character the game becomes different enough to be interesting second or even third time through it. Extreme mode will also be unlocked after beating the game once on any difficulty. This mode is the most fun, because this is where you find all the greatest item Dark Alliance II has to offer.
Importing and exporting of your existing character is still an option, so the hardcore players and perfectionists have a chance to fully max out their hero. Finally, great co-op mode is present, which is a blast to play with a friend.
If you're planning on going through game once, Dark Alliance is recommended as a rental. However, if you're one of those who wants to know how to craft a staff with over 800 in maximum damage, spend hours making a +15 amulet of Great Protection or find out what's the advantage of using Great Sword of Woe, you are looking at some serious hours logged on the game. I've spent close to 40 hours with Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II so far and it is still my favorite over all of my newly purchased games begging for at least another 40. It did not lose any of its appeal either, being just as much fun as it was when I first started it.
Conclusion:
To me Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is easily in top ten console games of this generation. I will highly recommend it to anyone interested in this particular genre, because it is the best hack & slash series found on consoles. The sequel is a little bit of a lesser value in my eyes(I'd love to see Gauntlet mode here as well) than the original, but it is by all means an enjoyable and satisfying title to have in your collection. It is surely worth full price if you are looking for another action RPG. Even for those who isn't quite as excited about yet another "Diablo clone" hitting the store shelves, I suggest at least a rent not to miss out on this great experience.
Posted by P1x44r on 12/09/2005 13:30 
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