| Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance has very little to do with the Baldur’s Gate PC games. Really, it’s more an homage to the classic arcade game Gauntlet. (Itself resurrected with a modern coin-op incarnation.) Does that hurt Dark Alliance? Not really. It still follows the rules and storylines of the Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms setting.
Oh, okay, I guess the storyline is a bit similar to Shadows of Amn: The player arrives in Baldur’s Gate during a nasty thieves’ guild war. Seems a mysterious new guild has moved in, and in fact a few representatives are there to knock out our hero and steal his or her gold. The town watch prevents an outright murder, and the player is directed to a nearby inn where the proprietors just might know a way to get back the cash...
Honestly, I was disappointed with the character creation that precedes this introduction. Players are given just three choices: human archer, dwarf fighter or elf sorceress. Each has unique skills available at level-up, which is nice, but giving just three options really destroys any illusion of role-playing. Which, I guess, is fine. As I said, Dark Alliance is more arcade hack ‘n’ slash than RPG. The storyline is absolutely linear, with mere stabs at side quests which are often solved by picking up items along the main storyline’s path. Don’t expect to do any exploration - the game is on rails.
Two players can play at once. Why not three? I have no idea. Well, that’s not entirely true. The game is viewed at an angle from the top, meaning the camera can’t rotate if both players aren’t near the middle of the screen. Plus, everybody has to head in the same direction, sometimes a hindrance when the players aren’t working in sync. Three would, I suppose, just add to the chaos.
Still, the game’s real strength is in its gameplay. Dark Alliance is a hack ‘n’ slash, and that it does well. Enemies come fast and furious, and in waves, making for some very chaotic battles. At one point, besieged by giant spiders, my co-reviewer shouted "Get off me, hookers!" Yeah, it makes no sense, but that’s just how much brainpower the battles consume.
As with Diablo, red and blue potions regenerate health and magic, respectively, and on XBox are controlled by the finger-triggers. That’s a nice system, because it means the potions can be quaffed while fighting. Oh, and thank you, Snowblind, for throwing in lots and lots of save points, especially just before and after really tough areas. As a bonus, save points resurrect dead players (at half-health).
Strangely enough, Dark Alliance feels less than epic. I mean, the characters are initially in it for the money, and stick around - well, because it’s in the script. The battles are on a much smaller scale than the PC Baldur’s Gate games, which can be unsettling for veterans of such. I mean, our favorite Bhaalspawn would hardly have blinked at the bosses. Throw out the notion that this is really connected to that series, and you’ll do okay.
By the way, let’s talk importing. Players can import characters into saved games. Sounds pretty good, except that it really just means you can power-level, then go back and, like the Terminator, absolutely rip through earlier levels. This might have been cool had Snowblind placed bosses or puzzles impossible for characters to beat unless they’d leveled and then imported. As it is, there’s nothing to be gained, aside from shepherding a second player through a new game.
Graphics are good. My biggest quibble is that characters look almost exactly the same when kitted out with the same armor, which can get confusing. (Only the dwarf stands out, by virtue of being shorter than the human and elf.) Why not pre-set different colors, or let the players customize? No idea. Still, the lighting is very impressive, as are spell effects. Character models are good, especially when zoomed in during conversations. It’s rare to see a game where the massive boobs required for female RPG characters actually move around. Yes, Dark Alliance has perfected JiggleTech. Today is a proud, proud day.
Sound is just okay. The player characters have no personality, which is a shame in a series that gave us the incomparable Minsc and Boo. What I’d have given for one "Go for the eyes, Boo!"
Bottom line, Dark Alliance is a good hack ‘n’ slash title, especially if you’ve got a buddy over. There are some frustrating moments, and RPG fans won’t find much depth to merit solo play. Pretend you’re playing a 2003 version of Gauntlet - heck, supply your own "Wizard needs food - badly" sound effects - and you’ll do great. | 
