Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2 is here! But wait, wasn’t there already such a game? Why yes. This is indeed a re-release, remaster, or port (whatever you prefer) of Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance II, a hack-and-slash action game set in the Forgotten Realms world of Dungeons and Dragons, first released on Playstation 2 in 2004 It has just been transferred to PC and modern consoles.
2004 was a record year for gaming, coughing up such greats as Half Life 2, GTA San Andreas and Star Wars Battlefront. It must be said though, it was also a damn long time ago, and what was once widely acclaimed may no longer cut the mustard. So let’s jump right into things: how does it work? Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance II survive in today’s world of pandemics, NFTs and general misery?
Not so good, I’m sorry to say. This action RPG was probably great at one time – seems like a lot of people have fond memories of it. But the years have not been kind to the old Dark Alliance, and the thin coat of paint given to this 2022 edition has already peeled off.
In Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2, hack and hack your way through groups of enemies ranging from leaping spiders to hulking trolls, firing the occasional skill based on a DnD feat or spell, and gradually upgrading your character. Sounds like a pretty tried and true formula, to be sure, one that Dark Alliance 2 probably played a part in shaping years ago. But right here and now, this gameplay feels extremely basic, yet clumsy and frustrating at the same time.
Melee combat, which most of the five playable characters will usually do, is floaty. Attacks feel inconsistent and difficult to target, and the lack of modern features like a targeting key is clearly felt. Fragile items break in a satisfying way, though — video games have sorted that out for decades, it seems.
As for the people you’ll be chopping, the game has plenty of classic DnD monsters: I like the bestiary. However, most enemies behave quite simplistic and you have to slog through hundreds of them per level, in groups of 2-5 at a time. There’s none of the gargantuan treasures, flashy abilities, or shine that inject energy or at least mindless joy into later games in this body of work, counteracting the repetitiveness of the gameplay.
DM screens: the best DnD video games
After I got tired of swinging sticks like the Barbarian, I switched to the Necromancer character. This spellcasting class somewhat negates the melee issues, and offers a good range of spells to try out, but minor issues nonetheless constantly disrupted my experience. For example, managing energy levels to cast precious spells when there is no numerical indicator of how much energy you have left is frustrating. Switching between skills takes forever, and spells sizzle and consume all your energy if you hold the key, while the rest of your skills require you to click and hold.
There are certainly things to praise. Customization options abound with the variety of unique progression options available for each of the classes and a crafting system that lets you craft your own magical items. There is a lot of replayability if you have the patience for it. But playing Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance II, a dozen minor issues, kinks that have ironed out games released in the intervening years, are making themselves known.
Any port in a storm
Maybe it’s unfair of me to rate a 2004 game by modern standards. Unless Square One Games radically rebuilt the whole thing from scratch, Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2 was always going to come out a little creaky in 2022. But then again, it seems like not much has been done to make this Dark Alliance 2 reissue worth the $30/£30 price tag that’s stuck to it.
Overall, the remake brings the resolution to native 4k and improves the textures a bit, but that’s about it. The graphics still look pretty dingy – a non-gamer would certainly believe they are 18 years old. Achievements have been added and loading times are minimal, both good things, but while couch co-op remains from the PS2 era, it’s a shame the developers don’t include online multiplayer.
On the technical side of things, it’s mostly workmanlike, though a few game list controls in tutorials — like potion shortcuts — are incorrect. Along the way, I’ve seen a worrying number of crash reports, but on PC everything seems fine and dandy – a patch to prevent early-level crashes seems to have done the trick.
Overall, I think this 2022 version of Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance II is a pretty basic port of a game that’s rather dated. If you’re homesick for it, you’ll definitely enjoy playing this updated version, but if you’re not into the game history, it’s hard to recommend.
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