Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

"Dangerously Addictive!"

Wow I have been waiting for this game for about 2 years. The original was such a fun game(but ended so abruptly) and a sequel was inevitable. Time seemed to slow down a week before the much anticipated release but, it finally came.

Now on to the review!

Graphics- Ok the graphics in this game are not the best in the world, but they do their job pretty well. Character models look superb, so do the NPC's. Some of the monsters look kinda clunky though and some of the textures are really bland, but like I said the graphics do what they need to do.

Sound- I love the sound in this game. The score really does a good job of setting the mood, and the special effects are pretty good. The sound of steel and bones crashing is beautiful. The voice acting is pretty decent, most of the characters sound like their supposed to sound and there's some returning voice actors to lend their voices to the game. Sometimes during cinemas there are no special FX. I remember one part where a monster was slammed on the ground, and it was silent, not a big deal but kinda annoying.

Gameplay- This is where the game takes off! The gameplay is so addictive in this game.The wait was definitely worth it. If you played the original and are wondering what happened to our 3 heros well you get to find out in the initial intro.
There are 5 characters to choose from and 2 hidden characters. The story is pretty engaging as well. The controls are pretty easy and every button is put to the use, The ps2 controller does a pretty good job.
Theres also a 2-player co-op mode if you have a buddy. You share exp 50/50 and share your loot.
Now the best part of this game would have to be the ability to forge your own items With gems and runes stones. I have spent a couple hours just tinkering with the possibilities and you wont be dissapointed I guarantee it.

Replayability- This game takes about 10-15 hours to beat,so its pretty decent length. Plus there's 7 characters and you can import them. So theres a potential 70 hours of playing in this game.

Rent or buy- Rent it if your not sure about hack-n-slash games, but I guarantee you wont be dissapointed. If your a fan of Diablo II or BGDA1 then this is a must own.

Final score 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/23/04