Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

"A great sequel for fans of the first game."

The first Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game was a sleeper hit when it was released in late 2001. It eventually made it the Greatest Hits collection and fans of the game were waiting impatiently for the sequel, especially with the cliffhanger ending of the first game looming. The game was delayed a lot for various legal reasons but it's finally here. Does it compare to the original? Is it better? In my opinion, yes to both questions.

Graphics : 10/10
Even though the quality of the graphics hasn't really improved compared to the original, they are still just as amazing. What I really like about the graphics in this game is the attention to detail. The way enemies fall down after you've slayed them (they all fall in different ways, pieces of their equipment being throw sometimes pretty far away), the lighting, the ambiance, the shadows, everything about this game graphically is a wonder to watch. Don't base yourself on screenshots along to gage the graphics for this game. You need to see the game in action to get the full impact.

Sound : 8/10
This is the part of the game that disappointed me the most. Some themes from the first game reappear and some are even remixed, including the main theme on the menu selection screen. However, some music is completely copied over from the first game. In itself, that's not necessarily a bad thing but I just wish there'd been more original music for this game. The sound effects are pretty much the same as in the first game and they work well in immersing you in the gaming experience.

Story : 10/10
In my review for the first game, I talked about how the story was weak compared to the PC version of the Baldur's Gate games and looking back, I can see that it's not really a fair assessment. It's a given that the PC versions of roleplaying games will have more extensive stories, simply because the style of game the Dark Alliance series has taken has been more hack & slash than actual role-playing. However, what I really like about the story in the sequel is that there are returning characters from the first game and it all ties in wonderfully well with the events that happen in the first game. I've not completed the game yet but I'm totally intrigued in the story, so far. If you actually take the time to think about the story and how the various plots weave together, it's fairly interesting.

Gameplay : 10/10
Fans of the first game will find the same amazing gameplay in the sequel, along with some improved controls to make switching between feats and spells that make combat a lot easier. Navigation using the analog control stick is smooth and intuitive and a real joy to play.

Replayability : 10/10
Like in the first game, there are 4 difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard and Extreme, the last level being unlocked once you finish the game once on any level). I hear there are some secret characters to be unlocked once you finish the game once and another time on Extreme mode. Since there are now 5 character classes to choose from instead of only 3, there's a lot more replayability in this one too. The game is also longer than the first one, with more extensive dungeons. However, since none of the dungeons are randomized, after you've done them a few times, it'll be pretty easy. The game is less linear than the first one, meaning you can sometimes accomplish the various quests in the Acts in the order you prefer, so that gives a little bit more replayability. Also, they've included an item creation feature in the game, that allows you to customize your equipment using rune stones and gems, so there's a lot of different combinations to try out.

Rent/Buy :
Definite buy for fans of the first game. I personally wouldn't be able to understand why fans of the first game would not like this sequel. The sequel reprises all of the good things about the original and adds in some more features to improve the game. Nothing in the formula that made the original so popular has been changed. So, people who bought the original and loved it should definitely buy the sequel. However, as mentioned above, this is more of an action game than an actual roleplaying game, so people who want just a few hours of quick fun could rent it as well.

Overall : 9/10
I can't really give a perfect score to this game, since there are some things that bother me a little bit and I gave the first game a 9 out of 10 overall. However, I seriously considered giving it a perfect score. Bottom line: if you loved the first one, you'll love the second.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/03/04