Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

"Fun.. Not exciting or new.. Just fun."

This game is a very fun game indeed. It has a few problems, but it mostly has highlights. Lets begin......

Graphics: 8
The graphics aren't that great but they are better than some. The miscellaneous objects like rocks and water look very nice and so do the people.. Other than that, everything has a gray texture to it. It seems kinda dingy, or bland. Maybe that is the feel they wanted for the dungeons, but I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I like the game, but thought dungeon's are supposed to be dark, not gray..

Sound: 7
The sound is pretty good. When you hit stuff with a blunt object, it sounds like it would hurt. When you swing a sword, use magic, or kill something, it sounds like a typical RPG. No complaints, but no real praise either.

Characters: 6
Well.... A Sorceress, and Dwarf, and a Human are the characters you initially get to play as. While I find myself wanting more characters to pick, it doesn't really matter, because in the game, all the characters looks the same when running around.

Plot: 6
Well, it isn't as good as the other Balder Gate games, but then again, the game isn't focused around the story. It is focused around the ability to play with another person, but anyway... The plot seems kinda reused by other games. You(and a friend) are average people but become the only ones that can stop evil. That's all there is to it. No twists or turns.

Gameplay: 9
Ah, yes. Here is where the game is worth buying.. That is, if you have a friend that will play it with you. Single player isn't very fun at all, but with another person, the game becomes great. You must sort out what equipment you get and what items to give to your friend.. You must share money and give selling items or else one character will fall behind.. You can either fight an enemy group together or fight a group by yourself. The game's two player ability really makes this game good.

The buttons are easy to memorize, which is a good thing. The Gamecube's controller is kinda weird, so I didn't enjoy the game on that system as much. The Playstation 2's controller is equally as good as the X-Box's, but the graphics and sound aren't as good.

Overall: 7
While the game's plot and characters are slightly disappointing, if you have a second player, it becomes a must have game. You can rent it if you like, but what friend can come over every day for a while until you beat it? So, do yourself a favor and buy it. It's worth the money. If you have a PS2 or/and a Gamecube system as well as a X-Box, buy the game on the X-Box, because it just is the best version of it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/06/03, Updated 01/06/03