Vivendi Universal Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

The sequel to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance gets so ...

Strengths: Improves on the first game in all the right ways, weapon upgrade system helps the gameplay, more replay with 5 characters, nice graphic and sound upgrades

Weaknesses: No multiplayer beyond 2-player, no revolutionary changes

Summary: The sequel to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance gets some nice upgrades, with more gameplay, better graphics and sound, as well as some new evolutions of the original gameplay.

The gameplay gets a nice upgrade, as two-weapon fighting is now allowed, which helps in offense, and weapons can now be upgraded for different functions and effects. Five playable characters are available, up from the original three, which adds some nice replay to the game. The base gameplay is the same from before, which is OK, because it was good as it was, just refined.

The graphics and sound are also nicely upgraded, with cleaner visuals and better special effects, such as for spells. The sound is nicely refined as well, with good voice acting and sound effects.

The multiplayer is only two player co-op, which limits it a bit when other titles are offering four player co-op. Not a real failing, though it would have been nice to include it.

Overall, fans of the original will pick this one up without question. Fans of the genre should also pick it up for the great graphics and sound, and the well done gameplay.

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(much) MOTS

Strengths: It's the first game all over again, but more

Weaknesses: (isn't that a weakness?)

Summary: Co-op rpgs are not widely available on consoles. The first Dark Alliance provided a great fix for the hack-and-slash rpg. It was a fairly short game, though, and so the sequel probably doubled the overall gamelength. And more is good, the problem is that there are very few upgrades to the earlier game. The graphics engine is essentially unchanged, with a similar top down, 3/4 view perspective. The cameria remains annoying in tight spaces as it can block the view.

There are some other additions besides length, more upgrade options, more weapons and the ability to combine gems with weapons/armor for more powerful equipment. There are also a few more enemy types. But because the game is so much longer, about 10 hours in, everything starts becoming very repetitive as the hack-and-slash is prone to do. Added aggravation comes from the game being fairly easy throughout, and then a couple end bosses become really challenging, almost unfairly so. Because there are not many alternate choices, this is still a strong recommendation as a co-op game, but if the first one was not to your liking or you had enough of that type of game, the second dark alliance beings MOTS is not a strength.

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Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

Strengths: Like the first, a great two-player game. Game play is challenging but not impossible. There are more characters than the first.

Weaknesses: No really spectacular differences from the first game

Summary: Anyone looking for a Baldur’s Gate/Champions of Norrath RPG will be pleased and entertained by this sequel. It’s longer than the first, and hard to put down. There are more weaponry choices than in the first, and hot buttons to make weapon and spell changing easier, but overall the magic spells aren’t as good. The character choices offer something for everyone from a hack and slash strength-driven character to the magic-driven and the great-aim ranger. The coolest difference from the first is that this game allows you to add stones to your weapons to boost your stats. A great game, but not very different from the first.

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Fun in co-op

Strengths: Same good gameplay as the first. Fairly mindless hack-n-slash

Weaknesses: Not a lot of thinking involved. Killing the little critters can get boring.

Summary: If you liked the first game, this is pretty much more of the same. Having 5 characters to choose from at the start is nice, and going through the game with a friend is a lot of fun. I tended to accumulate massive amounts of gold because I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy, but towards the end of the game when stuff gets more expensive I finally began to spend it.

If you're looking for a fairly mindless hack-and-slash type game, this is a good one.

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