Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is now available on PC, for the first time since its original Launch. The acclaimed title was quietly released on PC on December 17, 2021. Windows, Linux and Mac players finally get a chance to revisit a 20-year old PS2 era classic.
- Genre: Hack and Slash, Action-RPG
- Developed by: Black Isle Studios
- Ported by: Square One Games, Inc.
- Published by: Interplay Entertainment Corp.
- Release date: December 17, 2021
- Original Release: December 4, 2001
- Platforms: PC via Steam, GoG and Epic Games Store, Linux and Mac
- Other Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch (Early 2021)
- Price at time of review: $29.99
Returning to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 20 Years Later
In another surprising turn of events, Interplay Entertainment and Black Isle Studios again released a version of Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance without much fanfare. We found it quite odd in the past that the publisher chose to release the console versions of the game in May earlier this year.
Fighting a Beholder
However, the PC release now somewhat coincides with the game’s 20 year anniversary (though off by about 13 days).
Nothing much has changed, as to preserve the nostalgic feeling. The main difference is that this re-release now supports up to 4k resolution. Aside from that, no other graphical changes have been made.
Inventory Screen
The presentation of the classic PS2 game has been fully preserved. It still retains all of its great top-down hack-and-slash action RPG gameplay. Of course, couch coop is still intact and ready for late-night dungeon-delving sessions. The Steam version also supports Remote Play Together, the feature that allows players to be in a simulated couch-coop situation. They can then play even if they are miles apart.
Exploring a Dungeon
Players will be able to return to the land of Faerun and traverse many memorable locations. They will be able to choose one of three heroes, Kromlech, Vahn and Adrianna. These characters are Fighter, Archer and Sorceress respectively.
Should You Get Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance?
So now the question is, should you purchase the game? We provided our initial thoughts back in May, which you can find here. The new PC version does not look like it has too many differences from the console versions released earlier this year. Therefore the review’s thoughts still hold up completely.
Casting Magic
Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance Features
For those who want the full list of features, they can be found below, taken from the game’s Steam Store page:
Experience the massively popular world of Baldur’s Gate as never before. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance thrusts you into an epic Dungeons & Dragons adventure filled with intense action, intricate puzzles and sinister intrigue, where your mastery of cold steel and devastating spells is the only thing between you and ultimate evil.
A ground-breaking adventure, featuring the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons® rule set.
Explosive spell effects and incredibly detailed creatures and environments deliver a more realistic gaming experience.
Three customizable characters, each with distinctive powers, appearances and abilities that develop throughout the game.
Battle alone or join a friend in two-player cooperative mode.
Explore Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance all over again, experiencing newfound adventures with a different customized character or replaying in Extreme mode for ten times the difficulty and fun.
Dolby Surround sound, real-time sound effect mixing, Hollywood voice talent and an original soundtrack by acclaimed composer Jeremy Soule.
Dark Alliance in 2021
The Dark Alliance series has had a busy year this 2021. They released the aforementioned console versions in early May, including a Nintendo Switch port.
D&D: Dark Alliance
In June the latest entry in the series was released, Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance. This newest game is a 4-player coop hack and slash game that had skill trees and loot collecting mechanics. In it, you could play one of four characters, Drizzt the dark elf ranger, Catti-Brie the archer, Bruenor the dwarf warrior and Wulfgar the barbarian. You can hear our thoughts on D&D: Dark Alliance in our full review.
The Heroes of D&D: Dark Alliance
Perhaps with the success of these ports, as well as the release of D&D Dark Alliance, we may also get a re-release of Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2? Or maybe even other Forgotten Realms classics like a remake of Neverwinter Nights? What do you feel would make a great comeback? Let us know!
Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance is now available on all the major consoles. The PC players can get the game on Steam, GoG or Epic Games (please be sure to use our creator code FEXTRALIFE to support the site!).
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