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Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (Xbox) Reviews:
One of the !PlayStation 2's sleeper hits of 2001 comes to !Xbox in a near identical port. While those familiar with BioWare's role-playing series may at first expect a perfect Dungeons & Dragons complement to the epic Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Dark Alliance is merely a spin-off that relies heavily on fast-paced action. The game patterns itself more closely to Diablo II than either of the two Baldur's Gate games on !PC, but with a more linear storyline and more visual razzamatazz. While the emphasis on hack-and-slash combat may put off those looking for something with more teeth, the action is backed by stellar production values. The lighting effects, music, voice acting, character models, and environment detail go a long way in immersing players into the rich world of Baldur's Gate.

Most everything that can be said of the earlier !PS2 game can be said of this title, which comes as a disappointment to those expecting exclusive features. Unlike traditional role-playing games, players cannot roll their own character but instead must select from the following three classes: a dwarven fighter, a human arcane archer, and an elven sorceress. The game begins as your character is beaten and robbed of his or her belongings upon entering Baldur's Gate. The story then takes place within a tavern, where characters are free to converse with the locals. While the game is played from an overhead perspective, the act of conversing switches to an impressive first-person view. The 3D characters spring to life with surprisingly articulate gestures while speaking in the professionally acted style players have come to expect from the series.

Following the same narrative as the !PS2 version, your first assignment is simply to investigate a rat problem in the tavern's basement, kicking off an adventure spanning multiple regions and environments with a variety of memorable encounters. The 3D graphics are pretty, but the viewpoint seems to be set at a higher perspective than the !PS2 game. A benefit is players can see more of the environment around them, which helps since monsters tend to attack in packs. A drawback is much of the fine detail is lost. Unfortunately players can't zoom in to get a better look, only rotate the camera. Nevertheless, tiny rats scurry along cobblestone floors, spells streak across the screen like brilliant fireworks, and the water effects are wonderfully realistic. Ripples follow characters as they walk through shimmering pools and murky swamps, adding a great sense of detail not typically found in action-oriented role-playing games.

Combat is smooth and responsive despite the awkward button layout with the original !Xbox controller. Players have the ability to quickly use healing potions with the right trigger and switch between ranged and melee weapons by simply pressing the directional pad, but parrying has been banished to the black button. Encumbrance is factored in how fast characters move, and an individual weapon's weight is also accounted for with each swing (a two-handed battle axe shouldn't move as swiftly as a dagger, and it doesn't in this game). Killing monsters earns players experience as well as points used to develop a character's spells and feats. Depending on the class, players can develop 5-14 passive feats after leveling up, such as willpower and targeting, and 3-6 active feats, like burning hands or exploding arrows.

As in Diablo II, individual pieces of armor are displayed on the character's body and players can find the usual assortment of gloves, helmets, boots, rings, and amulets made of varying materials. Items can be purchased from a shopkeeper in each of the three acts, but the majority of quality weapons and armor are found in chests, weapon racks, or on the monsters themselves. Speaking of which, there are around 35 enemy types, from rats and kobolds to yeti and wolves to gelatinous cubes and massive frost giants. Players even get to face a beholder and a white dragon as bosses, although they are not nearly as difficult to vanquish as they are in the two !PC versions of Baldur's Gate. Unfortunately, there aren't any new monsters or bosses to fight in the !Xbox version.

While there is certainly enough diversity in the locales (caves, dungeons, mines, mountains, castles, forests, and more), the game's biggest drawback is it could use more of just about everything: characters, levels, monsters, quests, and items. The action is so addictive the 11 hours it takes to finish the game on normal difficulty flies by far too quickly. Fortunately the three characters have different fighting styles, encouraging you to play as a new class on a harder setting, and two bonus modes can be unlocked as well. !Xbox owners new to the game will find an absorbing experience, but the developers didn't tap into this system like they could have to offer new extras, four-player support, or more characters. In this regard Dark Alliance is a disappointment, but on the flip side, everything that made the !PS2 game a hit has been faithfully ported over. Perhaps too faithfully. Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

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