Goblins! Goblins! Goblins!
Maybe Dungeons & Dragons just isn’t something that can be enjoyed without friends.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Developer: Tuque Games
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Released: June 22nd, 2021
MSRP: $39.99
To answer a question that some may have, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a spiritual sequel to Baldurās Gate: Dark Alliance. While there are stark differences that make this one distinct from its two predecessors, the dropping of the Baldurās Gate name probably has more to do with the upcoming Baldurās Gate III and wanting to avoid confusion.
Otherwise, the ideaās the same: a more action-oriented take on the pen-and-paper RPG. Itās once again set in the Forgotten Realms campaign, this time using characters from the Legend of Drizzt series. It takes place soon after R. A. Salvatoreās pulp novel, The Crystal Shards.
For what that’s worth, anyway. The plot isnāt exactly dense, involving a few factions getting their hands on magic gewgaws that you donāt want them to have. Still, you get a chance to see some of D&Dās more prolific characters in action. Thereās Drizzt, Wulfgar, Catti-Brie, and Bruenor, each with their own powers, roles, moves, and loot.
The problems with playing single-player become apparent pretty quickly. The AI in Dark Alliance is absolutely daft. I spent most of my playtime as Catti-Brie (which was probably a bad choice in retrospect) and was perfectly capable of standing on a ledge to soften up groups of enemies. They canāt work ledges, period. Rather than mull about trying to get to you, they just act like youāre not there while you take potshots. Theyāll even continue conversations while you try to interrupt them by feeding arrows into their groin.
Not that you even need to find a ledge to stand on. You can just go outside the rather tight range that enemies have and theyāll act like you arenāt even there anymore. Theyāll just return to their neutral state. Then you can, once again, lob projectiles at their crotches until they fall over.
Or you could, you know, not cheese every encounter. Itās just really damned tempting. Even when I forced myself into direct combat, the enemies just arenāt that aggressive. There were many times where they just stood there as I lined my crosshairs up with their face or slashed up their friends. When they do attack, theyāre simply predictable. Usually, the only way Iād die in combat was when Iād get trapped in a swarm of enemies. Other times, I had the difficulty too high and someone would lay me flat with a single swing.
Playing solo is just a drag. The characters prattle on the worst one-liners, and the story isnāt much to speak about. The fights are repetitive and slow, and the difficulty is all over the place. Looting is fine. Itās one of those things in video games that never really gets old, but it will only carry you so far.
Iām just not digging Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance right now. It feels rickety at best and annoying at worst. Monotonous, bland, uninteresting. However, I know that multi-player can offset some of the problems I had. I wouldnāt judge Left 4 Dead or Gauntlet based on their single-player, so it seems unfair to set my criticism in stone until Iāve sampled what Dark Alliance can offer. Iām not hopeful, but itās worth giving it that chance. Though, if you were planning to be a solo adventurer, maybe reconsider.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
Published: Jun 21, 2021 11:00 am