Review by - Me
Dark Alliance 2 - Interplay
*****
After being quickly filled in on the journeys of the original three heroes of the Dark Alliance series the game begins with new warriors working their way towards Baldur's Gate. You have the choice of picking one or two players. Furthermore you can set the game level on easy, medium or hard. This time around fans of the series will quickly notice five all new characters. These characters include the brutal human warrior, the sleek dark elf monk, the dark moon elf necromancer, the sneaky dwarven rouge, and finally the holy human cleric. The character selection this time around is much more open to all sorts of gamers. While the first game featured only one pure spell caster and two melee types, which felt fairly similar; Dark Alliance II seems to feature a much wider variety of gameplay through its available characters.
The controls in the game can be a little confusing at first. I however feel as the mightly game players we all are, it shall be a snap to get the hang of in time.
While the first Dark Alliance is easily the cleanest and most beautiful of its genre on the console systems, its sequel dethrones it. Dark Alliance II features stunning particle effects within environments and on weaponry. All the character models within the game are done perfectly. Whether it is the sexy babes in the tavern or the fiendish creatures of below, everything is smooth and detailed, even from the overhead view. The atmosphere of the game not only adds to the title's great presentation, but will keep gamers playing to see what is next. From the dark sewers of Baldur's Gate, to the caverns of Hammer Fall every adventurous location offers its unique and attractive feel. The graphics mix brilliantly with the gameplay to create an experience that gamers will not want to put down or take their eyes off of.
It's always a plus when a game like this simply features audio that is not repetitive and annoying. Not only does Dark Alliance II fill this requirement, but it blows away the competition with mood setting music and top-notch voice acting. Each individual type of enemy each has its own distinctive sound to it, and with the number of creatures in the game, that is saying a lot. Character comments are varied and nothing that can lead to a headache. The dark atmosphere, presented by the stunning visuals, is kept well alive by the echoing sound effects and dark tones of various characters within the game, complete in Dolby 5.1 audio. While the gameplay is great and the graphics are stunning, the brilliant audio adds to the game in every way the previous attributes have.
With all the new features, not to mention the amazing graphics and sound effects. I would have to say Dark Alliance II is just as great, if not greater then Dark Alliance! This game is worth every penny, and if you choose not to go and buy it. Don't come complaning to me when you get sick of those other games!