Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Encyclopedia
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is an action role-playing game
developed by Snowblind Studios
for the PlayStation 2
; later released for the Xbox
, Nintendo GameCube
and Game Boy Advance
. It was re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits title. Its gameplay is based on the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons.
The game was well received and a sequel Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
was released in 2004.
The game' story follows the quest journey of three characters: Kromlech, a Dwarven Fighter; Vahn, a human arcane archer; and Adrianna, an Elven Sorceress, all of whom are playable. An unlockable characters, Drizzt Do'Urden
is available to play through the main quest after completing the game and a survival mini game.
whereupon they are attacked, robbed, and left for dead. They are brought to the Elfsong Tavern by guards to recover where the first hints of a great evil hiding in Baldur's Gate are revealed.
The three begin by clearing the tavern's cellar of rats and vermin to get the key to the sewers. There they discover a thieves' den where it is learned that one of the guests at the inn has been captured. Delving further into the sewers, the three find an entrance to the crypt of the local temple where the dead are being reanimated by a magic orb which must be destroyed. The destruction of the orb leads to meeting Jherek, agent of the Harpers, who tells the Adrianna and the rest of the heroes that the Thieves' Guild is only one part of a greater whole, and the guild must be destroyed. The three then infiltrate the guild's secret lair, defeat Karne (sometimes Kharne), associate of the Zhentarim
and the second-in-command of the thieves who had ambushed the Adrianna and her companions at the start of the game, and meet Xantam the beholder
who reveals that he is controlling the thieves' guild on behalf of some greater power. After defeating Xantam, the three join the Harpers and are instructed by Jherek to use a portal they find to find the source of the guild. Before using it the heroes meet Keaira, a caravan guard, who instructs the three to bring her a box of spices from the Thieves Guild. After getting Kearia her spice box and receiving thanks from the citizens of Baldur's Gate, the three descend into the portal.
The three are sent to the Sunset Mountains, where they face the treacherous Wind's Walk, with yetis
, ogres
and gnolls. At the end of this mountain path lies Kromlech's home-town, the trading mine-camp town of Easting. The dwarves have been driven from their mine by drow and have sent a party to light a signal fire to request reinforcements, but that party has vanished. Torregir, a dwarf
, asks Kromlech to scale Mount Burning Eye to discover the fate of the signalling party and to light the signal. Taking Vahn and Adrianna with him, Kromlech finds that the dwarven signalling party was ambushed and scattered by Ciraxis, a powerful white dragon
. Kromlech is able to light the signaling fire and retrieve the key to the mine but in the process Ciraxis is alerted.
The three enter the mine and engage the Drow forces therein. On the lowest level of the mine they combat Valsharess, the drow queen, who again refers to herself as a servant of another power. In the drow holding cells the three discover a dwarf who is also a Harper. This dwarf leads the three to a cave in a nearby forest where they fight and slay Ciraxis, finding another portal in the process.
The portal transports the heroes to the Marshes of Chelimber where they emerge in a ruined sunken cathedral filled with undead
. The fight their way to the surface where they meet Sleyvas, a humanoid
lizard who explains that the local lizard tribes are being controlled by an Onyx Tower that dominates the landscape. The tower has no visible entrance but can be accessed via the water stair, a conduit to the elemental plane of water. The path to the water stair is blocked by the local lizard tribes and only the defeat of their chieftain will cause the tribes to scatter. The heroes travel through the swamps and the remains of the ancient human kingdom of Chelimber to defeat the chieftan of the lizardfolk. They then fight through a temple filled with minotaurs to reach the water stair and then the Onyx Tower.
At the penultimate level of the tower the three meet a number of ghosts
of fallen soldiers who explain that their general, Eldrith the Betrayer, once served Baldur's Gate, and fought a crusade against dark forces of the Orcish Black Horde who intended its destruction. Upon her defeat she was betrayed by the elders of Baldur's Gate who were angered by her defying their orders not to march. Furious, she rallied her unwilling soldiers to attack Baldur's Gate, but was fought back to the Marshes of Chelimber and killed. Her rage brought her back to life, caused the tower to come into being and gave her the power to open portals between distant locations. Seeking revenge, she has orchestrated the attacks against Baldur's Gate and its allies, and created a dark alliance between the thieves' guild, mountain creatures, drow, and lizardmen.
The heroes learn that defeating the Betrayer will destroy the Onyx Tower, free the ghosts to pass to the afterlife and free the Elfsong as well, but will trap them in the elemental chaos. However, they learn of one last remaining portal in the Onyx Tower's roof and decide to use it to escape. Before the heroes proceed, the ghost Keledon tells Vahn of the Onyx Sword, the only weapon that is able to pierce the armour of the Betrayer. The heroes proceed to the roof to join combat with the Betrayer. They find the Betrayer alone on the roof of the tower with another portal. She again reiterates her plans for the destruction of Baldur's Gate, and attacks the heroes. After a hard fought battle Vahn manages to pierce the armour of the Betrayer, making her vulnerable. The three then manage to defeat the Betrayer, who repents for her rage. With the tower crumbling around them the heroes enter the portal.
In the final cutscene, Sleyvas' true motives are revealed: he has manipulated the heroes to defeat Eldrith so that he and his masters, the Zhentarim, can gain control of the tower to return to their former glory; he also expects the heroes to have died in the tower. Instead they emerge in an unknown forest and walk a few steps before being surrounded by nightshades and nightwalkers, and the game concludes on this cliffhanger
.
presented in a true 3D perspective correct rotatable third person overhead view. The battle system in the game is simplistic but flexible. Character statistics at the game's beginning are preset, and the player may only customize their character's stats through gaining experience points. Experience points are gained by winning battles, and at specific levels the character gains new ability points to spend on enhancements specific to the character class. The ability choices affect the fighting style of the character.
Gameplay is linear, and any current quest must be completed successfully before the story proceeds. There are also relatively few non-player character
s (NPCs), of which only those who are part of a quest
or side-quest may be interacted with. There are not that many sidequests available in the game, but those available - such as for Keaira and Ipswitch - help players to gain experience and level up. Weapons, armor and items are only available for purchase from one location at a time in the current region, and are increasingly valuable later in the game.
The game's ruleset is based on a limited set of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule-set; compared to other D&D Games there are relatively few rules implemented in the game. There are four playable classes: Human Arcane Archer, Elven Sorceress, Dwarven Fighter and Drow Ranger. Gameplay strategy is different for all characters: the human relies on ranged attacks and stealth, the elf character can cast magic spells, and the dwarf is an all-around fighter. Through updating each character, the characters go to mimic characters of other classes.
A local co-op mode is available, which uses a single non-split screen view. The second player can select one of the unused characters.
(GBA) version of Dark Alliance features some noticeable differences from the console versions.
to be in development by Snowblind Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment in early November, 2000 following the cancellation of the Sega Dreamcast
port of the original Baldur's Gate
. The game was featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo where it gained critical acclaim. The game was released in December, 2001.
, it was built for this game and is the foundation for other games on the PS2 including Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
and The Bard's Tale
. Graphically, the Dark Alliance engine is a drastic improvement over the Baldur's Gate series that debuted on the PC, which utilized the Infinity Engine
(1998), the earlier versions were only able to render 2D sprite characters and static environments. The Dark Alliance engine makes use of Sony's PS2 platform, allowing for such improvements as dynamic lighting, real-time shadowing and 3D models of characters and environments. The graphics, in particular, were considered a highlight of the game by many critics.
recorded average professional review scores of 87, 83, and 79% for PS2, Xbox and Gamecube consoles.
The Gameboy Advance version was also received mostly positive reviews with and aggregate score of 76%.
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
developed by Snowblind Studios
Snowblind Studios
Snowblind Studios is a video game developer located in Kirkland, Washington. They were founded in 1997, specializing in RPGs. In 2009, Snowblind Studios was acquired by Time Warner, through its Warner Bros...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
; later released for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It was re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits title. Its gameplay is based on the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons.
The game was well received and a sequel Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is an action role-playing game released for the PlayStation 2 on December 2, 2003 and the Xbox on January 20, 2004...
was released in 2004.
Plot and setting
The game takes place in The Sword Coast and The Western Heartlands, areas in the Forgotten Realms. Each chapter of the game takes place in a different region: in the first chapter Baldur's Gate is explored, in the second the Sunset Mountains and the third the Marsh of Chelimber (the latter two being areas known to fans previously only as maps).The game' story follows the quest journey of three characters: Kromlech, a Dwarven Fighter; Vahn, a human arcane archer; and Adrianna, an Elven Sorceress, all of whom are playable. An unlockable characters, Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed to...
is available to play through the main quest after completing the game and a survival mini game.
Plot
The game begins with Vahn, Adrianna and Kromlech's arrival in the city of Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate (city)
Baldur's Gate is a fictional city in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It is a coastal city on the north bank of the river Chiontar, located in the Western Heartlands region of Faerûn...
whereupon they are attacked, robbed, and left for dead. They are brought to the Elfsong Tavern by guards to recover where the first hints of a great evil hiding in Baldur's Gate are revealed.
The three begin by clearing the tavern's cellar of rats and vermin to get the key to the sewers. There they discover a thieves' den where it is learned that one of the guests at the inn has been captured. Delving further into the sewers, the three find an entrance to the crypt of the local temple where the dead are being reanimated by a magic orb which must be destroyed. The destruction of the orb leads to meeting Jherek, agent of the Harpers, who tells the Adrianna and the rest of the heroes that the Thieves' Guild is only one part of a greater whole, and the guild must be destroyed. The three then infiltrate the guild's secret lair, defeat Karne (sometimes Kharne), associate of the Zhentarim
Zhentarim
The Zhentarim is a fictional organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Also known as the Black Network, it is an evil organization based on the continent of Faerûn. One of its goals is to dominate the lands from the Moonsea to the...
and the second-in-command of the thieves who had ambushed the Adrianna and her companions at the start of the game, and meet Xantam the beholder
Beholder
The beholder is a fictional monster in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It resembles a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and lots of smaller eyestalks on top with deadly magical powers....
who reveals that he is controlling the thieves' guild on behalf of some greater power. After defeating Xantam, the three join the Harpers and are instructed by Jherek to use a portal they find to find the source of the guild. Before using it the heroes meet Keaira, a caravan guard, who instructs the three to bring her a box of spices from the Thieves Guild. After getting Kearia her spice box and receiving thanks from the citizens of Baldur's Gate, the three descend into the portal.
The three are sent to the Sunset Mountains, where they face the treacherous Wind's Walk, with yetis
Yeti (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the yeti is a monstrous humanoid.-Publication history:The yeti first appeared in The Strategic Review #3 .The yeti appeared in first edition in the original Monster Manual...
, ogres
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
and gnolls. At the end of this mountain path lies Kromlech's home-town, the trading mine-camp town of Easting. The dwarves have been driven from their mine by drow and have sent a party to light a signal fire to request reinforcements, but that party has vanished. Torregir, a dwarf
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, asks Kromlech to scale Mount Burning Eye to discover the fate of the signalling party and to light the signal. Taking Vahn and Adrianna with him, Kromlech finds that the dwarven signalling party was ambushed and scattered by Ciraxis, a powerful white dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
. Kromlech is able to light the signaling fire and retrieve the key to the mine but in the process Ciraxis is alerted.
The three enter the mine and engage the Drow forces therein. On the lowest level of the mine they combat Valsharess, the drow queen, who again refers to herself as a servant of another power. In the drow holding cells the three discover a dwarf who is also a Harper. This dwarf leads the three to a cave in a nearby forest where they fight and slay Ciraxis, finding another portal in the process.
The portal transports the heroes to the Marshes of Chelimber where they emerge in a ruined sunken cathedral filled with undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
. The fight their way to the surface where they meet Sleyvas, a humanoid
Humanoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, humanoid is a type of creature, or "creature type". Humanoids are any creature shaped generally like a human , of Small or Medium size, with few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities...
lizard who explains that the local lizard tribes are being controlled by an Onyx Tower that dominates the landscape. The tower has no visible entrance but can be accessed via the water stair, a conduit to the elemental plane of water. The path to the water stair is blocked by the local lizard tribes and only the defeat of their chieftain will cause the tribes to scatter. The heroes travel through the swamps and the remains of the ancient human kingdom of Chelimber to defeat the chieftan of the lizardfolk. They then fight through a temple filled with minotaurs to reach the water stair and then the Onyx Tower.
At the penultimate level of the tower the three meet a number of ghosts
Ghost (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the ghost is an undead creature. Like a Dungeons & Dragons vampire, it is achieved by applying a template to a base creature, of the races existing for playability within the canon.-Description:...
of fallen soldiers who explain that their general, Eldrith the Betrayer, once served Baldur's Gate, and fought a crusade against dark forces of the Orcish Black Horde who intended its destruction. Upon her defeat she was betrayed by the elders of Baldur's Gate who were angered by her defying their orders not to march. Furious, she rallied her unwilling soldiers to attack Baldur's Gate, but was fought back to the Marshes of Chelimber and killed. Her rage brought her back to life, caused the tower to come into being and gave her the power to open portals between distant locations. Seeking revenge, she has orchestrated the attacks against Baldur's Gate and its allies, and created a dark alliance between the thieves' guild, mountain creatures, drow, and lizardmen.
The heroes learn that defeating the Betrayer will destroy the Onyx Tower, free the ghosts to pass to the afterlife and free the Elfsong as well, but will trap them in the elemental chaos. However, they learn of one last remaining portal in the Onyx Tower's roof and decide to use it to escape. Before the heroes proceed, the ghost Keledon tells Vahn of the Onyx Sword, the only weapon that is able to pierce the armour of the Betrayer. The heroes proceed to the roof to join combat with the Betrayer. They find the Betrayer alone on the roof of the tower with another portal. She again reiterates her plans for the destruction of Baldur's Gate, and attacks the heroes. After a hard fought battle Vahn manages to pierce the armour of the Betrayer, making her vulnerable. The three then manage to defeat the Betrayer, who repents for her rage. With the tower crumbling around them the heroes enter the portal.
In the final cutscene, Sleyvas' true motives are revealed: he has manipulated the heroes to defeat Eldrith so that he and his masters, the Zhentarim, can gain control of the tower to return to their former glory; he also expects the heroes to have died in the tower. Instead they emerge in an unknown forest and walk a few steps before being surrounded by nightshades and nightwalkers, and the game concludes on this cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
.
Gameplay
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a real time hack and slash Action role-playing gameAction role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
presented in a true 3D perspective correct rotatable third person overhead view. The battle system in the game is simplistic but flexible. Character statistics at the game's beginning are preset, and the player may only customize their character's stats through gaining experience points. Experience points are gained by winning battles, and at specific levels the character gains new ability points to spend on enhancements specific to the character class. The ability choices affect the fighting style of the character.
Gameplay is linear, and any current quest must be completed successfully before the story proceeds. There are also relatively few non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s (NPCs), of which only those who are part of a quest
Quest (gaming)
A quest in role-playing video games — including massively multiplayer online role-playing games and their predecessors, MUDs — is a task that a player-controlled character or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward...
or side-quest may be interacted with. There are not that many sidequests available in the game, but those available - such as for Keaira and Ipswitch - help players to gain experience and level up. Weapons, armor and items are only available for purchase from one location at a time in the current region, and are increasingly valuable later in the game.
The game's ruleset is based on a limited set of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule-set; compared to other D&D Games there are relatively few rules implemented in the game. There are four playable classes: Human Arcane Archer, Elven Sorceress, Dwarven Fighter and Drow Ranger. Gameplay strategy is different for all characters: the human relies on ranged attacks and stealth, the elf character can cast magic spells, and the dwarf is an all-around fighter. Through updating each character, the characters go to mimic characters of other classes.
A local co-op mode is available, which uses a single non-split screen view. The second player can select one of the unused characters.
Game Boy Advance version
The Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
(GBA) version of Dark Alliance features some noticeable differences from the console versions.
- There are no playable characters like in the original game. Instead, a human male is playable. A player can choose his class, however (fighter, wizard, archer). After the completion of the game, a new class, titled Elven Fighter, is available.
- Players cannot import a character to play through the story again; they must start a new game.
- No multiplayer mode.
- The town of Baldur's Gate is much more interactive. Players are able to talk to people, enter houses, and use weapons (to break barrels, etc.).
- The town is split into two sections: North and South. The southern region cannot be entered at the beginning of the game.
- New side-quests.
- Lack of recall potions.
- Players can no longer jump.
- Players can switch between melee and ranged combat using the "R" button.
- Larger enemies will sometimes get trapped behind doorways, allowing the player to shoot them with the bow while staying out of harm's way.
- The white dragonDragon (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
Ciraxis (who was the final boss of Act II in the console version) is absent. - The wizard (comparable to the sorceress in the original game) is no longer as strong and has a lower mana pool.
Development
The game was first announced by Titus SoftwareTitus Software
Titus Software, later known as Titus Interactive S.A., was a long-running French software publisher that produced and published video games for various formats over its lifetime....
to be in development by Snowblind Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment in early November, 2000 following the cancellation of the Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast
The is a 128-bit video game console which was released by Sega in late 1998 in Japan and from September 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube.Dreamcast sales were...
port of the original Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released in 1998 by Interplay Entertainment. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high fantasy campaign setting, using modified Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules...
. The game was featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo where it gained critical acclaim. The game was released in December, 2001.
Graphics engine
While GBA version used its own engine, the console versions used a more graphically superior one. The console versions of the game used the Dark Alliance EngineDark Alliance Engine
The Dark Alliance game engine also referred to as the Snowblind engine is a game engine created by Snowblind Studios for perspective correct overhead third person view role-playing games. It was first used by Snowblind Studios to create Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance...
, it was built for this game and is the foundation for other games on the PS2 including Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles...
and The Bard's Tale
The Bard's Tale (2004)
The Bard's Tale is an action-role playing game video game created by InXile Entertainment, and released in 2004. Marketed as a humorous spoof on fantasy role-playing video games , it has more in common with modern console games like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.The Bard's Tale was released for the...
. Graphically, the Dark Alliance engine is a drastic improvement over the Baldur's Gate series that debuted on the PC, which utilized the Infinity Engine
Infinity Engine
Infinity Engine is a game engine which allows the creation of isometric computer role-playing games. It was originally developed by BioWare for a prototype RTS game codenamed Battleground Infinity, which was ultimately re-engineered to become the first installment of the Baldur's Gate series...
(1998), the earlier versions were only able to render 2D sprite characters and static environments. The Dark Alliance engine makes use of Sony's PS2 platform, allowing for such improvements as dynamic lighting, real-time shadowing and 3D models of characters and environments. The graphics, in particular, were considered a highlight of the game by many critics.
Reception
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was critically well received; MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
recorded average professional review scores of 87, 83, and 79% for PS2, Xbox and Gamecube consoles.
The Gameboy Advance version was also received mostly positive reviews with and aggregate score of 76%.