Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II Preview

RPGamer has put together a somewhat short preview of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II, in which they provide a recap of what is known about the console RPG up to this point. A snippet:

One might think that the small figures and characters do not lend themselves to major graphical feature, but the developers do what they can. DAI was widely praised for the crafting of its details, and DAII has surpassed it, through improvements (if not overhauls) of the first game’s engine. The player can get close-ups on the action that make for a more impressive spectacle.

Once again, the emphasis of the second Dark Alliance is the gameplay. There are 80 levels to be experienced in this title; double that of its predecessor. That amount of exploring easily makes up for the lack of online play. With the recent announcement of Black Isle’s closing, fans had better relish the game all the more, because the prospect of a third Dark Alliance (and, for that matter, a GameCube port of this title) is not looking too good at moment. Nonetheless, merci pour les bon temps, Black Isle.