Don't Call Yourself A Baldur's Gate Fan If You Haven't Played This Game

If you’ve ever claimed to be a die-hard Baldur’s Gate fan, you shouldn’t miss one essential entry in the Baldur’s Gate franchise that just got a discount thanks to the PlayStation Summer Sale. It’s not your typical Baldur’s Gate experience, but it’s definitely one you need to add to your list. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a hack-and-slash-style RPG in the Baldur’s Gate universe that is unlike any other game in the franchise, and now is the perfect time to try this original entry out for yourself and see what it has to offer.

While it’s very different from 2023 GOTY winner BG3, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is incredibly fun and will give fans of the franchise a fresh experience in the D&D-based world. Dark Alliance was originally released in 2001, developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment. The game launched on the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox, and it was later ported to GameCube and Game Boy Advance. Unlike the mainline entries in the series, Dark Alliance took much longer to make it to PC, finally landing on Steam in 2021.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Is A Great Change Of Pace For BG3 Fans

Switch Up Your Baldur’s Gate Experience With Dark Alliance

Dark Alliance is a fast-paced action RPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. While it still incorporates many of the beloved features found in more well-known Baldur’s Gate games, the spin-off was designed for a console experience and features a more hack-and-slash approach to gameplay. Unlike the main Baldur’s Gate titles, it emphasizes real-time combat, linear progression, and loot collection. You choose from a small set of pre-created characters and battle through dungeons with basic mechanics. It features couch co-op, making it great for local multiplayer.

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Dark Alliance’s gameplay is a bit more like Diablo than your typical Baldur’s Gate feel, focusing on action as opposed to deep role-playing elements. In contrast, the main Baldur’s Gate games are pretty narrative-heavy and showcase D&D‘s RPG systems more than Dark Alliance. Dark Alliance trades some of the depth from other Baldur’s Gate games for a streamlined action experience, making it more of a spin-off or adaptation than a continuation of the core Baldur’s Gate installmentsbut equally fun nonetheless.

Dark Alliance Is A Hack & Slash Classic That Every BG3 Fan Should Experience

Take Advantage Of The PlayStation Summer Sale Dark Alliance Discount While You Can

It may not be your traditional Baldur’s Gate RPG, but Dark Alliance definitely feels like a unique and one-of-a-kind take on the classic formula, and it’s well-worth playing. Many long-time fans likely remember this game when it first released on PlayStation 2 back in the day, but playing it on PS4 or PS5 is a serious nostalgia trip that is certain to be enjoyable for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Now is the perfect time to dive into the essential hack-and-slash Baldur’s Gate experience and try Dark Alliance out for yourself.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is currently at a 20% discount on the PlayStation Store thanks to the ongoing Summer Sale, and the decreased price will only be available for the duration of the sale, which ends on August 13. Whether you’ve never heard of Dark Alliance or remember it fondly from way back when, now is the perfect time to dive into the essential hack-and-slash Baldur’s Gate experience and try Dark Alliance out for yourself.