Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2

[Schadenfroh]

Anyone that has played both of these able to comment on the roleplaying opportunities in them?

Are both just mindless hack and slash "action RPGs" or do they have some plot / character development? I notice that Dark Alliance 2 is made by Black Isle Studios and I greatly enjoyed their other works (such as PlaneScape: Torment).

Any PC RPGs that one can compare them to in order to give me an idea of their gameplay?

(I have played the PC Baldur's Gate series and I know that these two are nothing like them)

 

[DaveSimmons]

Did you check the reviews at GameSpot? My impression from reviews was of an almost story-free 3D diablo 1 or Icewind Dale, or for a more current game Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

They're on my rainy-day list in case I run out of better games. I'm so far behind I might never get to them though unless I take a year off from work.

Speaking of (ex-)BIS, I'm playing Vampire: Bloodlines now and it's is very, very good with the 4.03AT fixes-only fan patch. I might fall even further behind and replay it as a Malkavian for the different dialog.

 

[darkswordsman17]

If you don't like hack 'n slash games I doubt you'll like them. I love hack 'n slash, but I found them to be boring. Other than being set in the same universe, they don't really share much in common (certainly gameplay isn't comparable). It's difficult to say, but there's just something lacking about them.

Is Icewind Dale even really hack 'n slash? I never did try it, but it seemed to be closer to the PC Baldur Gate games than Diablo from what I remember reading/seeing.

 

[DaveSimmons]

IWD isn't as story-free as Diablo 1, but it's 90% combat amd only 10% story vs. say 60-40 for Baldur's Gate.

IWD story is about at the level of "there is a great evil afoot, now go and step on it!."

 

[spaceman]

i played thru the 1st many times, thru the 2nd a couple.
if you like diablo, youll love this, you you dont...then you simply wont.
its a great game to kill a a bunch of hours with a friend.

these and champions of norrath console series are the best diablo clones ive ever played.(including pc)
they are almost identical to diablo down to armor/customization/character/etc.

 

[Schadenfroh]

if you like diablo, youll love this, you you dont...then you simply wont.

That is what I needed to know, I guess I will skip IWD and DA 1 / 2. Thanks!

 

[vi edit]

I didn't play DA2. But DA1 was essentially a modern day Gauntlet or a top down Golden Axe.