Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Perfect Blueprint for a D&D: Dark Alliance Successor

The ongoing success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has ignited a new wave of interest in Dungeons and Dragons adaptations, while also highlighting the past releases of the IP. Its status as a CRPG in the mainstream has been a groundbreaking development in the gaming landscape of recent years, but an innovative approach to cinematic presentation within that framework has also played a major role in earning that place. After several years since a previous attempt at reviving a spin-off of the series, the new context created by Baldur’s Gate 3 has laid a strong foundation for the return of Dark Alliance.

Originally a line of ARPG spin-offs of the older BioWare titles, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance impressed players through its action-focused, co-op gameplay which honored the history of the Forgotten Realms’ expanded lore. While 2021’s Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance ultimately stumbled in modernizing this formula, a proper reimagining in the wake of BG3‘s impact could become just as genre-defining.

Dark Alliance’s Rocky Revival Didn’t Live Up to the Legacy of the Original Games

The Backlash Surrounding Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance Stifled the Series

With its simplified, third-person action take on the concept, Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance struggled with depicting the depth of its source material in terms of gameplay and presentation alike. Shortcomings such as repetitive encounters and lackluster AI left what could have been the thrilling adventures of Drizzt Do’Urden and his allies feeling flat. In a genre known for its diverse range of classes, the complete lack of a playable caster hardly makes this an accurate depiction of the DnD setting.

The Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Games Already Set a Strong Precedent 20 Years Ago

While their age shows in their dated aesthetic, the original Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance titles are still recognized for satisfying co-op action and an impressive level of atmosphere for their time. High stakes and compelling narratives even made their way into these ARPG games in a way that DnD: Dark Alliance couldn’t manage, despite its more well-known cast. Still standing as notable entries in the genre outside the “Diablo clone” label, these isometric titles could be argued to have more in common with BG3 than their successor.

A New Dark Alliance Title Modeled After Baldur’s Gate 3 Could Bring Iconic DnD Characters to the Forefront of a New Generation

Mixing CRPG and Action Elements Could Allow Dark Alliance to Thrive

If it incorporated the multi-faceted storytelling and attention to the detail of BG3‘s gameplay, a fresh take on Dark Alliance could receive similar praise for featuring engaging party dynamics in its own subgenre. The isometric perspective of the older titles can be maintained alongside a pseudo-third-person view if Larian’s approach to camera controls is maintained, allowing tactics to shine more than they could in 2021’s outing. After only being used for more superficial interactions in DnD: Dark Alliance, the cast from the Drizzt Do’Urden legacy of works deserves to be depicted in a manner that fully expresses their personal relationships and diverse array of abilities in the field.

Doubling as an Opportunity to Revisit Icewind Dale

In line with bridging the gap between real-time combat and the slower pace of CRPGs, revisiting a similar concept to the more recent Dark Alliance could see a new title set within the unforgiving tundra of Icewind Dale which pays homage to the games of the same name. Whether it mainly explores this environment, Baldur’s Gate proper, or a blend of both, the connections that characters like Drizzt have to these places make them ripe for being woven into an action RPG experience that leverages both nostalgia and innovation.