Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 44
  2. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. A great game and worthy sequel. It keeps the core gameplay intact, but improves on it significantly, and then adds a plethora of new additions that only enhance what’s already on offer.
  2. It’s highly polished in every way and offers a lot more content - it just doesn’t offer many new features nor does it fix some of the game’s original problems.
  3. 90
    The quest is absolutely enormous, especially for this style of game, with tons of lengthy missions and a few character-specific side-quests. There’s also a great weapon-and-item customization feature that vastly increases the already impressive equipment possibilities.
  4. Just like the first one, but there's more of it...It isn't going to win any new fans over to the genre, but it is very good at what it does.
  5. Somewhat linear, but boasts a lot of eye candy and solid gameplay. This is a good title in solo play, but much better in cooperative game play.
  6. Support for three or four players would have been nice, but an online component is far more conspicuously absent.
  7. Even though it doesn’t offer much improvement over the original in terms of gameplay and presentation, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II stands as a solid role-playing game both sides of the gate can appreciate.
  8. As much as I enjoy the online play and random dungeon generation in "Champions of Norrath," Dark Alliance II's quest has a better flow to it, the stages show more variety, and the hack n' slash gameplay is more dynamic. [Feb 2004, p.100]
  9. Its lack of online multiplayer, and the fact that you can’t control an entire party at once hamper the overall game a bit, but as a whole, it’s an enjoyable fantasy romp.
  10. 84
    The workshop feature creates a bit of an added experience and some new weapons to play with, but if the system was opened even further to make the weapons and armor more fluid, it would have been a better choice.
  11. Definitely better than the first game. It's better than "Fallout." But it loses points on the biggest component it needed to compete with the upcoming "Champions of Norrath"; online gameplay. The fact is, if you have two games of similar quality, chances are you're heading for the one that's online.
  12. For some it will be just a bit too much of a mindless button-basher, but for those with a bit of imagination it's a compulsive, if short-lived, fantasy world come alive.
  13. While the game's top-down perspective doesn't make axing the skeletal demons any more realistic, working your way through this adventure can be a magical experience. [13 Feb 2004, p.L2T 18]
  14. No less than the new king of the dungeon crawl, easily beating the upcoming Norrath in my opinion (although Norrath is online, so if you so desire, its allure is obvious). [Jan 2004, p.54]
  15. Great for hardcore Forgotten Realms fans as well as a tasty prospect for those of us who would rather read real books and have never played a single game of Dungeons & Dragons, but still want a decent dabble into an agreeable world where numbers aren't as important as your ability to slay hordes of evil monsters and find keys.
  16. The lack of four-player co-op is regrettable, and the lack of graphical sheen is disappointing, but the highly addictive gameplay is fully intact.
  17. Its story and character development options kept me more involved than Champions’ linear quests, weak story, and more limited skill system. Still, it’s impossible to overlook DA2’s lack of online play or multitap options.
  18. It's big, it's beautiful, and there are few games available that are more fun for two players. Don't look for an epic story or any kind of online support, though. [Feb 2004, p.28]
  19. Though the ending is a little unsatisfying, and the actual adventure is a little short, the game offers plenty of replay value with five appreciably different character classes and a really satisfying cooperative mode.
  20. The boys and girls at Black Isle Studios put over 100,000 hours into the development of Dark Alliance II and it shows. Dark Alliance II is a great experience to enjoy either alone or with a friend and greatly improves upon almost every feature available in its 2001 predecessor.
  21. With plenty of characters to choose from, solid combat, and the ability to customize items without the whole process becoming overwhelming the game manages to be highly accessible to a wide variety of gamers.
  22. 80
    Little more than a full-price expansion set. Nevertheless, with fifteen to twenty hours of gameplay and cooperative play, there is plenty to like.
  23. Rent this and "Champions of Norrath," since they compete against each other, or just buy both if you're rich. Both are fine games with something great to offer.
  24. 80
    While it’s fun to watch the dwarf hacking away with his ax, the death spells cast by the necromancer make for far more enjoyable viewing.
  25. While it does have its share of bugs and bad points, overall this game is well worth buying if you enjoy the genre. The multitude of items and armors keep things interesting, while socketed items and armor take customization to higher levels.
  26. An action game for people who don't usually play RPGs.
  27. Though it's definitely the low-carb, low-cal version of a traditional role-playing game, Dark Alliance II is a stellar sequel to a great title.
  28. Ignore the nonsensical story—centered on Mordoc, the vampire king, and his Onyx Tower of Eldritch—and stay on course with your barbarian, dwarf, cleric, or elf, traversing time and eerie environments.
  29. But with a friend, Dark Alliance II's polished, addictive and comparatively deep gameplay, along with much improved replay value, makes it one of the best cooperative games around.
  30. 80
    Some may say that Dark Alliance II is an average hack-'n'-slash outing with minimal replay value. We wish these critics the best with their crack habit.
  31. A wonderful example of how to craft a fun and exciting game out of a genre that is ageing poorly. This game shows that there is still some life yet in the hack and slash RPG, and for that I am grateful.
  32. Another RPG game that dives straight into action territory, yet without sacrificing all of the depth. It is undeniably entertaining and well presented.
  33. 75
    While some of the areas are bigger than the ones found in the original, almost all of them are less interesting. The game's dungeons and outdoor areas are, for the most part, boring.
  34. It might not be the fanciest bong [don't you mean water pipe? ~GR-Ed.] in town anymore, but it still delivers the drug.
  35. The levels and quests are less interesting than other RPGs, with less of the puzzle solving and interesting characters that appeared in the original.
  36. What was once a pleasing console compromise now seems overly restrictive post-"Knights of the Old Republic." Despite hints of moral choices and a dusting of side-quests, it soon boils down to a straight slog, mashing the 'A' button as you wander through prettily rendered - if largely linear - dungeons. [Feb 2004, p.100]
  37. It's possible to sit through the game in one (admittedly long) sitting and this comes dangerously close to ruining the game. Fortunately, with five initial characters to play as and the typical Dark Alliance secrets, you'll still find yourself going back long after the main adventure is finished. [Feb 2004, p.100]
  38. I’m not entirely sure where it happened, but somewhere during the development of the sequel, the magic that had permeated every refractive chunk of ice and rippling pool of water in the first game gave way to tired, monotonous trudges through vaguely different environments explored on endless fetch quests.
  39. 70
    There's just something about raising hell and experience points in Dark Alliance II that makes it more addictive than any of the Dark Alliance clones out there.
  40. Additional equipment and spells are nice, and the characters are now much more versatile, but design and pacing problems abound.
  41. If incessant hack-n-slash doesn't bore you, Dark Alliance II has enough solid gameplay to entertain you until "Champion (of Norrath)." But you're better off waiting. [Feb 2004, p.105]
  42. Although there are plenty of missions to complete and mosters to vanquish, even die-hard D&D fans might struggle to stay awake throughout this game. [Mar 2004, p.84]
  43. New characters and the ability to customize your weapons and armor add to the title, but it's still very much the same game.
  44. If Dark Alliance II were a creature in the "D&D Monster Manual," it'd be called the Yawnisian Mind Borer, and it would lure victims into repetitive dungeons, make them wander until they fell asleep, then swipe 50 gold from their wallets. [Feb 2004, p.111]
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Action/RPG perfection. Awesome game in every way. Excellent replay value, with all the different characters, and the unlockable extreme mode. Love the first game, love this one even more. Full Review »
  2. 10
    Look at what the first game did: chapters, D&D level up system and lots of hack and slash. Basic PS2 RPG, now look at the second one. It has all the same things, horrible, horrible game. I'm joking, it takes these three qualities and expands on them. Lets start with chapters: way more chapters, a prologue system and each chapter is longer. Now the Level up system: way more qualities that make it way more like a D&D Game, plus you can level up your class, such as Cleric to Paladin. Hack and Slash, way more enemies and way more kinds of enemies. Now this game resembles a RPG way more than the predecessor and that is a very good thing, with the aforementioned qualities, it already starts to sound more like a DnD game. There is a world map, so you can travel to your locations and see the places in the world. You can also travel back to locations, each time with there being different and more enemies. This way, the city of Baldur's Gate acts as a hub city from where you can travel locations, thus making the game semi open-world. The story, like always, is great, why? Because, I am Mordoc SeLanmere. Then comes the weapon creation system. Not only can you create your own weapons, but you can modify your other ones, as well as armour. This makes sure that rubies and sapphires and rings aren't completely useless. While we can say the first game to be about 10 % RPG and 90 % Action, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is about 35 % RPG the rest action. This is a great improvement, the only bad thing is, there is not going to be a third one, at least not until Interplay makes a deal with Atari or the Wizards of the Coast. Full Review »
  3. JasonJ.
    10
    It doesn't get any better this this type of game. This is almost exactly what people who play D&D imagine while playing. The improvements over the first one are noteworthy. Mainly the weapon upgrading system. Even 3 years later in 2007, the graphics are still quite amazing. I'm referring to the PS2 version, by the way. The PS2 version is now out of print and I had to pay almost 60 USD to get a new copy, but it was worth it. Let's hope that Wizards of the Coast release more of these types of games. If you want a game that is just as good in play and story-line buy Champions of Norrath too. But play this one first. Full Review »