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How Metascores Are Calculated
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 GAMES: 
The anticipated sequel has arrived. Embark on a new adventure in Baldur's Gate and brave terrible dangers in search of fortune, glory, and power. Face a multitude of sinister enemies while traveling through many spectacular environments in this action-packed fantasy game. Rid the lands of chaos, mastering skills, spells, and deadly weapons... the fate of thousands hangs in the balance. [Interplay]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 98
Xbox Solution
The epic adventure is worth completing numerous times with various characters.
 94
XboxAddict
All in all the game is rock solid. It is a blast to play through by yourself and even more fun when you team up with a friend to take down the evil around Baldur's Gate as a rampaging duo. The game is decently long as well, I've been playing it for close to 10 hours and have just completed the first of 4 acts.
91
Into Liquid Sky
The sequel that will give fans more of what they enjoyed about the first game. Improvements are only minor, but they manage to compliment what was an already excellent package.
89
AtomicGamer
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 builds on its predecessor with new characters, challenging gameplay, plenty of new items, and the workshop system.
88
Team Xbox
Packed full of great new features, tons of new enemies, and a perfectly flowing storyline there is none better than Dark Alliance II. The graphics are stunning, the audio is brilliant, and the gameplay shows why Dark Alliance II is still at the top of the genre.
88
Game Over Online
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.
88
Xbox World Australia
The ability to create items and the differences between the playable characters adds loads of depth to what is essentially a linear adventure and co-operative mode adds even more re-playability.
87
RPG Fan
What's disappointing is that the game still remains a one or two player experience, despite that the Xbox sports four controller ports.
86
Gamer's Pulse
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.
85
Game Chronicles
Best of all, Dark Alliance II is just a very accessible game; easy to get started and nearly impossible to stop, there is plenty of monster-bashing spread across some really great missions.
85
Deeko
Does a fine job by providing gamers with a sequel that is rich in story, but familiar enough in gameplay mechanics and style that it will feel like they’ve never left the city.
84
IGN
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.
84
Next Level Gaming
Sports almost twice as many levels as it's predecessor; topping around 80! That's a ton of exploring to do. And much of the game is mission based, and a little more linear than the first Dark Alliance. That's not a bad thing by any means though, and you will find side quests here and there with will yield great rewards to you.
83
Play Magazine
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]
83
Entertainment Weekly
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]
83
Gamer.tv
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.
82
GamingTrend
While far from perfect, it's basically a $50 expansion-pack for the original title with slight but tangible improvements. If you didn't like the first, this sequel won't change your mind at all.
81
Gamer's Hell
It’s hard to define it clearly, but it seems to me as if the game lacks a bit “soul” somewhere. You don’t really care all that much about the people you save – you care more about getting the 110000 gold you need to get those new gloves.
80
3DAvenue
It's a shame it doesn't support four player multiplayer and if you're only buying it for multiplayer then it is somewhat hard to recommended over "Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes," which offers two extra players on the same screen at once.
80
GameSpot
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.
80
BonusStage
Personally, I can’t wait to see what comes next for the franchise, and who gets the task of expanding the game’s particularly engrossing worlds.
80
Yahoo! Games
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.
80
Stuff
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.
80
Cheat Code Central
An RPG that has been streamlined, and melded with an action game to bring you the finest elements in a hack-and-slash dungeon crawl. It's got just enough depth to hold your interest without all the mess and fuss associated with some RPGs.
80
Gamenikki
It's undeniably better than "Fallout," which is basically just wearing the BG:DA skin, but it's clearly inferior to Snowblind's latest project, "Champions of Norrath."
80
Maxim Online
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.
80
WHAM! Gaming
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.
80
Australian GamePro
Another RPG game that dives straight into action territory, yet without sacrificing all of the depth. It is undeniably entertaining and well presented.
79
Official Xbox Magazine
It's hard not to be pleased with these improvements and additions, but when it comes to BGDA2's plot and level design, it doesn't quite match up to our expectations. [Feb 2004, p.72]
75
Game Revolution
It might not be the fanciest bong [don't you mean water pipe? ~GR Ed.] in town anymore, but it still delivers the drug.
75
Gaming Age
The levels and quests are less interesting than other RPGs, with less of the puzzle solving and interesting characters that appeared in the original.
75
GameSpot AU
It's bound to appeal to exactly the same gaming crowd this time around, and for exactly the same reasons.
75
VideoGamesLife
Suffers from the ailment of been there, done that, and got the +3 t-shirt of protection (+ 5 against missiles).
72
Xequted
The action can and will get repetitive, and playing the game through more than twice has very little appeal.
70
EuroGamer
It offers more of the great hack and slash gameplay that - for some strange reason - no one has emulated properly since the first Dark Alliance. On the other hand, the magic of the original has definitely been diluted, where it really should have been enhanced.
70
games(TM)
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]
70
Edge Magazine
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]
70
XGP Gaming
Fans of the first Dark Alliance, game will love it, but I found that, closer to the end of the game, the storyline felt very thrown together and I wasn't completely satisfied with the way the game ended.
70
1UP
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.
62
TotalGames.net
This sequel is everything you'd expect, and not much else. Whether that's a good thing or not is down to your own judgement.
60
GMR Magazine
Although there are plenty of missions to complete and monsters to vanquish, even die-hard D&D fans might struggle to stay awake throughout this game.
60
Gamestyle
Make no mistake: within moments of the disk-tray closing, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II weaves an intoxicating spell that compresses hours into minutes with shocking efficiency. A most pleasurable enthralment blinds the eyes to any shortcomings for a time, but with each successive break from play the cracks begin to form.
55
Electronic Gaming Monthly
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]
40
Xbox Nation Magazine
An omelette of a game whose eggs are a bit too runny. [May 2004, p.80]
Richard S. gave it a7: L. B. gave it an 8: RedEric gave it a 9: |
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