After a bit of delay, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is set to release in June of this year. It's an action RPG with an emphasis on couch co-op, bringing to life some of the most iconic characters and settings from D&D's Forgotten Realms. However, considering Dark Alliance games have existed before, many fans may be wondering if the newest Dark Alliance is a remake, reboot, or a sequel to previous titles.
Releasing in 2001, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was an action RPG releasing on PS2 and Xbox. It was later ported to several other consoles, and it even received a sequel - Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II - in 2004. Previous D&D video games were traditionally top-down isometric or first-person RPGs, so the Dark Alliance series provided a more action-oriented hack-and-slash experience. Now, a new Dark Alliance game is set to release this summer, but its connections to previous entries may seem a little muddled.
The new Dark Alliance video game is based on the Icewind Dale trilogy of novels by R.A. Salvatore. Because of this, the game will feature many of the iconic characters like Drizzt Do'Urden and Bruenor Battlehammer from those books. The plot is expected to take place sometime after the events of the first novel in the trilogy, The Crystal Shard, occurred.
D&D Dark Alliance's Connections To Previous Games Explained
The new Dark Alliance seemingly has quite a bit in common with past entries in terms of gameplay, although Tuque Games - the studio behind the latest Dungeons & Dragons video game - is billing it as an entirely new experience. From a story standpoint, the new Dark Alliance isn't really related to past entries at all, so it's not a sequel to those games or a remake of a past title.
For the most part, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance looks like a reboot of the D&D action RPGs from the early 2000s. The games have a lot in common in terms of gameplay and inspirations, but the new Dark Alliance definitely has more modern-looking and seamless combat. Thanks to a recent gameplay trailer for Dark Alliance, players were able to see some of the action for themselves.
While some of the details regarding Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance are still being kept under wraps, many fans may be wondering how (or if) the new game connects to the older action RPG entries. For the most part, it looks as if the new Dark Alliance is more of a spiritual successor to the older games than anything else.