Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is nearly upon us, resurrecting the RPG series that resonated with gamers in the early 2000’s. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 1 and 2 garnered a notable following, achieving commercial success during the sixth console generation, but that was the last we saw of the name for a long while. Baldur’s Gate only cropped back up in recent years, via the Enhanced Edition remasters of earlier titles and Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3, the latter of which is still in Steam Early Access. That said, none of these Baldur’s Gate games touched upon the beloved Dark Alliance series.
With Tuque Games touting the return of Dark Alliance, the palpable excitement is mixed with ample doses of confusion. Is Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance a remake, a continuation, or its own thing? Drizzt Do’Urden is present and playable (to varying degrees) across Dark Alliance titles new and old, which may lead people to believe that there is more shared beyond an instance of loose character consistency.
You needn’t scratch your head further. We have the details needed to close out this mystery once and for all.
Is Dark Alliance a Remake?
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is not a remake. Tuque Games is brining back the iconic title as a spiritual successor. The storylines of Dark Alliance 1 and 2 will not be expanded on in 2021’s Dark Alliance reboot. That said, there may very well be nods to the entries that came before, providing fan service to those still holding on to fond memories of the earlier days of gaming. However, this is simply speculation.
Dungeon & Dragons: Dark Alliance will focus fully on fantasy author R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’Urden, Catti-brie, Bruenor Battlehammer, and Wulfgar. Whereas Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 1 and 2 feature Drizzt as an unlockable, Tuque’s Dark Alliance places the popular character in the forefront as one of the main protagonists.
If you’re more interested in diving into the original experience, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance was recently re-released on modern platforms. It’s a fairly by-the-books remaster, but it’s sure to generate that sweet nostalgia we’re all chasing these days.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance will release on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on June 22, 2021.
