But I always managed to make it to the end of the level, even if it meant dying and respawning a dozen times. I struggled with a few of these battles-particularly one where I had to fight a large group of regenerating trolls simultaneously. Higher still and the game becomes genuinely difficult, especially in the late-game dungeon levels where the enemies are stronger and more numerous. Nudge it up a notch and you have to think a little more tactically in battles. You can choose from a number of difficulty settings, the lowest of which makes playing solo a breeze. I played through a good chunk of the story on my own, and I had a great time with it. However, it's entirely possible to play and enjoy the game solo. You can also trigger team attacks on a single enemy.
The four heroes have MMO-style abilities that complement each other, including stat-boosting buffs and healing spells. It's a heady mix of crowd control and more considered, methodical one-on-one duels, and it works brilliantly-if you can keep up with the frenetic pace.ĭark Alliance has been designed with co-op in mind. You can bash through crowds of weaker enemies without much thought, but stronger foes demand a degree of patience: locking on, rolling away from attacks, blocking just as they strike to parry. The combat is chunky and tactile, and carving through enemies with a big, heavy weapon is as satisfying as it should be. The enemy variety, combined with the ability to block, dodge, and parry, gives Dark Alliance surprising depth. The flow and feel of the combat differs greatly between characters-and I love how levels unlocked with one character are unlocked for the others, meaning you can experiment with each hero without having to redo parts of the game. And Catti-brie is a bouncy, nimble archer who can attack from a distance. Wulfgar is a barbarian who can whip himself up into a berserker rage and deal extra damage with a giant hammer. Axe-swinging dwarf king Bruenor is the tank of the party, able to soak up huge amounts of damage and draw aggro by taunting. Drow ranger Drizzt is fast and athletic, carving enemies up with twin scimitars and siccing his spirit panther Guenhwyvar on them. There are four playable characters, each bringing a unique flavour to the combat.