The announcement that the original Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was going to be re-released for modern platforms came as a huge surprise. The hack and slash game was originally released nearly 20 years ago, made for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube generation. Now it's being made available for a new generation. Just as surprising as the announcement, however, was the confirmation of its release date. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is available now.

That's right, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was announced for modern platforms on a Thursday and released on a Friday. New and returning players can purchase and play the game starting today on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S (Switch version is coming in a few days). Next-gen systems appear to be supported via backward compatibility as there are no announced enhancements for the platforms, outside of 4K scaling. Retail price for Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is $29.99. Some storefronts may not update until later today.

RELATED: Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance Doesn't Support Cross-Platform Play

Those worried that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is only going to be brought to consoles can rest easy. It just may require some patience. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is confirmed to be coming to both PC and mobile devices for the first time ever. The tentative release window for each is 2021, so it's likely to be several months away at the very least. Of course, the console version of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was announced and released suddenly, so perhaps the PC and mobile ports will arrive sooner than expected.

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance isn't a remake or a remaster. It's simply a rerelease that allows for up to 4K resolution. There's still plenty of game available to make up for not being a remaster, at the very least. There are three race/class combinations, the dwarven fighter Kormlech, the human archer Vhan, and the elven sorceress Adrianna. 11 different spells, 25 active/passive skills, 40 monsters and bosses, 4 difficulties, and a full campaign exploring the Dungeons & Dragons city of Baldur's Gate and its surrounding area.

One other key feature is, of course, cooperative multiplayer. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance supports two-player co-op, but it's only available locally. There's no support for online multiplayer, which may be why the PC and mobile versions of the game were delayed as those audiences aren't local-multiplayer friendly.

Regardless, it's exciting to have a classic hack and slash game like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance available on modern platforms. That's especially true with a new Dark Alliance game currently in development. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance may be a completely different game, but it good to have its predecessor now available, nonetheless.

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with PC and mobile devices support coming in 2021. The Nintendo Switch version has been delayed for a few days.

MORE: Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is the Perfect Combination of Past and Future