There are plenty of great co-op games one can jump into nowadays in both offline and online scenarios. Diablo III and Destiny 2 are great RPG examples. There are specifically a lot of modern games like Diablo III out there, but there are more stuck in the past.
Thankfully companies are hearing the cries of fans out there for experiences like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance to return. That’s why the developers are making a new game, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, set to come out on June 22. In the meantime, they also released this classic first entry from the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube generation circa 2002. There are a few things one should know before jumping in.
10 Who To Pick?
There are three classes/characters to choose in the game. There is an archer, sorceress, and fighter. The first two classes are both good as they have a diverse set of skills between the archer’s various magic arrow abilities and the sorceress’s magic. The Dwarven Fighter, on the other hand, is not as well-rounded, even as just a pure damage dealer. So when playing on co-op, leave him out.
9 Co-Op For The Win
This is one of those types of games that is best played with a friend. Before sinking in $30, one should know it is local co-op only. Even though there are three characters it is also only for two players. That’s not a bad thing, as two players seems to be the perfect amount for this hack and slash RPG. It’s fun solo but will be a tough journey without someone else.
8 Start On Easy
The game can be difficult without a friend, even on Easy. Friend or not, one should start on Easy. Like the Diablo series, this game is meant to be played on a loop.
First on Easy, then Normal, and so on. This mode then is not so much Easy and should be labeled as the First Run instead, or something like that.
7 There Is An Easy Exploit
This cheat requires two characters and thus two controllers, although two actual people aren’t needed. Every save carries character data on it and these characters can be imported wherever. For example, if one has a save in the second act of the game with tons of good gear, one could import that character into a beginning file of the game. The trick here then is to drop gear so that the new player can either use it or sell it. This can be done on repeat.
6 Before You Leave The Tavern
Before venturing into the cellars to kill rats, there are two things that must be done (three if one wants to do that exploit). The first thing is to sell one’s clothes. Starting gear has no armor value so it just adds weight to the character. Two, talk to everyone to get quests that are there, like one involving getting wine.
5 Destroy Everything
Be it an urn, barrel, box, or whatever, chances are there will be something inside. This runs the gambit from gold to potions. There are certain objects that shouldn’t be hit though. There are smaller barrels that, when hit, explode. If a prompt pops up to ignite it, then that is an exploding barrel. The point is, don’t always just go flailing around destroying stuff like a bull in a China shop.
4 Don’t Forget To Jump
Most RPGs of this genre don’t have a jump button. This game does, though. It’s not the greatest mechanic in the game as it seems like an afterthought but it is useful nonetheless. This is good to know because there are sections of the early game where there are sections that seems impossible to pass if one didn’t figure out there is a jump yet. Jumping around is also sort of a cheat to get around quicker, although one does look silly doing it.
3 Always Have a Recall Potion
A Recall Potion is a black vile that will transport players back to the tavern. That’s the case, at least for the beginning act of the game. This is useful for many reasons. One, it gets players out of dungeons faster without having to physically run back through them. Two, it can be easy to fill up the inventory with loot so having this potion to go back home and sell stuff is a good hustle. Overall, always make sure there is one of these potions on hand.
2 Don’t Be Afraid To Save Skill Points
At every level, players will get at least one ability point to select or power up an already acquired skill. The higher one’s level, the more points they get to accrue.
While the game certainly encourages players to spend points right away, they don’t have to. In other words, don’t be afraid to hold onto points in order to save up to get what seems like a powerful skill earlier in the game.
1 Save Often
There are no checkpoints or autosaves in this game. For a $30 remaster that only adds 4K support, one would think the developers would have also added in an autosave. Thankfully there are plenty of save points in the dungeons. While it may seem like overkill to always save after passing one, even if one loops back around minutes later, don’t be afraid to do so. Better to be over-prepared than to lose progress on an RPG.