The tabletop RPG Dungeons and Dragons has spawned no small amount of side content. There's books, movies, and —naturally—video games all set in various settings that Wizards of the Coast has created over the years. When it comes to DnD games, a lot of fans probably have Baldur's Gate 3 on their minds, since it went into early access last October with much acclaim already. However, that's not the only DnD game hoping to make waves in 2021. Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is poised to release sometime this year, promising players adventures with the legendary drow hero Drizzt Do'urden and his Companions of the Hall.
However, Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance isn't just a big deal because it stars a classic DnD character. The people working on it matter too. It's been known for some time now that the author R. A. Salvatore is a part of this project, yet it feels understated ho crucial to the quality of the game's narrative and characterization that. Salvatore has been writing DnD novels for decades, and it so happens that Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall are characters of his creation. That means that there's nobody more worthy of working on this game and bringing the characters to life for an action RPG.
Salvatore's Legacy
Some fans might argue that Salvatore is one of the authors with the biggest impact on Dungeons and Dragons history. He's been writing a veritable saga of novels called The Legend of Drizzt since 1988, back when DnD was still on the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons edition and far from the 5th edition of DnD that players are familiar with today. The characters of Drizzt, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Bruenor Battlehammer are about as old as some of DnD's most veteran players, fleshing out the Forgotten Realms for the last thirty years. As a result, it's hard to find writers as deeply rooted in the Forgotten Realms as Salvatore is.
Even outside of his celebrated career writing for DnD, Salvatore is a seasoned author on the whole. Over the years, twenty-two of his books have earned the coveted title of New York Times best seller. He's written books for the Star Wars universe as well, and has over 20 books in original settings to his name. What's more, this isn't even Salvatore's first experience working on a video game. For instance, in 2004, he worked on Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. The game was positively received on the whole, and Salvatore was often spotlighted with praise for his writing. Seeing how much Salvatore has to bring to the table, it's only logical that he would be crucial to Dark Alliance's development.
The Quest Ahead
It's unclear for now when DnD: Dark Alliance will release. The game was originally going to premiere in fall of 2020, but was pushed back to 2021. Tuque Games hasn't had much to say about the game recently, so players are left wondering when Drizzt's next adventure will arrive. In a year defined in large part by game delays, it wasn't surprising, but that doesn't mean fans want to wait forever. DnD players and RPG fans in general are always looking forward to their next adventure. Considering how well Dungeons and Dragons is doing in the last few years, odds are good that this game will attract a lot of players.
In a way, it'll be something that unites various generations of DnD players. Young players who got into the game with the simplified 5th edition probably aren't familiar with Drizzt and his legacy and may be curious about Salvatore's golden child. Conversely, seasoned DnD players are bound to recognize Drizzt and his Companions and feel drawn to reliving Drizzt's adventures. This isn't the first time that Drizzt has been in a game, but not every game has had Salvatore there to write him. Whatever storyline Salvatore and Tuque Games have planned, it's got everything it needs to be gripping, nostalgic, and plenty of fun.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is will release in 2021 for PC and consoles.