Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 37
  2. Negative: 13 out of 37
  1. Jun 29, 2021
    42
    I have not given up on Dark Alliance, and I hope they continue to improve and change the game into something great. With some variety, the combat could get better. With some balancing changes or NPC companions, solo play could become viable and fun. Some adjustments to the gear drops and mechanics could deepen that system and improve upon what they started with. I was left frustrated and disappointed with Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, but I will keep coming back to see how it grows in the coming months, and hope to be able to love it in the future.
  2. Jun 29, 2021
    40
    I wrack my brain trying to figure out Dark Alliance’s strengths, and I’m not coming up with much. The level design works surprisingly well for multiplayer. I was afraid looting would fall by the wayside, but every time a fight would wrap up, everyone would run off in different directions and grab chests before finally moving on. I didn’t feel like things were getting missed. Well, except for the shoes that would pop out of chests some other player would open. Those just rot, forgotten on the ground.
  3. Jun 28, 2021
    40
    There are a few positives, but the failures are far too many and break the game at its fundamental core. Don’t play this.
  4. Jun 28, 2021
    40
    Dark Alliance is a dull and unpolished multiplayer action RPG with repetitive and glitchy combat, broken online connectivity, unbalanced solo play, and more than enough technical issues to put off anyone even slightly interested in checking it out.
  5. Jun 23, 2021
    40
    The best thing I can say about Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is, that the game feels like one of these titles, you rented from the Videostore in the early 2000s to play through on a weekend. Which probably tells you, that you shouldn't pay full price for it. Should the developers at Tuque succeed in patching the bugs and putting more meat on this dragon's bones, then Dark Alliance could over time become a fun Multiplayer-title. Until then, there are a lot of better alternatives for a co-op-adventure.
  6. Jun 22, 2021
    40
    Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance can’t stop getting in its own way. Whether it’s the brutality of playing in single-player, the disappointing progression or the buggy combat, the game is more of an uninspiring shrug than anything else, although fans of the franchise will find reasons to enjoy themselves.
  7. Jun 21, 2021
    40
    There’s a tendency to recommend bad games to the most devoted fans, but I think fans of Drizzt and Co. will hate this game even more than the uninitiated. The saving grace is that Dark Alliance is included with Game Pass, so it won’t cost you anything to check back in from time to time and see how it’s doing. There is an enjoyable game buried here, I just wouldn’t expect to see it anytime soon.
  8. Jun 21, 2021
    35
    Dull and clunky, this is one hell of a weak, uninspired action game that's plagued with poor design choices and technical issues.
  9. Sep 12, 2021
    33
    You know that a cooperative game is stillborn when you spend several minutes looking for random players to team up with even on a launch week. Probably because it’s one of the worst D&D games in ages.
  10. Jul 22, 2021
    30
    Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance is a blemish on a franchise that is always fondly remembered by its fan base. None of its features is up to the series and doesn't even allow us to fulfill the role-playing fantasies that Dungeons & Dragons has given us for so many decades.
  11. Jun 25, 2021
    30
    It's difficult to recommend Dark Alliance to anyone else than biggest fans of Forgotten Realms's lore. The game definitely lacks of polish and doesn't shine at all when you talk about its gameplay, graphics or even its multiplayer options.
  12. Jun 23, 2021
    30
    Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance has good ideas, but poor enemy variety, samey levels, bad puzzles, a shockingly poor story, the lack of local co-op, several quality-of-life issues, and numerous bugs that affect every aspect of the game make it hard to recommend to anyone, no matter how much they like the source material.
  13. Jun 22, 2021
    30
    Dark Alliance needs a lot of work to truly warrant a playthrough and can only be recommended in its current state to massive fans of the book series who just want to know what happens in between books 1 and 2. The game itself is a masterpiece to look at, but falls short in the gameplay department, making this a tough sell for anyone who wasn't already going to pick it up and play simply based on its source material.
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  1. Jun 21, 2021
    Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance left us with mixed feelings. Sure it’s been able to capture the distinctive fun and goofiness from the original tabletop game, some map mechanics are interesting and they got the loot portion done just right. Still, combat is so clunky and faulty one can’t help but wish they spent more time polishing it. [Not recommended]
  2. Jun 22, 2021
    Dark Alliance isn’t the best the action-adventure genre has to offer, but it still manages to be a great time with friends and even by myself when I simply wanted to be in the world of The Forgotten Realms. It doesn’t have the depth of Baldur’s Gate or Icewind Dale, or even the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance games, in terms of narrative presentation, but it was enjoyable all the same. Despite all of the game’s flaws, I am elated at the thought of playing with my group of friends. The one thing Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is capable of providing, buried deep beneath its technical issues, is a solid multiplayer experience.
User Score
3.3

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 124 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 124
  2. Negative: 88 out of 124
  1. Jun 23, 2021
    0
    Terrible animation, broken sound, repetitive & clunky combat, and a buggy mess all around. I had high hopes because I loved Dark Alliance onTerrible animation, broken sound, repetitive & clunky combat, and a buggy mess all around. I had high hopes because I loved Dark Alliance on PS2, but this is just uninspired and boring. You would be wise to save your money for one of the other millions of games that are better than this pile of turd. Full Review »
  2. Jun 23, 2021
    0
    This is the worst game I've tried. It could be fun if they fix all the bugs that exist, but I don't really think this will happen. The mostThis is the worst game I've tried. It could be fun if they fix all the bugs that exist, but I don't really think this will happen. The most annoying part is that you have a button to dodge, but you just can't because it's completely lagged. Full Review »
  3. Jun 23, 2021
    0
    Hitbox/collision issues every few seconds, grossly unbalanced classes, AI that only activates on physical approach, shockingly repetitiveHitbox/collision issues every few seconds, grossly unbalanced classes, AI that only activates on physical approach, shockingly repetitive enemies and environments. The game is virtually just walking down the same corridor for several minutes before fighting some combination of 5-10 of the same 4 enemy types over and over again. A noticeably inferior game to its namesake, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance - and I can't imagine anyone disagrees. Full Review »