Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is set to be released on June 22, 2021. This new title is set to bring back the Dark Alliance name to Dungeons and Dragons games for the first time since Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2. While the game is several months away from the release, the developer, Tuque Games, has been revealing information about the title over time. The action RPG is anticipated by gamers and Dungeons and Dragons fans alike. Even though the game hasn't been released yet, based on public information, it could influence the future direction of Dungeons and Dragons games.
The new and highly anticipated Dark Alliance game heralds a return to a more action-orientated approach for Dungeons and Dragons games. The Dark Alliance subtitle references the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games from the early 2000s. The original series emphasized action over robust RPG statistics and earned a huge following because of it. The original games were considered to be local co-op favorites, and the new Dark Alliance game seems to be following the example set by the original titles. Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance not only seems as though it will focus on the action more, but also influence future Dungeons and Dragons video games.
What's Known About Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance
The game is still several months away from release, but there is important information available about Dark Alliance. Players will be able to play as iconic DnD characters Drizzt Do'Urden, Cattie-brie, Wulfgar, and Bruenor Battlehammer. These characters are well known to DnD players, and gamers will be able to play the game solo or with others online.
The game is set to take place in the iconic Dungeons and Dragons location of Icewind Dale, and strives for an action-heavy approach. It's a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games, which originally spun off from the Baldur's Gate RPG series. The game won't be tied to the story of the original Dark Alliance games, but it is said to be drawing inspiration from them.
A More Accessible Approach to Dungeons and Dragons Games
The tabletop RPG Dungeons and Dragons can be complicated. While it has become more streamlined as time has gone by, the system is rule-heavy and can be considered intimidating for newcomers. Dungeons and Dragons video games have often followed the lead of the tabletop game with its wide-ranging rules. From the original Baldur's Gate games up to Larian Studio's Baldur's Gate 3, the games adapted from Dungeons and Dragons tend to follow the same mold as the source material.
Dark Alliance looks set to break this cycle and be a more accessible way to experience Dungeons and Dragons. Hands-on previews of Dark Alliance have noted it contains fluid combat and is fast-paced, which could be perfect for newcomers to the franchise. If Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance turns out to be successful with this approachable direction, it's easy to imagine that Wizards of the Coast would pursue more games of its kind in the future. Dungeons and Dragons has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, and some accessible video games could benefit the franchise further.
Connections with The Tabletop Game
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is set in the wintery region of Icewind Dale. This location is iconic within the DnD mythos and has been the setting of its own eponymous game series. Icewind Dale has also recently been featured in the tabletop game with Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, a new adventure module. While Dark Alliance isn't directly tied to Rime of the Frostmaiden, there will be some common connections in the form of locations and creatures. This synergy between the tabletop game and the video game could end up being well-regarded by fans, and make for an even more compelling adventure for Dungeons and Dragons fans.
Dungeons and Dragons has also touched upon this with the Baldur's Gate setting. Descent into Avernus is tied to Baldur's Gate, and Larian Studio's Baldur's Gate 3 is set right after the events of that adventure. The cohesion that the Dunegons and Dragons franchise has been experimenting with provides some added value for fans of the tabletop game, while potentially adding incentive for players of the DnD video games to check out the source material. Baldur's Gate 3 is still in early access, so Dark Alliance is the first full attempt at this cohesion for modern DnD games.
If this interconnected approach proves to be successful, Wizards of the Coast could potentially adapt it for future games.
Using Established Heroes
Dungeons and Dragons games have regularly been adapted as stat-heavy RPG games. Dark Alliance is different in that it will introduce a group of established characters from the existing lore, rather than players building their own character from scratch. The Companions of the Hall is an adventuring group in Dungeons and Dragons, and gamers will play as the characters within this group. These established heroes could be viewed as the equivalent of superheroes in Dungeons and Dragons. If Dark Alliance proves to be successful, Wizards of the Coast could have an opportunity to establish these characters beyond pen and paper in the video game world.
The drow ranger, Drizzt Do'Urden, is a famous DnD character. He's also going to be one of the playable heroes in Dark Alliance. This game has a chance to establish the Companions of the Hall as characters beyond the confines of the tabletop RPG. If these characters become popular from Dark Alliance and transcend their pen and paper origins, Wizards of the Coast could be on to a winning direction. Iconic DnD characters like Elminster and Strahd could fit well into future DnD video games if the Companions of the Hall resonate with gamers.
Dark Alliance has a lot of potential to influence the future of Dungeons and Dragons games. While it does hinge on the success of the game, it could lead to opportunities for more accessible DnD games and open the doors for established characters to earn mainstream popularity. Dark Alliance could be great for newcomers to DnD while also providing an adventure for veterans of the pen and paper game.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is set for release on June 22, 2021, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.