Baldur?s Gate: Dark Alliance

Lots of adventure in a little package. The classic Baldur's Gate series comes to a GBA near you.

Baldur?s Gate: Dark Alliance for the GBA does a surprisingly good job of capturing the spirit of a big RPG in miniature form. There are three character classes from which to choose: Warrior, Wizard, and Archer; the game features enough weapons, attributes, items, and abilities to sate even the geekiest D&D fan; and the menu system is well organized and doesn?t interfere with gameplay. The controls are intuitive, helping the action flow while still maintaining the intricacy of RPG-style combat. Vivid graphics bring monsters and environments to life, while a host of special effects help you freeze, fry, and otherwise flay those who are unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of your wrath.

But it?s not all Amulets of Protection and Scimitars of Wounding. A couple of simple but profound problems bog down an otherwise outstanding game. Due to the isometric view, your character is sometimes obscured by the scenery?this is especially annoying in the forest, where you end up having to ?feel? your way around every single tree just to see if there?s a passage. The inclusion of a map would have been a significant improvement, but alas, there isn?t one to be consulted.

Though its complexity comes nowhere near that of its PC and console relatives, Baldur?s Gate: Dark Alliance steps up and represents for the Forgotten Realms. When you equip your Game Boy Advance with Baldur?s Gate: Dark Alliance, your Bag of Holding will never be empty.

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