On December 12th, 2019, Wizards of the Coast announced their plans to release a new console game centered around their popular tabletop experience Dungeons and Dragons. This new game, titled Dark Alliance, features returning characters, new lore, and tons of epic gameplay action, and is set to release on June 22nd. With many new elements of gameplay and even more to come, there is much for fans to look forward to when this game drops.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance takes place in the Icewind Dale, a frozen tundra in the far north of the Forgotten Realms. The plot follows the story of a powerful crystal, called the Crystal Shard, trapped in a cavern somewhere within the Icewind Dale. Various monsters have teamed up to find this crystal and use its power for themselves. The objective of the player is to join an adventuring party and stop the monster’s Dark Alliance from doing so. Players can choose to play Drizzt, the dark-elf rogueish character, Catti-Brie, the human ranger, Wulfgar, the raging human barbarian, and Bruenor Battlehammer, the Dwarven shield-wielding fighter, each equipped with unique abilities for combat.
Being a game revolving around combat, there is a new combat system released for players to learn and take full advantage of. Dark Alliance features a third-person, real-time combat system with distinct graphics and character moves. Combat is centered around the four players fighting large mobs of foes, referred to as ‘minions’. While slaughtering minions is fun and all, the real challenge comes when players are able to fight those minion’s bosses. From frost giants to frozen beholders, make sure you’re ready for an epic battle whose legend will be sung in taverns near and far! Players can choose to play solo, create custom parties, or hop online and find some new allies.
However, this isn’t all that Dark Alliance has to offer. Game developers at Tuque Games have already announced several planned expansions which will be released for the game soon. The first expansion is slated for release for free in Summer 2021 and adds extra levels to the game. In Fall 2021, another expansion is planned for release for free with even more challenges and levels to complete. And perhaps the most anticipated of all is the paid expansion that is scheduled for release after the two free expansions. This paid expansion, called “Echoes of the Blood War”, is expected to include additional story elements about the battle between demons and devils, and even add a new magic-wielding character for players to send into battle! The developers are also working on patches and continuing to fix the gameplay experience.
For long-time Dungeons and Dragons fans or players who are new to the franchise, there is much to look forward to when it comes to Dark Alliance. Whether you’re in it for the teamwork, for the powerful loot, for the combat experience or simply to enjoy a whole new aspect of Dungeons and Dragons lore, the anticipation is high.
Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance will be released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on June 22nd, 2021. The game is available for pre-order online now.