Dark Alliance is Dungeons & Dragons for the impatient

Dungeons & Dragons is a great universe to dip your gross toes into, provided that you’re the patient sort of fella who has time to roll dice and pray to the gods that you score a high number for your next attack. Here’s an idea though: What if someone made a game set in that franchise, that had more of an action-packed flair to its design?

Previous games set in the Dungeons & Dragons realms have leaned towards turn-based and more strategic efforts, but developer Turque Games is looking to ditch all of that plodding lack of energy in favour of a more visceral experience in Dark Alliance. “We like to say that Dark Alliance is D&D after everyone has rolled for initiative. Our game is focused on combat. Each playable character has more than 50 combat abilities to master, giving you a lot of tools at your disposal,” Jeff Hattem, the studio head of Tuque Games said on the PS Blog.

That can also be a lot to remember. Which is why we’ve added something to our combat system we like to call Emergent Combat. We want you to feel powerful in combat from the start. But we’ve also set up plenty to master as you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each of your attacks, abilities, and combos. Our systems allows for button-mashers to do just fine and see their hero mow down enemies in epic fashion.

But for players who want a more refined experience, the control is there to do specific guard breaks, executions, team attacks, giving them a sense of the depth of our system.

Players will be able to step into the boots of four of the most iconic D&D characters created by R.A. Salvatore – Drizzt, Cattie-brie, Bruenor, and Wulfgar – as they beat back an onslaught of monsters that have invaded Icewind Dale in search of a powerful artifact: the Crystal Shard. And oh yes, there are going to be a lot of Goblins to kill amongst other monsters prowling the land. According to Hattem, Goblins usually stick to packs and seek to overwhelm players by sheer strength in numbers. According to me, they also make for a really disturbing anime series. GOBLINS!

Here’s five of the green-skinned fiends you’ll face off against:

Goblin Warriors

The front-liners that fight with makeshift weapons and armor. They will try to surround and distract you for their heavier-hitting buddies to set up more devastating attacks.

Goblin Defenders

The tanks of the goblin horde. Their metal armor and shields absorb most attacks and they can counter your attacks with shield bashes. But if you can break their guard and get through their armor, they’re as weak as any other goblin.

Goblin Archers

These ranged attackers like to keep their distance from you. Along with basic arrow attacks, they can fire volleys of arrows into the sky to rain down on the battlefield. Sometimes their arrows can even be imbued with elemental energies.

Goblin Booyahgs

The magic users of the goblin horde. They will send a lot of ranged elemental damage your way with the magic they wield or they will buff their allies with a globe of invulnerability.

Goblin Captains

Every pack needs its leader. The Goblin Captains are the toughest fighters. They can deal more damage than the other goblin enemies and issue orders that make their troops work together more effectively. The banner they wear makes them stand out in the battlefield. It can inspire all the goblins present to keep fighting to the end. But if you can kill the Goblin Captain first, nearby goblin warriors will lose their will to fight and flee.

Here’s the best news: Dark Alliance launches soon on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on June 22. Roll for hype initiative!

Last Updated: March 17, 2021