Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · March 31, 2023

For our Dungeons And Dragons Dark Alliance Review we show how the world of Dungeons & Dragons comes to life in an explosive action brawler filled with real-time combat and dynamic co-op. Play as iconic D&D heroes and join up to three other friends to battle legendary monsters, earn powerful gear, and unlock new abilities to take on even bigger challenges.

Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
2.68GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Action RPG gameplay.
Colorblind support.
The controller has two presets.
An opening tutorial section that teaches you how to fight and loot.
Four characters- Drizzt Do’Urden (Ranger), Catti-Brie (fighter), Wulfgar (barbarian) Bruenor Battlehammer (fighter).
Hand-drawn animated cutscenes mixed with in-game scenes.
Online and offline support. Set your option in-game and change it on the fly.
3rd person perspective.
The Camp is your hub space – the map is used to select campaigns, reward chests, merchants to buy, sell and upgrade loot, and a trophies room.
Campaigns have 3 acts with the final one being shorter but a big boss fight.
Combo counter.
Damage numbers pop on the screen.
Six difficulties that tell you the recommended combat score.
Your combat score is calculated on gear and stats.
Loot has rarity levels.
Fast loading times.
Some seriously cool-looking armor.
Combat has combos, ranged, melee, and an ultimate move along with a handy lock-on.
Defensive moves include dash, dodge, block, and parry moves.
Can skip cutscenes if you so wish.
Break mining points up for crystals that come in rarity levels.
Acts will have the main objective with a few optional ones.
People will interact with you and call you by your character type.
Funny animations for the enemies like ass-hitting and having them run away.
Short rest- once you clear an area of enemies a fire will spawn for a limited time. Use it to replenish health/stamina or don’t use it to increase loot rarity level rewards. Using fire for healing will also respawn all enemies.
Areas in the game are big and allow you to go multiple ways and find secret routes and rooms.
Elite enemies are tougher bigger enemies.
If you listen to the enemies they actually call you out by name or race.
Enemies react more and can run away or gang up.
A hot and cold mechanic that allows you to get warm so you can go through ice fields unscathed.
Death resets you back to a checkpoint (fire if activated) or back to the level start.
Stamina is in use for combat, Evasion, and using abilities. Enemies get exhausted and can be beaten easier.
End of a level breakdown of performance and unlocks rewards.
Skill tree to buy new passive abilities.
The Journal menu gives details on enemy bios, paintings, relief, tablets, and tomes.
Skins act like transmogs and allow you to change the appearance of your gear without adding any stats or bonuses to it. Cosmetic only.
Set bonuses are where you get X amount of the same set to activate additional buffs.
Gold is used to buy skills in the tree, upgrade equipment, and buy new gear.
In-game loot is displayed as a type of gear and rarity level and isn’t revealed until you get back to the camp.
Can replay levels.
The camp has a test dummy that gives feedback on your attack and damages. (Pro-tip- you can earn the combo achievements here)
Excellent voice work.
Crystal along with gold is used to upgrade your gear, you need the correct crystal rarity to do so but you can pay to upgrade or downgrade collected crystals.
You can replay levels and upgrade to take on harder enemies.

Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance Review Cons:

Cannot change characters’ names, races, roles, or anything.
Lock-on only works with enemies you are facing not where the camera is facing.
The first few acts are actually the worst ones of the lot and quite the slog.
You are forced to do the tutorial yet the very first level then have you reading all the tutorials again.
Hard to see loot especially coins on the floor.
You can’t equip and use loot in a game and have to wait until you finish the level or return to the camp.
Tries to add Dark Souls-like mechanics and it doesn’t really fit.
Enemies will repeat lines and layouts.
Combat can get very messy with large numbers especially as lock-on breaks so regularly.
Can get stuck in a loop as fire choices are permanent for that level run.
Hard to always judge blocking and parrying.
Combat is fast but lock-on and fighting movements are slow.
The ending is just a cutscene, No credits or congratulations instead you just go back to the hub and carry on.
Quitting back to camp loses all earned progress and loot.
Combat always feels the same.
Levels are very long and you cannot quit out.
Everything is heavily scripted meaning you never miss anything and constantly feel guided rather than exploring.