Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is designed for both single-player and co-op gameplay. In this dungeon-crawling high fantasy adventure, the characters battle against hordes of goblins, towering frost giants and undead spellcasters. The game is a third-person action RPG, but it places far more emphasis on the action than any role-playing elements.
Much of Dark Alliance remained unpolished and glitchy at launch, but players can still enjoy the thrill of fighting against enemies in this familiar fantasy setting. To get the most out of this game, it is important to know how to best utilize each of the four playable characters, heroes that originated in R. A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale novels.
Drizzt Do'Urden
The Drow Ranger Drizzt Do'Urden is the star of the novels that inspired Dark Alliance, and he's arguably the most famous character in all of D&D. Dual-wielding a pair of scimitars, Drizzt is by far the easiest character to play, striking fast with Light Attacks when enemies gang up on him. Drizzt is no pushover, but large enemies can serious hurt him, so it is important to keep him moving. Continuing to raise his Dexterity and Strength as he levels up will give him the edge needed to cut down most enemies.
The game's two primary melee moves are Light Attacks and Fierce Attacks. Alternating quickly between these with Drizzt can result in deadly combos that deal serious damage. Finally, Drizzt's Ultimate Attack lets him summon his black panther Guenhwyvar, who will attack multiple enemies, offering some much-needed backup and battlefield control. Whether playing solo or with friends, Drizzt should be at the forefront of any fight.
Catti-Brie
Wielding a bow, the human archer Catti-Brie is designed to snipe enemies from a distance. As such, her Ranged Attack is easily the most powerful in the game and she is at her best killing enemies before they even realize she is there. Catti-Brie can kill an entire squad of Goblins or Duergar from a distance without any of them attacking her -- which is in part a result of the game's severely underdeveloped AI.
Unlike other characters, Catti-Brie's Fierce Attacks also use her bow and involve shooting three arrows simultaneously. This has a limited range, but it's helpful for stopping groups as they charge her. If they get too close, she should switch to Light Attacks (which involve her kicking foes in the face), then evade and retreat to a safe distance. In co-op mode, Catti-Brie is a great support character who can keep enemies from overwhelming the other members of a party. Her most important ability scores as Dexterity and Intelligence.
Wulfgar
The human Barbarian Wulfgar is a bit slower than either Catti-Brie or Drizzt, but he deals serious melee damage with his warhammer. His Fierce Attack is perfect for smashing through shields and armor. Better than that, using his Fierce Attack twice in a row causes him to slam his hammer into the ground, sending a Shockwave out that can hit numerous enemies from a distance. This helps him control the battlefield.
Wulfgar starts out with the highest Strength score and second-highest Constitution of any character, so he can both deal and soak up a lot of damage. However, swinging his huge weapon can quickly drain his stamina, and the Barbarian is slow enough that he struggles to evade attacks when enemies gang up on him. When fighting against a particularly difficult group, use his Ultimate Attack, called the Wrath of Tempus, which will super-charge his hammer.
Bruenor Battlehammer
The Dwarven Fighter Bruenor Battlehammer is simultaneously the most powerful and most unwieldy of Dark Alliance's playable characters. He is a classic tank, armed with an axe and equipped with a heavy-duty shield to soak up damage. In addition to melee combat, that axe also can unleash some powerful elemental attacks, and his Anvil of Clangeddin ability will break through enemies' defenses while dealing fire damage. Also, repeated uses of Fierce Attack will add a shield bash to his axe swings, which simultaneously protects him while hurting his enemies.
During early levels, the dwarf's low Dexterity score means he has limited mobility. While this can be raised as he levels up, it's better to put points into his Strength and Constitution scores to get them as high as possible and maximize his efficiency as a tank. However, Bruenor is at his best in multiplayer, especially when teamed up with either Drizzt or Catti-Brie.