Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is back and it is better than ever. The plot is relatively simple for an action RPG. All five classes in the game are silent protagonists who set off on a journey seemingly just to find fame or fortune. Upon starting the game, they come across a caravan that has been ransacked by bandits.
Players are then asked to vanquish these bandits which then spirals out from there. That is the general setup for Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 and it is not the most robust story in an action RPG but that doesn’t matter. What does matter, for now, are the tips that will help beginners make the most of their experience.
8 An Easy Way To Duplicate Items
It’s as easy to duplicate items in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 as it is in the first game. All players have to do is make it to the titular Baldur’s Gate which is the first town about an hour into the game. Once there, make a new character and save them at the first save point in the game. Then, reload the main save and add a second player to your game with that extra character. Drop everything the new character has, sell it in the shop, and then repeat this process by importing that character on repeat. It sounds more complicated than it sounds and a few practice runs should make it sink in further.
7 Shop Tips
Once players have amassed a huge amount of gold, they should still be careful about how they spend it. Three essential items should always be bought at a shop. Healing potions are one thing. The higher the difficulty then the more potions one will need. Armor is also necessary and gemstones can help enhance that armor or accessories like rings too. The one thing players should never spend money on is weapons as quests and enemy drops should give players a sufficient supply of weapons.
6 Always Keep A Ranged Weapon On Hand
There is not a straight archer or ranger in the game where the preferred weapon is a bow. In exchange for that, all classes can use bows and crossbows and they don’t even need arrows as ammo.
This is a huge improvement over the first game. Some classes have a proficient amount of ranged attacks, like the necromancer. However, even if a class has ranged attacks, a bow or crossbow should always be kept on hand. It can prevent a lot of damage if players stay far away from enemies which is the basics of any RPG.
5 Try Out All Five Classes
There is a wide range of classes including the barbarian, cleric, rogue, monk, and necromancer in the game. It’s hard to know how each class will play out until one tests them. Leveling up two ranks in the game will not take more than about fifteen to twenty minutes in the first area. At that point, players can look at what skills each class can get. This can help players determine if that class is right for them or not. RPGs with a class-based system should have testing rooms in the future to make things easier for starting players.
4 Turn That Map On
There is no tutorial in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 which will walk players through the game’s many buttons. Here is one thing players should learn quickly regarding the buttons. Tapping left on the D-Pad, on the Switch controller at least, will pop open a mini-map. Hitting left on the D-Pad again will make the map bigger. It should go without saying that a map in a dungeon crawler is man’s best friend. To avoid doubling back, make sure to pay attention to where certain paths are going. Looking at the map may also point out secret paths that don’t look passable to the naked eye.
3 Enemy Tips
It’s a good idea to keep distance between certain enemies by firing projectiles at them. This common RPG strategy was already mentioned but what wasn’t stated was that enemies know this tip as well.
Players will face off against a rogue’s gallery of enemies with ranged attacks from goblins firing bows to slimes shooting goo. It’s important to take out ranged enemies as quickly as possible. They can’t do much damage up close, so finishing them off should be a cinch.
2 Use That Brightness Setting
The Switch version of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 can get incredibly dark in some dungeons. It doesn’t matter if players are using a giant TV screen or the handheld itself. This problem might not be an issue on the other consoles, but keep this tip in mind just in case. It might make the game look ugly, but cranking up the brightness settings in the options menu will clear things up. This will make it easier to fight enemies who thrive in darkness. Don’t forget to put the brightness settings back when in normal lighting, like in town, to prevent glare.
1 Standing Still Will Heal You
Some classes, like the cleric, can heal themselves which is handy when playing alone. Having a good stock of potions is also a good idea, as previously mentioned. There is one other way to heal and some players might not notice this ability is around. If players stand still, their HP will recover slowly. There is even a skill when leveling up that can increase how much and how fast characters heal. To save on potions, stand still for a few minutes after dangerous enemy encounters that drain health. Too bad more RPGs don’t have features like this.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 was re-released as a remaster on July 20, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.