WotC Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance Video Game Announcement Trailer

An announcement trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance premiered at The Game Awards on Thursday evening.

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Developed by Tuque Games, the studio acquired earlier this year by Wizards of the Coast, the game will be a sequel of sorts in the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance action-RPG series for the Xbox, Playstation 2, and Gamecube. This game, however, will go to Icewind Dale and feature four-player co-op as you take on the roles of Drizzt Do'Urden, Cattie-Brie, Wulfgar, and Bruenor. The game is due for release in 2020.

 

[Nebulous]

What will matter for me is how it plays single-player. If it's me running around with three other AI characters, I don't really want that.

3 AI but it's probably more geared toward 4 co-op like Gauntlet.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If I wanted to play an action RPG, there are plenty of good ones to choose from already: Skyrim, Witcher, etc. When I want to play D&D, I want to feel like I'm playing D&D, and that's turned based (or pause-able). It seems like whenever D&D tries to go out genre, it never works well because they simply can't compete with the aforementioned Witcher or Elder Scrolls. Almost like they just think they can skate by on the D&D Brand.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Another reason why I don't like it when a game like D&D goes action RPG is because it seems a bit ableist. D&D is a game pretty much anyone can enjoy. But when you turn it into a game where thinking and planning matters less, and hand-eye coordination and reflexes matter the most, you're turning away many of your D&D fans who can't, or aren't very good, at those games.

 

[Undrave]

Another reason why I don't like it when a game like D&D goes action RPG is because it seems a bit ableist. D&D is a game pretty much anyone can enjoy. But when you turn it into a game where thinking and planning matters less, and hand-eye coordination and reflexes matter the most, you're turning away many of your D&D fans who can't, or aren't very good, at those games.

Hey good point!

It's not something that comes to mind to people who rag on turn based games as being outdated and lame. Turn based games can still provide a great experience and are greatly more accessible.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Other than some name dropping, what does this have to do with D&D?

oh, setting, story, characters, all the things that actually matter.

That looks horrible. A 10 year old with ADD might get a kick out of it though. And what's up with the death metal soundtrack?? It slayed verisimilitude is all it did

LOL “death metal”? Have you...ever listened to any metal? That isn’t what death metal sounds like.

That was hardcore bro metal, along the lines of garbage like Five Finger Death Punch.

And it’s a trailer. Why are you worried about verisimilitude in a game trailer?


lord I’m glad that dnd grognards aren’t who will determine the success or failure of a dnd video game.

 

[Phenomen]

What a disgrace to the franchise...

 

[Sacrosanct]

oh, setting, story, characters, all the things that actually matter.

Those are all just names though...name dropping. It's a completely different chassis than the actual game is built on. If I take a Chevy Chevette and put a Ferrari logo on it, it doesn't make it the same as a Ferrari. And contrary to your opinion, the fluff isn't "all the things that actually matter." The mechanics matter a lot too. Especially when many of the iconic things in D&D have to be changed because they won't work in a real time action RPG

lord I’m glad that dnd grognards aren’t who will determine the success or failure of a dnd video game.

If you have to resort to pejoratives of others' opinions, then you've already lost the argument.

 

[Nebulous]

oh, setting, story, characters, all the things that actually matter.

LOL “death metal”? Have you...ever listened to any metal? That isn’t what death metal sounds like.

That was hardcore bro metal, along the lines of garbage like Five Finger Death Punch.

And it’s a trailer. Why are you worried about verisimilitude in a game trailer?


lord I’m glad that dnd grognards aren’t who will determine the success or failure of a dnd video game.

I think I'm going to ignore all that.

 

[Lidgar]

Anyone else think of the Digging in the Dirt video by Peter Gabriel when watching this?

Alas, this trailer tries too hard...and fails.

 

[Zardnaar]

Wow so bad. Metal track seemed it would be great circa 2001/2.

 

[Zaukrie]

why doesn't WotC want to make a turn based game? I'm looking forward to Solasta, at least. I enjoyed the demo a lot.

 

[Superchunk77]

Bad trailer, very bad.

 

[pogre]

I was all set to be contrarian when I read all of the comments, and say it shows promise, it is just a trailer, etc.

Then I watched the trailer.

It is amazingly bad.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

oh, setting, story, characters, all the things that actually matter.

LOL “death metal”? Have you...ever listened to any metal? That isn’t what death metal sounds like.

That was hardcore bro metal, along the lines of garbage like Five Finger Death Punch.

It's In Flames, which was the big influence of all those metalcore bands, and peaked around 1999 and haven't been good since then.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Oh, I listened to that album so much in the early-early 90s. Still love it.

But back to the trailer, now that you mention it, considering the choice of music (not particularly a flavor of metal I like) and style, I suspect that they were going for a music video vibe. The focus on people's faces, the shots from the ends of people's weapons. You could put a microphone in front of Drizzt and a set of drums in front of Bruenor.

I'm still going to reserve judgment of the game until later. It could be awesome, meh, or ugh. There's a lot of time between first trailer and release.

And I prefer an action RPG to a more traditional, turn-based game. If I want turned-based D&D, I have, well, D&D.

Anyone else think of the Digging in the Dirt video by Peter Gabriel when watching this?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It's In Flames, which was the big influence of all those metalcore bands, and peaked around 1999 and haven't been good since then.

Metalcore is the term I was looking for! Thank you!

I think the only metalcore band I’ve ever liked at all was Thrice, and even they are hit or miss.

Anyway, nothing wrong with a metal or rock track for a fantasy trailer. It’s not like that means the game will use modern music in its score.

A lot of folks get way too worked up about little crap like that. “Oh no they changed Tifa’s cup size! OMG how can I maintain immersion in a trailer with rock music! How dare they change Harry Potter’s eye color!?!!!?!?!”

Life is much more satisfying when one chills the hell out, and just like...enjoy stuff or ignore it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Those are all just names though...name dropping. It's a completely different chassis than the actual game is built on. If I take a Chevy Chevette and put a Ferrari logo on it, it doesn't make it the same as a Ferrari. And contrary to your opinion, the fluff isn't "all the things that actually matter." The mechanics matter a lot too. Especially when many of the iconic things in D&D have to be changed because they won't work in a real time action RPG
If you have to resort to pejoratives of others' opinions, then you've already lost the argument.

Nah. Some opinions merit some light derision.

And there is no “winning” internet arguments about preferences, which is all any of this is.

Video games aren’t dnd. Period. They’re an adaptation.

If the game tells a story about dnd characters in a dnd world using dnd tropes and dnd enemies and rewards you with dnd items and character abilities, but you refuse to admit it’s a dnd game because it...isn’t turn based, then you’re being silly.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It's a bad trailer, but I think I need to see actual gameplay before judging.

 

[Nebulous]

I was all set to be contrarian when I read all of the comments, and say it shows promise, it is just a trailer, etc.

Then I watched the trailer.

It is amazingly bad.

JOIN US, Pogre.

 

[Morrus]

I have to agree with those who said this trailer is awful.