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.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm in the 'not impressed at all' camp. FPS stuff makes me motion sick these days (bye bye everything Elder Scroll et al), the graphics are underwhelming (might be early stage, so possibly forgivable) and I completely fail to see how they want to make this into an RPG. All over, looks like I'll be sitting this one out.

Just a note; you can zoom out to third person view in every Elder Scrolls game.

 

[generic]

Just a note; you can zoom out to third person view in every Elder Scrolls game.

What, you don't like having an axe raised..? high above your head... oh, it's coming down now... IT's COMING DOWN!

Yeah, personally, I have no problem with the first-person view, but it's always good to have 3p view in non-competitive games.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What, you don't like having an axe raised..? high above your head... oh, it's coming down now... IT's COMING DOWN!

Yeah, personally, I have no problem with the first-person view, but it's always good to have 3p view in non-competitive games.

Yeah I just prefer 3rd person in any context other than actual shooters.

 

[ddaley]

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.

If that trailer is at all representative of the actual gameplay, then I don't see this game appealing to many people at all. The graphics and gameplay are awful. Gameplay looks way too chaotic and lacking in any kind of depth. And the graphics... don't think much needs to be said.

 

[Sacrosanct]

That seems like a distinction without a difference, to me.
Again, if it’s set in a dnd world, and uses dnd tropes, themes, and yes names, to tell a dnd story, it’s a dnd game.
The mechanics change from edition to edition, and every single dnd game ever made has deviated from the mechanics in some way.

Dismissing the setting, characters, items, enemies, etc, as “just name drops” is too ridiculous to take seriously, IMO.

What's too ridiculous to take seriously is your argument that mechanics aren't really that important, but it's the proper nouns that matter.

I don't think anyone can honestly, and truthfully, argue that a game like DragonStrike and Blood&Magic give the D&D experience just because they take place in a D&D world. The mechanics very in some way from edition to edition, true, but they all stay true to the core chassis (4e was the only one that made the biggest change by going to AEDU, but even then the core mechanics were the same). Trying to dismiss the major difference between a flight simulator and a turn based RPG because "1e had some different mechanics as 4e" is a false equivalency of epic proportion. I'm pretty sure you do know that it's more than just a "distinction without a difference" between a game like Baldur's Gate and DragonStrike.

I'm not arguing that they aren't technically D&D games. I'm arguing that that's all they are, in name only, and the difference matters. Just like putting a Ferrari kit on a Fiero doesn't make it anything like a Ferrari, despite the same logo and name.

 

[generic]

What's too ridiculous to take seriously is your argument that mechanics aren't really that important, but it's the proper nouns that matter.

I don't think anyone can honestly, and truthfully, argue that a game like DragonStrike and Blood&Magic give the D&D experience just because they take place in a D&D world. The mechanics very in some way from edition to edition, true, but they all stay true to the core chassis (4e was the only one that made the biggest change by going to AEDU, but even then the core mechanics were the same). Trying to dismiss the major difference between a flight simulator and a turn based RPG because "1e had some different mechanics as 4e" is a false equivalency of epic proportion. I'm pretty sure you do know that it's more than just a "distinction without a difference" between a game like Baldur's Gate and DragonStrike.

I'm not arguing that they aren't technically D&D games. I'm arguing that that's all they are, in name only, and the difference matters. Just like putting a Ferrari kit on a Fiero doesn't make it anything like a Ferrari, despite the same logo and name.

Liked for the first part.

However, how is this applicable to videogames? We're not talking about creating an edition of D&D, or even, a full D&D experience. It's a game with D&D themes.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Liked for the first part.

However, how is this applicable to videogames? We're not talking about creating an edition of D&D, or even, a full D&D experience. It's a game with D&D themes.

I'll refer you to my earlier posts, so I don't have to retype them

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.

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.

 

[generic]

I'll refer you to my earlier posts, so I don't have to retype them

Actually, fair enough. I may have come around to your argument a bit. Not fully, because D&D could totally be represented by an action fighting game just themed on D&D, but I understand your argument.

Even a young'un like myself can see the logic of Grognardianism on occasion.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Tuque makes some good looking games. I think we need to see another trailer before this is written off.

Ideally a proper gameplay trailer. (As the game is apparently 3rd Person.)

 

[generic]

Tuque makes some good looking games. I think we need to see another trailer before this is written off.

Wasn't Livelock the only game they made?

I agree, however.