Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance is an upcoming action-RPG, and it's the next release in a renewed push for more Dungeons and Dragons licensed games. The new Dark Alliance game is a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series and looks to carry the series forward into a new generation. Dark Alliance isn't the only DnD game in development at the moment, though as Wizards of the Coast is looking to bring more video games based on the tabletop RPG to players.
There have been many Dungeons and Dragons adaptations over the years. The Baldur's Gate games are still considered by many to be some of the greatest RPGs of all time, with the series even receiving a new lease on life with Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3. Dungeons and Dragons has become increasingly popular again in recent years, with far more mainstream media attention on the game. To this end, it seems as though Wizards of the Coast is looking to capitalize on this fresh interest, and there is no shortage of pitches that it could look at developing.
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The Dungeons and Dragons mythos is ripe for the picking to create a real-time strategy game. This is something that has been explored before with Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard, but with modern gaming hardware and advances since the title's release in 2005, there is more potential now to revisit this genre. It could make sense to tie-in one of the large-scale DnD conflicts into an RTS game, such as the Blood War which featured conflicts between the evil planes, and even the Goblin War, which featured a collective of races waging war on the nation of Cormyr. An RTS game could highlight the scope of combat possible in DnD in a way that hasn't been seen before. This is just one genre where Dungeons and Dragons could thrive.
Drizzt Do'Urden is one of the stars of Dark Alliance and one of the most popular Dungeons and Dragons heroes. While he is set to be one of the playable characters in Dark Alliance, a first-person action game could be a great fit for the character, not dissimilar to the likes of the Dishonored series. A brisk-paced game with Drizzt as the main character could lend itself to his combat style. With him being a Ranger as well, players would have access to spells to freshen up the gameplay and provide tons of utility. Drizzt has had countless memorable adventures and with him being a Drow, he has a racial sensitivity to light. This could provide an opportunity to craft a unique take on a day/night cycle in this hypothetical game.
Ravenloft is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting that is perfect for a horror video game adaption. The land of Ravenloft exists as a plane of existence of sorts, and within it exists various domains which are controlled by various masters. These domains are bound together by an entity known as the Dark Powers. Ravenloft lends itself to gothic horror, especially the domain known as Barovia, whose master Strahd takes clear inspiration from Dracula. Barovia is a harsh land, filled with cliffs and difficult terrain. The permanently overcast weather and long winters would be particularly suited to a survival horror take, with the dread-inducing atmosphere being an intimidating prospect for many gamers to overcome.
With Baldur's Gate 3, Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance, and the newly-announced DnD open-world RPG, it certainly seems as though Dungeons and Dragons could have a bright future ahead with video games. There is such deep lore that enables the game to be adapted in any number of ways, with certain genres seemingly a perfect fit for Dungeons and Dragons-based games. There are reportedly several games in development at the behest of Wizards of the Coast, so this is arguably an exciting time for gamers and Dungeons and Dragons fans.
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