Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is an example of a great action RPG experience that proves that it is almost without equal.
The gameplay in Dark Alliance is great with responsive controls, a short learning curve, and some challenging encounters with the various enemies in the game. The best part is that the combat system is extremely well done with every option easily available. The battle are often very exciting to watch. This is an addictive game to play as you will enjoy your journeys to all the different locations in the game.
The graphics in Dark Alliance are good for the most part but they are the same ones used in the original PS2 which was released almost a year ago. However the visuals have aged well, and still look good a year later. The worst thing about Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is that unlike the PS2 version there is an inconsistent frame rate that disrupts the game somewhat. You will probably be able to ignore the frame rate after you take the time to get used to it, but it would just be easier to buy the game for the PS2 instead.
The sound in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is as well done as in the original. It is easily one of the best parts of the game. Everything from sound effects to the music in the game is so good that it really helps give you the sense of the game. The voice acting is also superbly done with some famous voices to give credit to the game. What is really amazing is that practically all NPCs have dialogue that is spoken quite well.
The value of Dark Alliance is great but doesn't offer as much in terms of gameplay time as the PC game Baldur's Gate. This is not much of a problem considering this game will keep you playing for a good twenty or so hours. The replay value however is very small as there is no new options when you go back to play the game again except on a harder difficulty or as a different character. Many fans of the series will be disappointed by the fact that you only control one character instead of the party of six in the PC Baldur's Gate. It is understandable why the developers didn't include the ability to make a party of six as that would have ultimately made the game more frustrating to play, and it would have cluttered up the screen.
If you have never experienced Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance before, then you are better off buying the PS2 version because of the frame rate problems. If however you don't own a PS2 and you have a Game Cube then you should make every attempt to buy this game as it is well worth the money despite the graphical issues.