Last year Interplay released an action-RPG that captivated gamers with it's enhanced graphics and two-player simultaneous combat. Taking the best features of old school titles like Gauntlet, and combining it with the latest console technology and the Balder's Gate trademark characters, Interplay had a hit on their hands. Now the team is back with Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II, set to release this fall for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles.

While the first Dark Alliance offered a plethora of melee combat, it featured a limited selection of playable characters. The development team has raised the number of playable characters to five. Each character is fully customizable, and will have specific attacks and abilities that will evolve throughout the game. In addition to customizing and leveling up the new characters, players will also be able to forge their own weapons and armor from raw components. Gamers familiar with Dark Cloud 2 should have an idea of how this system will work.

Dark Alliance II will feature four separate acts, with a total of 40 levels to play through. Each level will offer even more detail than the original Dark Alliance. The various monsters players will fight throughout the acts have also raised the bar with all new spell effects and more detailed models. The game also features hidden areas adding a new level of exploration to the RPG elements of the game. Taking the game even further into the RPG realm, secret characters will be scattered throughout the 40 levels that will help lead you to some of the hidden areas.

Standard action-RPGs don't offer much in terms of replay value, but the team behind Dark Alliance II has set out to change that. The sequel will feature a branching storyline that allows players to choose how they want to play through the game. In essence, the story will change every time you play through the game. The two-player co-op mode from the original also makes a return keeping the game fresh with every new partner.

The original Dark Alliance first released on the PlayStation 2, followed later by an Xbox port. Dark Alliance II will release on both consoles this fall. With one hit game under their belts, the team behind Dark Alliance II is primed and ready to unleash yet another stellar multiplayer action-RPG on the console market. Numerous upgrades to the graphics and gameplay engine will only help Interplay reach their goal. Competition from other similar games in the genre should make for an interesting holiday season for action-RPG fans.