Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

This 4K re-release of the PS2 action RPG looks visually sharp with clean menus and character models, and the nostalgic couch co-op remains a genuine draw. But it plays things far too safe for the $30 asking price: the audio is scratchy and untouched, the trophy list is a bare-minimum afterthought, and there is no online co-op or modern quality-of-life tweaks. Newcomers should skip it; only nostalgia justifies the purchase.

This Switch re-release is one of the best-performing ports on the system, holding a locked 60fps with very low frame pacing both docked and handheld, near-instant load times, and rock-solid stability. As an action-RPG rather than a tactical Baldur's Gate entry it can feel jarring at first, but the strong story and flawless local co-op shine, even if no modern quality-of-life additions like camera sensitivity or drop-in multiplayer were added. A short campaign (15-20 hours) makes the 30-pound price feel a touch steep.

This re-release of the 20-year-old PS2 classic essentially just makes the action RPG playable in 4K, with fast load times and a great couch co-op experience, but adds no online co-op, re-rendered cutscenes, or quality-of-life improvements. A few minor bugs crop up, like cutting audio and invisible ground items. It is a great game worth playing, but the $29.99 price is hard to justify for such a bare-minimum effort; waiting for a sale or a bundle with the sequel is the smarter move.