Despite not being a big fan of Diablo, Snowblind and Interplay's Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, a simplified and more arcadey take on Blizzard's advancement of the Gauntlet formula, found its way into my heart. Telling the tale of three adventurers - a male human archer, a male dwarf fighter, and a female human sorcerer - players went on a journey to save the port city of Baldur's Gate from giant rats, green blobs, and underground crime syndicates. With a linear style, players were able to get a lean, more streamlined RPG experience; players could level up their characters, solve minor quests, and travel through a fantasy world, all with a basic story keeping them informed through non-playable characters and cutscenes.