Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Cheats & Secrets for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox

Snowblind Studios’ Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is the 2001 action RPG spin-off from BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate games. Conceived and built from the ground up for home consoles, Dark Alliance marks the first appearance of the Baldur’s Gate franchise outside of PC. The original release on PlayStation 2 would eventually be followed by GameCube and Xbox ports. The title was supposed to originally make its way to PC as well, but those plans were eventually scrapped. Dark Alliance recently received a remaster for PC and modern consoles courtesy of Square One Games.

The success and acclaim of the original Baldur’s Gate and its sequel would carry over to the Dark Alliance spin-offs. In addition to strong commercial sales, Dark Alliance received considerable critical praise as well as several nominations for console RPG of the year and other awards. A sequel, Dark Alliance II, arrived just 3 years later for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, with a third game eventually canceled. After Snowblind’s work on the first game in the series, Black Isle Studios would take over the development of Dark Alliance II. A planned third game in the spin-off series was canceled when Black Isle Studios closed.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Premise

Unlike the mainline Baldur’s Gate games, players begin Dark Alliance by selecting from one of three pre-set heroes. These heroes; the Elf Adrianna, the Dwarf Kromlech, and the Human Vahn; are travelers in the Sword Coast, an important region in the Forgotten Realms setting of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. As the heroes make their way through various quests that require them to adventure across the Sword Coast and in and out of dungeons, they gradually learn of a larger threat that could potentially destroy the beacon city of Baldur’s Gate.

In terms of its gameplay, Dark Alliance is a sort of “streamlined” version of the original Baldur’s Gate. It is not a CRPG like the mainline games but instead a hack-and-slash action RPG. Players control their characters in real-time and execute button commands to trigger their attacks and skills. Characters have pre-set races and classes, but they do still level up after accruing enough experience from killing enemies. Each quest in Dark Alliance typically climates with a boss enemy, which players can make easier by teaming up with a friend in co-op. Dark Alliance is noteworthy for letting players create multiple characters and saves to a single profile, importing older, more powerful heroes into new games alongside inexperienced co-op partners.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Main Characters

The story of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance offers a streamlined take on the storytelling of the main games in the series, with character races, classes, and attributes all pre-set. The three main heroes in the game — Adrianna, Kromlech, and Vahn — find themselves on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons & Dragons. After meeting a friendly bartender and helping her with her rat problem, the heroes complete a series of smaller adventures before discovering the threat facing Baldur’s Gate in the form of the Onyx Tower. The final arc of the game sees the heroes scale the tower to confront the game’s main antagonist, Eldrith. Main characters in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance include:

• Adrianna: An Elven sorceress with power over multiple forms of elemental magic who prefers to fight from a distance.
• Kromlech: A Dwarven fighter with powerful melee abilities and feats that grant him extra endurance.
• Vahn: A Human archer who is greatly skilled at the bow and capable of wielding different elemental arrows.
• Eldrith: The main antagonist of Dark Alliance, Eldrith is a former general whose army was defeated by the Horde, manifesting her rage into the creation of the Onyx Tower.

Games In the Baldur’s Gate Series

BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate is one of the most important games ever produced and would prove to be a major changing force in the direction of Western RPGs. Of course, the success of the first game in the series would inevitably lead to both expansions and a sequel. Later, the Dark Alliance spin-off series was devised as a trimmed-down Baldur’s Gate experience focusing primarily on combat and built from the ground up for home consoles. While the initial games in the series would prove to be incredibly popular, the franchise arguably wouldn’t reach its pinnacle until the recent Baldur’s Gate 3. Aside from being one of the best RPGs ever made, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an award-winning instant classic in the genre. Games in the Baldur’s Gate series include:

• Baldur’s Gate (PC, Mac, 1998)
• Baldur’s Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (PC, Mac, 1999)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC, Mac, 2000)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (PC, Mac, 2001)
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (PC, Mac, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, 2001)
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II (PC, Mac, PS2, Xbox, 2004)
• Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, 2012)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, 2013)
• Baldur’s Gate 3 (PC, Mac, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, 2023)

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Cheats & Secrets

There are several official cheats players can activate in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, regardless of platform. Additionally, there are secrets and exploits to uncover, as well as some Game Shark codes for the PS2 version.

PS2 Cheats & Secrets

Cheat Mode

During gameplay (not in a menu), hold L1 + R2 + Left + Triangle and press Start. A cheat menu with options including Invincibility and Level Warp will now be available.

Level 20 Character

During gameplay, hold L1 + R2 + Left + Triangle and press R3. Your character will now be at level 20 and have 1 level in every Feat. This cheat also gives 75,000 gold pieces. Note that activating this cheat locks the character at level 20 where Dark Alliance‘s level cap is 40.

Play as Drizzt

At the main menu, hold L1 + R1 + Triangle and press X to unlock Drizzt as a playable character. Alternatively, completing Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance on Extreme difficulty will unlock Drizzt.

Duplicate Items

This exploit allows players to easily duplicate any items in their inventory. Save the game, then drop the items you wish to duplicate from the inventory of your current character. Press Start and choose to change your character. Import your character from the previous save (before dropping items on the ground). The game will bring in your character with all items in inventory at the time of your save, and allow you to collect the duplicates that are on the ground.

Alternatively, save the game and use a Recall Potion to return to the Elfsong Tavern. Drop all your expensive items, then import your saved player. Pick your items up and sell them. You can do this as many times as needed. Note that you still have to save each time before you import again. Otherwise, you will lose any gold made from the sale. (Works on GameCube and Xbox as well)

Easy Items

Players can transfer any high-level equipment from stronger characters to newer, weaker characters. Start a new game with a new character, then load the higher-level character with all the items as the second player. Drop the desired items on the floor to allow the new character to pick them up. Equip everything and sell off items that are not needed. Then, save the game and restart the console. Play a new game with a new character and load the other new character (that still has all their high-level equipment) as the main character. (Works on GameCube and Xbox as well)

Easy Money

This trick can be used at any point in the game. Save the game near a shop. Drop all your expensive items, then load your saved character to the same location. After the loading screen, pick up all your items and sell them. Do this again in the exact same order. You will get a lot of money. Also, use the “Duplicate items” trick with your most expensive item or weapon. Keep duplicating it until you cannot hold it anymore. Sell the duplicates and buy the most expensive weapon you can afford. Duplicate these even more expensive weapons and sell them back. Keep doing this to build an unlimited amount of gold. It gets easier when you can afford the more expensive weapons. (Works on GameCube and Xbox as well)

Easy Experience

Note: For this exploit to work, players must frequently and continuously save their game. During any encounter with a Boss, immediately save the game to a new file after defeating them. Press Start and load the game file that was saved immediately before fighting the Boss. After the game has loaded, press Start and select “Characters”. Import the character from the save file immediately after defeating the Boss. You will now have a character with more experience but will be able to fight the Boss again for duplicate experience. Repeat this process every time you fight a boss for quick level gain. (Works on GameCube and Xbox as well)

Multiplayer Resurrection

If a player dies during multiplayer, have the surviving player go to the previous save point. Walk in the light surrounding the save point and the fallen player will be brought back. The character will be resurrected with all items, but only half of their total hit points. (Works on GameCube and Xbox as well)

The Gauntlet

Completing the game on any difficulty setting unlocks The Gauntlet mode.

Extreme Difficulty

Completing Gauntlet mode unlocks the Extreme difficulty setting.

Control Loading Screen

Moving the Right Analog stick causes the flames surrounding “Loading” to move.

Game Shark Codes

Using the following codes on native hardware requires having a compatible PS2 Game Shark device. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of the following codes into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.

Master Code

Player 1 Codes

Player 2 Codes

GameCube Cheats & Secrets

Cheat Menu

At any point during gameplay, hold L + R + Y + Left and press Start. If done correctly, your character will speak. You will now have access to a menu with special Invincibility and Level Warp options.

Level 20 Character

At any point during gameplay, hold L + R + X + Right. Your character will instantly be Level 20 with all Spells and level 1 in each Feat. Note that this cheat prevents the character from leveling up further.

Play as Drizzt

Unlocking Drizzt on the GameCube version of Dark Alliance is slightly different. Start a new game and select one of the available characters. Hold L + R as the game is loading. You will begin playing as Drizzt.

Xbox Cheats & Secrets

Cheat Menu

During gameplay, press and hold LT (full press) + RT (light press) + Y + A + Left Analog Stick right, then press Start. You will now have access to the Cheat Menu with Invincibility and Level Warp options.

Level 20 Character

During gameplay, press and hold LT (full press) + RT (light press) + Y + A + Left Analog Stick right. Your character will now be Level 20 with all Spells, level 1 in each Feat, and 75,000 gold. Note that this limits you from leveling up the character further.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Cheat FAQs

Does Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance have cheats?

Yes, there are a few different official cheats available in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. The process of enabling these cheats is different from platform to platform. While the cheat options are consistent across the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox versions, the button inputs to activate them are not. Notably, the recent remaster and re-release of Dark Alliance on modern platforms carries over many of the original cheats. In the case of the PlayStation version available on PSN, the inputs for cheats are the same as they were on PS2.

What’s the max level in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance?

The maximum level that a character can reach in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is 40.

Are there secret characters in Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance?

Unlike its sequel, there is only one secret character to unlock in the original Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. To unlock Drizzt as a playable character, players can either enter a cheat or unlock him using normal methods. Unlocking Drizzt normally requires beating the game on Extreme difficulty. Alternatively, PlayStation 2 and GameCube owners can unlock Drizzt using a code. The Xbox version does not feature a code for unlocking Drizzt as a playable character.

How long to beat Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance?

A hack-and-slash action RPG, Dark Alliance is much shorter than the mainline Baldur’s Gate games. Most players will complete the game in about 12 hours if they focus on just the main story. Those hoping to fully complete the game and unlock everything can expect to spend about 20 hours.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance key art.