Second verse, same as the first...and that's not a bad thing.
It could be argued that Black Isle Studios did nothing particularly innovative when they produced the sequel to the first PS2 Baldur's Gate, but it seems that they wisely decided that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Gameplay-The basic skeleton is lifted directly from the first game. The combat style and controls are exactly the same. This time, instead of three characters to choose from, you're given five. The story picks up right where the original left off, with your original characters being captured and imprisoned and the new crew setting off to meet the new challenge of the vampire Solanmere.
There are a few new features to this effort. Ranged combat is made much easier with a red guidline to help you aim. Since there are five characters this time, there are two new classes (rogue and priest) to select from. Bartley the Shopkeeper now has a workshop where you can add jewels that you come across on your quest to your weapons and armor to add different abilities and characteristics to them. The quest itself also seems to be a bit longer than the original.
Multi-player is still the way to go with this one. It's fun to plow through on your own, but having a buddy there to slash through the hordes makes it that much better.
Visuals-The graphic style of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is, once again, exactly the same as the original. It's still played in an isometric view, but you can zoom the camera in a tick, which allows for a bit more detail. Since Dark Alliance II is a couple years newer, the total lack of updates makes it feel a bit dated graphically.
Sound-Once again, the sound is one of the highlights, with excellent atmospheric music and sound effects. The voice acting is a notch below the first game's though, with Jherek's different voice actor and Randalla's seemingly confused (the actress seemed to miss the tone of a couple lines here and there) performance sticking out.
Value-The quest itself is slightly longer than the original Dark Alliance, with more side quests and a longer main questline overall. But it's still fairly short, clocking in at 10-12 hours total. The addition of two new classes adds a bit to the replay value, but it's still a pretty short run.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is a fine sequel to the excellent original. Like the original, the ending leaves you hanging, waiting for the next installment. Whether or not that chapter of the story is ever produced remains to be seen. Baldur's Gate is in constant danger. It would be nice to save the city one more time.