Billy O'Keefe, of the Knight Ridder Tribune wrote Dark Alliance is "all about action", opining that a pure RPG would not work on a console, and the additional action elements in Dark Alliance improved playability. John Breeden II of The Washington Post praised "the smaller number of more straightforward quests".
The reviews by Billy O'Keefe and John Breeden II highlight the positive reception of "Dark Alliance" for its combination of RPG and action gameplay, particularly how the addition of action elements enhanced the overall experience.