Gauntlet Reviews
Although it isn't as deep as other action role-playing games out there, its simplicity is a big part of its charm. It is the kind of game I find myself trying to talk my friends into playing so that we can confront the hordes, battle giant bosses, and fight over gold.
Gauntlet delivers a fun and challenging dungeon crawling experience that manages to avoid repetitiveness. Although it has some minor launch bugs to work through, they are easily overlooked.
With a party of four, it's an enjoyable diversion and the four classes are well balanced and complementary, but the traps, layouts and enemies aren't quite disruptive enough, and even on higher difficulties the routine of combat tests endurance rather than creative solutions.
Few games can come close to creating the same mayhem and excitement as Gauntlet can. While not the game for a lone wolf, Gauntlet is all about friends competing for gold and shooting each others' food. From the new hero designs to the variety of enemies and snarky humor, this is one that co-op fanatics won't want to miss.
Gauntlet looks and sounds great in most parts. The character models move smoothly and the Gauntlet textures are all detailed nicely. The various lines the characters spout at or about each other are cute and make the game feel more alive and dynamic. In other areas, the game feels rushed, like with the overuse of the "Death Runs" and simple artwork stills to convey story elements. It's these blemishes that make Gauntlet feel like a cheap downloadable console network game.
Gauntlet is a polished game that does right by its predecessors. It's a great mix of both old and new school sensibilities, and despite the fact that the art style isn't as pronounced as it could have been, the actual core of the game is very sound. With the addition of online play to the series, this one will have legs for quite some time and deserves a spot in the Gauntlet pantheon.
Gauntlet pays faithful homage to the '85 original, but doesn't bring the replay value expected in the post-coin-op era.
Gauntlet is just as chaotic as its predecessors, but more refined and less haphazard too.
Gauntlet scratches the nostalgic itch perfectly and does right by its predecessors, but outside of a long slow grind there's nothing here to demand that you keep coming back once you've completed your quest.
An old-fashioned game in a newfangled era, Gauntlet does too much and too little all at once.
Gauntlet is an accessible co-op dungeon crawler that's at its best with a group of friends. It may be on the shorter side, but while it lasts it's an unpredictable and memorable experience. Hopefully this is only the first of many steps into the perilous Gauntlet.
Sadly, the biggest problem with this whole package may be that Arrowhead has already made a truly great Gauntlet tribute anyway, and it was Magicka. There was a game with the freedom to choose its own first principles, while still having Gauntlet's mean-spirited playfulness baked into it. The difference, I suspect, is between being creatively inspired by the spirit and ethos of a legendary design, and being cast as a kind of well-intentioned caretaker.
It's certainly not the worst Gauntlet revamp there's ever been, but there's too little substance or variety to satisfy either new fans or old.
Overall, Gauntlet was a lot of fun but it still felt like something was missing. Granted it was reminiscent of my own past experiences with the franchise but playing with friends over Skype and Steam wasn't quite the same as hanging out in the living room with four controllers plugged into one console. That said it still evoked the same thrills and competitiveness as before. We fought for treasure, battled for screen control, and raced for crowns and keys. If you have some friends that love to crawl through dungeons or you just want to relive some memories from the past, I'd definitely suggest grabbing a copy or splitting a 4-pack and going on an adventure sometime soon.
As good-looking and distinct as everything is, it gets old fast, because the actual scope of puzzles and levels are limited and extremely formulaic.
A retro-restoration that's fun with friends for a while, but the repetitive levels and a lack of any relevant progression set the stage for a mundane mix.
Gauntlet is good and fun, but I don't think about it much between sessions. And that's about it. I feel like I've said more than is necessary at this point, really. It's competently made and enjoyable and you might forget you have it if you don't play it for a week.
Don't spend the $20 asking price, but consider it for a weekend jaunt if you can get a sale price on a four-pack.
If you're going to get it do so now, because there won't be anyone around to play with by Christmas. Gauntlet needs fun, badly.