‘Gauntlet’ Review

Platforms PC

Publisher Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment Developer Arrowhead Game Studios

Genre Action   Platform Played PC

Gauntlet seeks to be a reboot and throwback to the origins of the beloved franchise. It has been years since gamers received a proper iteration of the hack and slash, dungeon-crawling co-operative action game and this title is a strong attempt to provide exactly that. Many of the franchise staples which fans have come to adore appear in Gauntlet, including Death, quirky sayings from characters, dungeons full of enemies, hidden rooms, and a narrator informing players when the warrior needs food badly.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the premise of the games has always been to traverse various dungeons and environments as a hero, slaughtering countless enemies spawning from generators, defeating bosses at the end of each world, and ultimately facing off against a final boss in the name of saving the realm from doom. As the series has progressed, the worlds were enlarged, secret characters were added, characters would evolve in both appearances and statistically, a vast array of power-ups and weapons were included, and a plethora of collectibles. Due to the reboot nature of Gauntlet, these additional features are completely absent, allowing the title to focus on the core game elements but also leaving gamers with the feeling that content is scarce.

As the game starts up, the four characters find themselves on a platform before all being knocked unconscious. One by one, they all stand up, kill a couple of enemies through tutorials, and pass out once again to allow the player to control another character. From this moment, it becomes obvious that the wizard character is by far the most difficult to control effectively as the method for switching between spells is a series of mouse clicks and taps of the space bar. Performing these combinations during intense combat is anything but simple and results in significant amounts of frustration on harder difficulties or during a solo playthrough. The other available characters are the warrior (typical close-range tank), the valkyrie (melee damage with slightly better range), and the elf (long distance archer). The elf is the easiest for new players to control as he is essentially a twin-stick shooter excelling in the “run and gun” style of play.

Every player will likely find a character they are more comfortable using, although if online games are anything to go by, very few actually enjoy using the wizard. The previously mentioned difficulty in switching between spells results in many gamers ignoring that character altogether in favour of one of the simpler choices. This would not be such a negative if the game allowed multiple players in the same session to play as the same character, but that is not the case. Rarely will you find a full game with all four characters being utilized, and more commonly you will find games containing a warrior, valkyrie, and elf running through the levels together. Due to this, it feels as if the game has missed its full potential simply through limiting players to certain characters depending on which ones are already in play. It may have been a decision made in the interest of preserving the integrity of gameplay (four elves kiting hordes of enemies does not seem nearly as fun), but the unforeseen consequence of this in tandem with the overly complex control scheme of one character is that very few games involve all four characters.

The levels in Gauntlet are comprised of three smaller stages which all follow a very formulaic pattern. The first stage of a level is fairly straightforward, simply requiring the player to navigate the maze-like design and offering hordes of enemies frequently. There may be puzzles involved, but they are not terribly complex. The second stage involves progressing through a less complex maze with a twist of some kind (Death may be chasing you, you may be in the dark with only a small radius of light around your character, or balls of fire may be shooting down onto the terrain), and the third stage is essentially a survival mode, sending several waves of enemies and generators at you. After three of these levels, the boss stage is unlocked which is a welcome change of pace while playing. The bosses are significantly larger, have gargantuan health bars, deal lethal amounts of damage, and will never be on their own. You will have to constantly find a balance between attacking the boss and fending off the waves of smaller generic enemies. Each of the bosses have their own weaknesses and strategies, forcing players to adapt to each one, waiting for the creature’s health bar to appear as a sign that they are vulnerable.

While the boss fights stand out as some of the highest points of the game, the disappointing aspect to this is the lack of worlds. There are only three separate worlds, meaning that there are only three boss fights and nine full levels (27 stages within those nine levels). It is this element which is unfortunately the largest detractor from the game as there is very little content to explore and little reason to return to prior levels. Masteries are skill buffs included in the game for accomplishing certain feats, but unless you are a completionist, there is no draw to go out of your way to continue working through them after the game is finished. All four characters have separate masteries, meaning that if you play through the game as the warrior and decide to try the valkyrie, you will not have the buffs you unlocked previously. This is both a pro and a con because it can make the game more challenging (especially when combined with higher difficulties), but it may also result in players feeling as if their hard work was for nothing and discourage them from continuing to play.

On the topic of masteries, they are an interesting approach to RPG elements, but the complete absence of leveling up characters, getting statistic increases outside of occasional masteries, or seeing any kind of change in your characters makes it feel empty. The masteries do offer things such as decreased damage from environmental traps, higher quantities of gold, and increased damage against specific types of enemies, but they do not have the same appeal as traditional leveling mechanics.

The gameplay in Gauntlet is fantastic, and manages to preserve the chaotic fun for which the franchise has become known. Teamwork is essential when engaging in co-op sessions as all characters must move within the confines of the screen, forcing the team to move together. While this mechanic may come across as a nuisance for some players, it has always been present in the franchise and it succeeds in creating both teamwork and laughter. There are few things more amusing than watching your friend get stuck in a small corner, unable to move until the rest of the team moves back towards them, giving them the necessary space to rejoin the group. There are several relics available to purchase, providing players with various power-ups. A player may only equip two relics at once so they must choose wisely if they own a number of them, although it is very likely that as with the characters, gamers will find a couple of relics they rely on more than others.

Gauntlet is certainly not a perfect title, and fans who are accustomed to the later titles may feel this installment is lacking in content. The lack of levels lends to the lack of true replay value, and the RPG element of the series is all but missing, but the core gameplay has stayed true to the Gauntlet franchise. For players looking to experience the nostalgia of dungeon crawling with your friends, this game will provide that experience, just not for a long period of time.

While playing, I found myself wishing there were more worlds and therefore more bosses, but there was also an unshakable feeling that this title has been developed as a way to test the waters for a full reboot with a larger budget. With Gauntlet being so similar to the original title released in the 1980’s, questions arise and thoughts begin to surface, wondering if this title is merely the start of what will become a reappearance of the Gauntlet series.

The Good

  • Core mechanics are true to the franchise
  • Characters make amusing comments throughout the game
  • Boss fights break formulaic level design

The Bad

  • Low number of levels
  • Repetitive level structure
  • Overly complex wizard control scheme
  • Little replay value

The Score: 7.0