Each character has three melee attacks that include a basic attack, a heavy
attack, and a juggle attack. These can be strung together in combos and when
combined with the various jumps and vaults you can perform with the right stick,
make for a number of interesting combat animations. It doesn’t really matter all
that much which attacks or combos that you use as the enemies are basically
interchangeable fodder for your button-mashing. Each of the advisors in the
game, or sorrows (who takes advice from sorrows anyway?), amount to a level boss
and you’ll have to ease off of the pure button-mashing when facing them, but
overall they won’t present too much of a challenge to you.
 |
| Monster generators. Yep, it's Gauntlet. |
The game throws in some very light RPG elements in that as you make your way
through a level you collect experience for killing foes and gold from treasure
chests. The experience earns you points to increase your three stats, strength,
magic recharge, and health, and the gold is used to purchase new combos. You
will also occasionally come across a weapon or armor upgrade during the game,
but I couldn’t really see anything different after the upgrades. In fact, the
stats upgrades did not have much of a noticeable effect either, and the new
combos were just more window dressing on the button-mashing. RPG-lite doesn’t
come much lighter than this.
The game does have its share of references to the classic Gauntlet game.
You’ll recognize a few of the sound effects and hear the famous “red elf needs
food badly” phrase repeated often. In addition to the aforementioned monster
generators and treasure chests, Death makes an occasional appearance and in the
classic style can only be dispatched by unleashing a magic potion. That’s about
all the game shares with the original outside of the slash and hack gameplay.
Oh, there is also the four-player co-op play, either on one console or via the
Internet. This should be more fun than it is, but mindless mashing with three
other people is not that much more fun than it is on your own, and the game is
easy enough to beat on your own without the help of three other players. Try
getting through the game on your own in the original…
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
66%. Gauntlet fans will be disappointed and the game won’t win any new
converts to Gauntlet fandom.
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