Gauntlet Review

The multiplayer dungeon-crawler has come a long way since 1985. Or, in other words, it’s come a long way since the release of the original arcade version of Gauntlet, arguably the first game of the genre and the gold-standard until Diablo arrived around 10 years later. Then again, has much actually changed? If this new take on the classic dungeon-crawler is taken as an example, then you probably wouldn’t think the genre has moved on at all. Of course, for veterans of the original game, isn’t that ideal? Let’s face it, fans of old games have a tendency to resent big changes - it’s fair enough, but it causes a significant degree of stagnation.

That’s not to say this re-hash of the 1985 classic isn’t a fun game. Certainly not. Gauntlet from Magicka veterans Arrowhead is a blast for the first four to five hours of play; long enough for your first playthrough. What made the original great is faithfully represented in this version: four-player co-op specifically. It was the ability to play with friends that made the arcade version a hit and it’s by far still the best element of the experience. Setting up a game is super easy, as is adding friends or allowing online players in. That ease of access is a big pro for a game of this sort, and something many other titles could take a hint from.

 Once your party of four have been gathered, you first need to choose who will play each of the four characters. As a first example of stagnation, the four characters on offer are the same as with the original: Thor the high-damage warrior, Merlin the wizard, Thyra the shield-maiden Valkyrie and Questor the archer Elf. They’re incredibly, cringingly archetypal and just about everything they do and say in-game reflects that archetype. They do play differently enough to make each character a unique experience, but it’s immediately apparent that some characters are more fun than others.

The warrior and Valkyrie are very satisfying to play with. Melee combat feels pleasantly chunky and on normal and hard difficulties it feels good to gradually chop through the waves of enemies - or use their awesome specials to take down a whole load in one fell swoop. It’s definitely one of the better hack-and-slash systems out there, despite its simplicity. The same can’t really be said for the ranged mechanics of the Elf or wizard. The wizard is somewhat ineffective compared to the other classes and the Elf, while slightly more powerful, is just a bit boring. It’s clear that this is a sentiment shared online, especially in relation to the wizard who is almost always left for the last player who joins a game. 

That’s certainly not a deal breaker but it could prove annoying when playing with a group of friends. As mentioned, the game revolves around 12 levels, each containing three stages (or floors). They all follow the same pattern: one long stage, one shorter stage with a twist then an arena-style stage to cap the level off. It’s an effective and enjoyable structure, although Arrowhead could have done with mixing it up every once in a while. The ‘boss fights’ are fun breaks from the norm but they’re not really as satisfying as the normal levels, so you’ll struggle to keep players with you during them.

The three different locales are attractive and fun to interact with, each presenting slightly different enemies that are also well designed. They’re all traditional enemy types: your two-hit grunts, long range archers, spellcasters and powerful mini-bosses, but the art style is varied enough to make them all feel unique. It can’t be understated just how great it feels to plough through a horde of low-strength enemies - it’s by far Arrowhead’s greatest achievement with Gauntlet. It’s just a shame that it can only be enjoyed properly with two of the classes. 

The 12 levels will indeed only take five or so hours to complete, at which point the game can feel a little hollow. An item mechanic, in which you can purchase ‘runes’ with in-game loot, is an ultimately flawed attempt at creating a bit of replayability, so too is an armour system that’s incredibly shallow. Obviously these mechanics fail to make the game more interesting in the long run, only the co-op will really keep you coming back. Given the right group, this could easily be an appealing prospect. While there are no team mechanics built directly into the game, it’s easy enough to get on the same page and start using each other’s abilities in tandem. That’s great fun, and that’s what more dungeon crawlers need to focus on.

As a relatively cheap game offering a healthy dose of nostalgia for those familiar with the original, Gauntlet is worth a go. It does literally nothing to present something new, but when the majority of players will probably be super-familiar with either the franchise or the genre, it’s not a particularly big deal. Still, it’s a shame not to see some modern elements intertwined with the ‘good old stuff’. The lack of replayability is an unfortunate side-effect of that unwillingness to evolve the franchise. As gamers, we’ve certainly become a lot more demanding for original and varied content across the stretch of a game, and while repetition and score-beating held up well 30 years ago, it’s not the case anymore. For series fans looking for a temporary time machine this’ll do the trick, for most other gamers, it’s a simple reminder of gaming’s brilliant, but dated, past.