Your warrior needs food badly!
The Gauntlet franchise has been around for a long time. A staple in classic gaming and a pioneer of arcade games, Midway kept the franchise alive for years until sadly the company disbanded and the IP seemed dead. Low and behold, Gauntlet has finally returned… but the question is, will this be another classic in the franchise, or a sad return to form?
Gauntlet was actually released on PC almost a year ago, with some average to middling review scores. The Slayer edition has had some tweaks and changes to help make the experience even better, and it feels the game shines and flows a little more because of it. Gauntlet, for those unaware, is an arcade like co-op action game with a top down isometric view. Players select from one of four classes: warrior, mage, valkrie, and rogue, and begin the adventure to find the 3 crystals needed to complete the game.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: PS4
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
Multiplayer: 1-4
How long to beat: 5+ Hours
Storylines in Gauntlet games have never been a focus, and that tradition continues here. While various lines of dialog are spouted, they’re more typical and comical at times than anything else. The important part is the gameplay, and that is what has been changed to a slight degree. Prior to this release players had special attacks to use that required abilities potions; this had been scrapped in favor for a time buff, and once the time limit is over it can be used again.
Now players also gain potions for attack usage, and the abilities to buy different weapons with different alternate attacks is added also. One attack might spin the warrior around in a dancing blade attack, while another will have him shout a blast, pushing back and damaging enemies.
Those changes aside, players are doing everything else that’s typical of the series. Attacking hordes of enemies over and over again. Killing enemy respawn points, collecting treasure, running away from death, and eating food (just be sure not to destroy it). The last interesting change I noticed was that the hub world has now been replaced with a more traditional map system to access levels.
Also, instead of a store players access, before each level the option to shop and change abilities has been included. This, combined with the map system, makes getting back into the action much quicker, and helps keep the pace of action flowing more consistently with less down time. When players are done with the campaign they can also enjoy endless mode, which offers countless hours of randomized dungeon crawling to see how far they can make it.
Gauntlet Slayer Edition is a fantastic co-op game, and a decent solo experience. Fighting is fun, simple, and the addiction of one more level or getting more gold is as real as ever. That being said, if you’re expecting this Gauntlet to be more like Dark Legacy or more colorful and zany, think again. Gauntlet Slayer edition harkens back to a re-imaging of the classic game that started it all. It’s better than it was for its initial release, and an improvement overall. Definitely recommended for fans of the franchise and arcade like experiences.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
