6.6 /10 1 Votes
6.8/10 IGN Director(s) Axel Lindberg Engine Bitsquid Developer Arrowhead Game Studios | 7/10 Steam 6/10 GameSpot Programmer(s) Peter Lindgren Initial release date 23 September 2014 Series Gauntlet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designer(s) Emil Englund (senior)
Patrik Lasota
Nils Hansson Bjerke Composer(s) Andreas Kinger
Erasmus Talbot
Johan Nilsson Release date(s) Microsoft Windows
WW: September 23, 2014
PlayStation 4
WW: August 11, 2015 Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Platforms PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows Genres Hack and slash, Dungeon crawl Similar Gauntlet games, Arrowhead Game Studios games, Hack and slash games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gauntlet is a top-down hack and slash dungeon crawl video game, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Part of the Gauntlet series, it was released on 23 September 2014. The game will be released for the SteamOS Linux operating system later in the year. Gauntlet was released for the PlayStation 4 as Gauntlet: Slayer Edition in August 2015.
Contents
Gameplay
The player takes the role of one of four races of hero, Warrior, Valkyrie, Elf, or Wizard, (one player per race) allowing up to four-player multiplayer co-op gameplay. The dungeons to be explored are part defined maps and part procedurally generated.
Reception
Gauntlet received mixed reviews from critics. Aggregating review websites Metacritic gave the PC version a 69/100. Gaming website Shacknews stated that "so far, it looks like Gauntlet properly captures much of the spirit that made the 1985 arcade game so much fun", while also stating that the game isn't very intuitive in terms of figuring out the unlocked mechanics as you progress through the game. Chris Brown of New Zealand website Gameplanet stated "Gauntlet scratches an itch I didn't realise I had", finding it "simple, but not brainless" but also "fun as hell"; he also highlighted the user interface in their preview build as "awkward." In comparison to the 30-year-old original, Destructoid opined "the game isn't a true recreation; it's more Arrowhead's ideal take on it", finding that "while the content may feel sort of new, nothing's ever really that fresh with Gauntlet. And that's probably just the way that fans would want it." Dave Rudden from IGN gave the game 6.8/10, praising its four-player co-op while criticizing the repetitive gameplay and low replay value. Daniel Tack of Game Informer gave the game a score of 7/10; finding the boss battles enjoyable, but insufficient; and the game's level design bland and repetitive, describing it as a "sleepy, automated button mash". Michael Huber, from GameTrailers, gave the game a 7.9/10, praising the four distinct classes while also criticizing the lack of varied environment and replay value.
