Mage Gauntlet

 iOS
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. TouchArcade
    Nov 1, 2011
    100
    So seriously, go download Mage Gauntlet. The time you spent reading this review could've been much better spent playing this incredible game.
  2. Slide to Play
    Oct 21, 2011
    100
    If you fondly remember the days of 16-bit action RPGs, then it doesn't get much better than Mage Gauntlet. In fact, gaming doesn't get much better.
  3. AppSpy
    Oct 20, 2011
    100
    Mage Gauntlet is the kind of Action-RPG we've been waiting for on the iOS - a combination of intuitive controls suited to iDevices; fast-paced action split in to bite-sized chunks; and plenty of meaningful unlockable features makes it perfect for gamers on the go.
  5. Gamezebo
    Oct 26, 2011
    90
    Small quibbles aside, Mage Gauntlet proves itself to be a charming, action-packed, ultra-addictive title that should satisfy any 16-bit gamer. With 42 levels to complete, and then a Master Mode after that, this is a game that will keep you busy for quite some time. Luckily, thanks to some smart design choices, you're never more than a tap away from the action.
  6. TouchGen
    Oct 21, 2011
    90
    Mage Gauntlet is great fun from the first level to the last, and then you can do it all over again, albeit harder.
  7. RPG Fan
    Nov 10, 2011
    81
    Mage Gauntlet takes everything that was pure fun about the best 16 bit action RPGs of old and tosses it into a light hearted, easy to play, and most importantly, FUN package.
  8. Tap!
    Nov 26, 2011
    80
    In short, it's an RPG that anyone – fans, old gamers, youngsters and newcomers alike – can enjoy.
  9. Multiplayer.it
    Nov 13, 2011
    80
    Mage Gauntlet is a really fun game to play and its graphics is simply gorgeous, but unfortunately the overall experience feels too much linear and repetitive.
  10. AppSafari
    Oct 26, 2011
    80
    The game runs pretty smooth with few hiccups. Mage Gauntlet's iPhone is likely to perform better on the iPhone 4S with its faster processor than on the iPod touch.
  11. Pocket Gamer UK
    Oct 25, 2011
    80
    Simple but well-tuned fighting gameplay, combined with some great humour, make Mage Gauntlet worth conjuring onto your iPhone.
  12. AppSmile
    Oct 20, 2011
    80
    A departure from the rope-swinging titles that Rocketcat is best known for, Mage Gauntlet retains the same graphic style and polished gameplay that we've come to expect, making this a compelling pick-up.
  13. 148Apps
    Oct 20, 2011
    80
    From the difficulty to the combat, to even just the way the game feels like it was yanked straight out of a SNES, there is a lot to love here.
  14. The Onion (A.V. Club)
    Nov 20, 2011
    75
    Mage Gauntlet is a link to the past, but it feels like its creator would be happier if it were literally A Link To The Past.
  15. IGN
    Oct 20, 2011
    75
    The indie team at Rocketcat has created a polished and gratifying love letter to the 90s action RPGs of yesteryear. It's a lot of fun, but its best played in short bursts, to prevent the experience from feeling too repetitive.
  16. Edge Magazine
    Jan 17, 2012
    70
    Mage Gauntlet's an action RPG that's perfectly tailored for the pick-up-and-play crowd, in other words. It's a likeable confection that's as witty as it is insubstantial.

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best iOS Game of 2011
93
#93 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. Nosirrah123
    Sep 28, 2013
    9
    A great action-hack and slash. Anybody who thinks it is impossible to get console quality controls on a touch screen should play this game.A great action-hack and slash. Anybody who thinks it is impossible to get console quality controls on a touch screen should play this game. This isn't just great for an iOS game, it surpasses many of it's console or PC brethren. In the game you are a young girl in a magical land who does not possess the ability to cast magic, and anything magical she touches explodes. She is given a enchanted gauntlet that can absorb magic from the surroundings, and strangely does not explode when she touches it. The gameplay consists of a linear hack-and-slash from room to room, smashing scattered vases to collect magical spells which are stored in your gauntlet to use later. Before I sing this games praises there are a few negatives to get out of the way. While it is referred to as an action-RPG, the second half is almost nonexistent, you periodically level up, allowing you to put skill points into various areas. The problem is all these categories are things you might never notice, like slight boosts to critical hit chances, or are useful, but are so slight that you'd never notice them. If you dedicate all your skill points into magic (which is the only one even remotely useful) you can only raise your magic damage by 25%, that might sound like a lot, but there are only 8-10 spells in a level, and most are one-hit-kills anyway, so its totally pointless. And while there is equipment and pets, the pet is totally useless, the robes are negligible, and the hats literally are just cosmetic, leaving only the amulets. The amulets do have a profound impact on the game, but the problem is, the one that is universally the best is one of, if not the very first, that you find. It's not hidden, the amulets are on giant pedestals in front of the world exits. Its the arcane heart amulet, and it gives you another heart, and considering on each level in normal mode you get resurrected 3 times to full health before you have to restart a level, that equals out to 3 extra hearts, which is a full health bar without the amulet, which is astronomically more useful than making your favorite spells more common, which is what 90% of the other amulets do. The only other time I used another amulet was on the final boss on the hardest difficulty, and that was just because he drained your health so quickly in his tiny arena, even the 3-extra hearts weren't as useful as crits on fireballs, which could wipe the whole tiny stage clear. I get the developers wanted the pure action to be the main challenge, and leveling would dilute that, so why have a leveling system at all, or just make it impact the way you play instead of just directly making you stronger. Like making your spells do twice as much damage, and slowly regenerating spells without vases, but giving up your melee attack altogether, or making you do twice melee damage, but halving your health. But now I'm just daydreaming, what we do have in reality is a fantastic game. I love how it makes you value spells and really think about when to use them, I love the clever use of dashing and charging to give you incredible mobility of the battle-field, I love the above-average writing (it's not THE BEST THING EVER, but it will make you chuckling consistently), I love how it conveys a much darker backstory while still keeping the tone light, and I love how it gives me a play experience better than most other games I own on a portable device. Other than just hovering around my 8 or 9 favorite game slot, this shows promise that console quality games like itself and maybe NOVA 3 and Asphalt 8 are making their way onto iOS, if games like this garner up enough attention, there might be more where this came from! Other than those missed opportunities, its a super-solid, well-paced, clever, good-looking, and all-around sexy action game that surpasses the limitations of it's platform. This would easily be a 10-15 dollar game on any other platform, so stop being a cheap-scape and buy it!… Full Review »
  2. rolex
    Mar 25, 2014
    5
    Starts off a lot of fun but becomes repetitive and overly difficult as the game progresses.

    Health potions too far and few between, too    Starts off a lot of fun but becomes repetitive and overly difficult as the game progresses.

    Health potions too far and few between, too much dying for me. Maybe better for people who don't mind dying 10,000 times in a row but I dislike it as a novice casual gamer.

    Waste of money, no difficulty settings means I won't ever play it again    … Full Review »
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