Gauntlet (2014)

 PC
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. GamingTrend
    Sep 26, 2014
    90
    Few games can come close to creating the same mayhem and excitement as Gauntlet can.
  2. Hardcore Gamer
    Sep 25, 2014
    90
    Much like a jalopy can become a classic, Arrrowhead has beautifully restored Gauntlet to its former glory and made it something you’ll be proud to take a spin in. Ride on, Gauntlet fans.
  3. Gaming Age
    Sep 29, 2014
    83
    What I’m trying to say is that with Gauntlet, Arrowhead proved you could go home again. You could revisit old territory.
  5. IncGamers
    Oct 4, 2014
    80
    Arrowhead has managed to capture the essence of the original Gauntlet in this fast and fun co-op experience.
  6. Destructoid
    Sep 26, 2014
    80
    Gauntlet is a polished game that does right by its predecessors. It's a great mix of both old and new school sensibilities, and despite the fact that the art style isn't as pronounced as it could have been, the actual core of the game is very sound.
  7. Shacknews
    Sep 24, 2014
    80
    Gauntlet is the perfect party game. It brings people together while tearing them apart. There's fast action that's easy to pick up for more casual players, and a decent selection of relics for players that want to make to experiment with ways to make their character an unstoppable loot grabbing killing machine.
  8. GameTrailers
    Sep 29, 2014
    79
    An accessible co-op dungeon crawler that's at its best with a group of friends. It may be on the shorter side, but while it lasts it's an unpredictable and memorable experience.
  9. Vandal
    Sep 29, 2014
    78
    This great game reborn, full of fun and action, with an outstanding coop multiplayer.
  10. COGconnected
    Sep 29, 2014
    77
    Probably my biggest gripe with the game was the number of bugs we encountered. These ranged from being stuck behind a door, to the end-screen not generating the stats and gold bars. They were usually just minor annoyances, but happened just a bit too frequently.
  11. Digital Chumps
    Sep 29, 2014
    76
    For $20, you can do a lot worse, but to find a game this instantly accessible and fun, you may be harder pressed to find.
  12. GameCritics
    Feb 25, 2015
    75
    In an era where action-RPGs are chock-full of skill trees, obscene amounts of loot, myriad spells and skills, the back-to-the-basics approach in Gauntlet is a breath of fresh air.
  13. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    75
    It’s a shame Gauntlet’s visuals are not as wonderful as its gameplay. [Dec 2014, p.75]
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Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
65
#65 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 184 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 101 out of 184
  2. Mixed: 53 out of 184
  3. Negative: 30 out of 184
  1. Thaeru
    Sep 23, 2014
    6
    Generic, that's the word I'd use. While Gauntlet might've created the genre and I've got fond memories of the classics, the game's repetitiveGeneric, that's the word I'd use. While Gauntlet might've created the genre and I've got fond memories of the classics, the game's repetitive nature and less-than-stellar enemy design leaves one to become bored quite quickly.

    The game's saving grace is the chaotic nature of multiplayer, it's restricted camera and competitive cooperative nature leads to a few extra hours of enjoyment but it'll eventually stagnate and you'd lose all motivation to keep going down to the next floor.

    Decent buy if you're nostalgic about the old gauntlets but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise.    … Full Review »
  2. Drahsid
    Sep 23, 2014
    10
    This is an amazing reboot, great game, lots of fun, with more features coming soon!
    I recommend you buy it now, especially if you like arcade    This is an amazing reboot, great game, lots of fun, with more features coming soon!
    I recommend you buy it now, especially if you like arcade dungeon crawlers, as the series is the granddaddy of them.
    #NeedFoodBadly    … Full Review »
  3. draulxx
    Sep 24, 2014
    6
    The developers put to much of their own game "Magicka" into this new Gauntlet game. Those whom were huge fans of the previous games likelyThe developers put to much of their own game "Magicka" into this new Gauntlet game. Those whom were huge fans of the previous games likely wont enjoy this much. However if you were into Magicka you will likely have a great time. The wizard is basically magicka lite.

    The story is there but you kind of have to look for it which really pulls you out of the game. So this game should be avoided if your looking for a story. As for a party game , or a game to be played with friends or even on stream with friends this game will hold its own. It's not a 40-60$ game and therefore you get your monies worth.

    However it is not the Gauntlet that we all deserve. It is still however better than that "Thing" we call Sacred 3. However Sacred 3 is more of an rpg than this. You do no character building. There is no loot. Super limited on upgrades and most of which requires high difficulty play to even unlock.

    There are 4 characters / classes in the game. Warrior, Archer, Valkyrie, Wizard. The Wizard is a combo based spell caster. Adding different elements creates a different spell. It has more play style than anyone else and was very obviously inspired by Magicka, hence the Magicka LITE comment earlier.

    The Archer is the most mobile class and seemed to do a decent amount of aoe. The biggest thing you noticed is that you can actually move and attack which is extremely important when playing on higher difficulties. However as an archer you have a harder time destroying the monster spawners.

    The Warrior is a barbarian. Wielding an axe you chop like the best of em. Pretty generic, Decent survivablity but playing on harder difficulties ... is well... Hard as a melee oriented class. This is definitely the class that at best is meant for killing monster spawners.

    Then there is the Valkyrie. The tank. The Paladin... The avenger.... Yea , that's right. I said Avenger. She throws her shield like Captain America. She is pretty beefy, Can do a decent amount of aoe at melee and at range. Most importantly. She has a block. She is the best at survival. Can fight at melee or ranged. She is kind of a tank anyway. She has a shield and can block but takes a lot of damage. Use of all of the tools is required to play her.

    I stuck with the Archer while my co-op partner played a Valkyrie and then later swapped to Wizard. We played through the first door with no issues. However on the first floor of the second door we encountered a game HALTERING bug. Where the key we picked up did not actually acknowledge that we picked it up. However it was no longer in the game world and we could no longer progress. That was the stopping point for me. Once you hit a game breaking bug that rings bells.

    The Drastik Measure gives this game a 6/10    … Full Review »
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