Gauntlet Dark Legacy

"A Game Best Played With Friends"

Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is one of the few GameCube games out right now set in a traditional fantasy world and with RPG elements. This is bound to attract gamers hungry for this type of game. However, this isn't a true RPG by any means. It is straight hack and slash with RPG elements.

You will embark on a quest through several different worlds, each with their own theme and several levels, including world bosses. The worlds include forests, mountains, castles, etc. On your quest, you will have to search for crystals and symbols scattered throughout the levels, which you will need to unlock other areas. Hidden runestones will also be required in order to complete the game. While making your way through the various levels you will fight through a gazillion monsters and accumulate experience. As you advance in levels, your stats will improve and your appearance will change.

There are 8 playable characters, not including unlockable secret characters, each with their own look and starting stats. The fighting system is well done. Your characters can launch projectiles from afar or move in and execute combos in hand to hand combat. Along with these techniques, a turbo bar will allow you to perform powerful turbo attacks every once in a while. You can also find or buy magic potions that can be used to perform various magic attacks. Many other useful items can be used as well on your journey.

Along with the constant action, there are puzzles to be solved in order to find everything. These puzzles are so simplistic that they can hardly be called puzzles. They mostly involve thoroughly checking every area by pressing every switch, unlocking every gate, and searching for breakable walls.

The game's dated graphics are not especially bad, but they won't blow you away. The sound is no more than average quality either.

The enjoyment you get out of this game depends mostly on one factor. Are you playing alone or with friends? Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is one of the wildest party games available for GameCube right now. I had more fun with this in multi player than Super Smash Bros. Melee. And that is saying a lot. Therefore, if you have a group of friends who will play with you frequently, this game deserves a rating higher than I have given it.

However, the single player has better games to spend his time on unless repetitive hack and slash action is his cup of tea. Many players will learn that running around in maze-like areas and fighting their way through the same old hordes of bad guys can only hold their interest for so long. One play through is probably enough for the average gamer.

The replay value is better than average due to all the different classes you can play as. They all play a little differently although not nearly as differently as the classes of a game like Diablo 2. They differ in stats, appearance, and attacks(mainly turbo and combo attacks). That is about it, however. As an added reward, each character changes their appearance slightly every 10 levels. Whether all of this is enough to warrant another play through the game(or perhaps 8 play throughs) depends on how satisfied the player is with this type of game.

To sum it all up, this game is one of the best multi-player games on the system, but those planning to play alone should rent it to find out if it is worth buying.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/02, Updated 03/11/02