Gauntlet Dark Legacy

"Repetitive, yes. Fun? Definitely. But repetitive."

Gauntlet Dark Legacy. Sequel to Gauntlet Legends, which was bashed by many reviewers. This game has been as well (read gamespot's review) but I still enjoy it a lot.

Story: An evil sorcerer has let loose a horrible demon which overthrew him and took control. With the help of a good sorcerer you must banish the baddies in many different worlds. It's pretty basic, in fact, I think it's the same story from the game for the N64.

Graphics: Nothing outstanding, nothing abysmal. Fair character design, decent areas, the monsters aren't that great however. It's average, I find they could have expanded a lot more. They didn't fully use the Gamecube's capabilities.

Sound: What do you expect? Medieval sound effects with a good soundtrack and a very annoying announcer.

Gameplay: First of all you pick one of many different classes to be. Some examples are Warrior, Sorceress and Jester. They all have the same basic concept for attacking except for different combos. There are also tons of special items for you to find in chests (after they are unlocked with keys of course) and barrels. And there is magic which comes in the form of potions. The classes are similar, other than appearance, combos and stats. You are walking around in a world with a potentially endless stream of enemies mulling about. There are the standard grunts, much tougher generals, archers, bombers (who hurl bombs) and also golems and gargoyles. At the end of each world you pass through you will encounter a boss. This concept is pretty fun, but incredibly repetitive. It doesn't get as old or as boring as games like Rampage, but it's fun factor does diminish. Where this game shines is it's multiplayer. It's insanely fun yet frustrating playing with more than one person. The frustration isn't due to a design flaw, but simply because you and your friends will fight over items. And although repetitive, I am forced to admit that it is also addictive. Very addictive. You will find yourself constantly wanting to level up. Oh, and there are little bonuses here and there, like gaining a little flying partner at around level 25.

Replayability: Low for 1 player, but fairly good for multiplayer. Since the game is pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, it begins to lose it's replayability near halfway through. I make the game sound bad don't I? With 2 or 3 players you will probably finish, don't worry. Train up your characters and duel with your friends to see who is the best.

Buy or rent: Rent, not enough value to buy. A great party for you and some friends, especially three friends. It gets the Me seal of approval for a quick weekend rental.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/02, Updated 04/20/02