Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows

"Classic Gauntlet fun but with little worthwhile added content."

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is not exactly what the title says it is, in both traditional Gauntlet games and the "Seven" aspect.

The plot revolves around an Emperor's "Seven Sorrows" which the four Hero's: Wizard, Elf, Valkyrie, and Warrior; must right with their various abilities. And while the game stays true to the main style, there are too many minute changes and not enough major ones.

The leveling up aspect remains the same; kill enough enemies, and you'll get stronger. However, the ability to buy items using Gold found throughout the levels has been exchanged for a shop where you can buy new powers which are used by pressing the X, A, and Y buttons in various configurations. Unfortunately, you can buy all the upgrades before you are halfway through the game.

Do you remember how your Gauntlet: Legends Characters would change appearance when they reached a certain level? Well, in Seven Sorrows, you find Weapon and Armor upgrades in chests throughout the levels, which do the same thing. And while the new weapons are quite appealing, the armor upgrades merely make your character look bulky and ungainly.

Despite the fact that the game is called "Seven Sorrows", there are only six levels, each made up of a few sub-levels. Gone is the ability to choose which mission you embark on; SS is more linear based than any of it's predecessors.

For a game on the XBOX, you would assume that the cut scenes would be magnificent works of art, right? Wrong. The videos at the beginning of each level are done in various shades of brown, and picture no movement other than the panning of the camera. It's all still photos with the voice of the Emperor explaining the next level. Unimpressive is a bit of an understatement in this situation.

But even though this game is riddled with insults to the Gauntlet name, it is still a hack-and-slash Gauntlet game, and as such does have an appeal to those characters who have played the other games. Enemies still appear through portals that you have to destroy in order to stop the flow. The puzzles are still fairly simple, opting to stay with a "pull a switch" or "press a button to move on" vibe about it.

All in all, it is a fairly decent game that deserves to be noted, and while it may not be anywhere close to the best game in the series, it is still a good game to play at least once.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/10/06