Gauntlet Dark Legacy is a remake of the original that I grew up playing. It deserves respect not ridicule.
During the days when I just a wee 5th grader I had a Nintendo 64 and one of the games that I had was Gauntlet Legends! I remember that it was a Christmas present and one of the best games that I ever played! The first time I ever played this game was on an Arcade system at this place called Putt-Putt, a generic Chucky Cheese! I did not get very far but I made sure that this game would be on my Christmas wish list! So, years later on March 6th 2002 I heard of a remake called Gauntlet Dark Legacy. That title brought back cherished memories of my childhood and I sought out to get it! It has been many years since I even decided to review it! But Midway you deserve it because I am still a die-hard fan of that one game that impressed me! Well... here goes the review!!!
If you remember, Skorn the 13th demon was summoned foolishly out of the underworld by Sumner's stupid brother Garm! He had assembled the 13 Runestones in the hopes of controlling the wicked demon! But Skorn broke free of Garm's control and crushed his sorry ass! He then unleashed his minions across lands and scattered the 13 Runestones across 8 Realms. Now you must embark on a journey not only to recover the runestones but to save the world from Skorn! So your quest begins anew!
Gameplay: You have the heroic duty of selecting one out 4 heroes and some new ones! Let me break it down:
Red Warrior & Dwarf: Red Warrior is from the original and the Dwarf is a brand new character thanks to Dark Legacy! Both boost great strength in hand to hand combat but both lack speed. Magic really isn't that good ether but still choosing one will serve you well if you are a beginner!
Blue Valkery & Blue Knight: The Blue Valkery is another character from the classic and the Blue Knight is just brand new and my personal favorite choice! Both characters boost great Armor and Magic but lack speed. They are the most balanced characters in game to me! They can withstand hoards of nasty monsters and magic gets even better depending on what level you are! Another great choice for beginners but they might have to deal with slow running!
Yellow Wizard & The Sorceress: The Yellow Wizard is old school! He was the first character I ever choose playing this game! Both boost in Magic like no tomorrow but they are slow moving, armor less, and there strength just sucks! These are characters for people who like to run and hide while they quickly charge for special attacks! A risky choice for beginners! But I did well with them! I never really liked the Sorceress though...
And finally, The Green Archer &Gesture
If you remember the Archer is another classic character with a speedy comeback. And so is her new friend Gesture the clown! Both are fast as hell and boost great magic! But strength and armor just don't cut it! They are perfect characters for just getting the hell out of the way of nasty monsters! During boss fights they are the first to go! Not a good choice for beginners but someone must play as one! Am I right?
Well, I have pretty much summed up the strengths and weakness of the characters. Your main goal is to just hack and slash your way through monsters destroying generators where they come out of. And making sure you don't miss Runestones and Legendary Items. Usually a 3D cut scene will pop up before you enter a level with a legendary item. Weaken the bosses with legendary items and defeat them and you will recover a shard to restore the portal to the Desacred Temple where Skorn apparently is hiding.
Graphics: Descent but nothing to right home about. They've changed a little bit since I last saw them however. The 3D environments have been polished up but still look sort of the same. The bosses are better in this one too. Character graphics could be better though. New enemies have been added in this one as some new items. You are still collecting keys to open chests and you are still able to buy items in the new and improved item store but the new inventory system needs allot of work!!!!
Music: One of the reasons I like this game is because of the soundtrack for the levels! This game changes up in music and atmosphere as well as environment with each passing level throwing you something new in each level and world! It's just a shame that the graphics aren't as good as I thought!
Value: Multiplayer value it does have and it has a reputation of being a classic but it's the just graphics that make it all pear shaped...!
Overall: Gauntlet Dark Legacy always has a special place in my gaming heart regardless of its many faults. It's a shame that Midway just can't pull off something more epic with this dyeing series. Gauntlet needs help and bad! But I'll always be a fan of Dark Legacy as it is a remake of a childhood memory that I played and enjoyed again and again.