Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 38
  2. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Sep 26, 2014
    90
    Few games can come close to creating the same mayhem and excitement as Gauntlet can.
  2. 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. 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.
  4. Oct 4, 2014
    80
    Arrowhead has managed to capture the essence of the original Gauntlet in this fast and fun co-op experience.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Sep 29, 2014
    78
    This great game reborn, full of fun and action, with an outstanding coop multiplayer.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    75
    It’s a shame Gauntlet’s visuals are not as wonderful as its gameplay. [Dec 2014, p.75]
  13. Oct 6, 2014
    72
    Gauntlet for PC is a fun walk down memory lane and successfully recreates the best elements of the original 1985 game!
  14. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 2, 2014
    70
    Gauntlet needs DLC. Badly. Still, good fun in the short term. [Issue#255, p.54]
  15. Nov 13, 2014
    70
    The newest installment in the Gauntlet franchise is a lot of fun, and the gameplay is strongly reminiscent of classic gaming, while taking advantage of some modern conventions.
  16. Oct 14, 2014
    70
    Loot system and character progression are too simple for this hack'n'slash to stand out, but the new Gauntlet can be funny if played in co-op with three friends.
  17. Oct 14, 2014
    70
    Gauntlet is a fun dungeon crawler to play with a friend or two. Too bad the game is not very long. It is not very deep as well, but for people that just want to hack away relentlessly, Gauntlet is a good buy.
  18. Oct 10, 2014
    70
    If you have the right group accompanying you, the amount of fun found in the repetitive stages is surprisingly high. Arrowhead delivers a solid Gauntlet experience that stays true to the old (and sometimes not very well aged) formula while adding a few modern sprinkles.
  19. Oct 8, 2014
    70
    I would say pick it up, but if you do, try to at least convince one or two friends to pick it up with you. You’ll all have a more enjoyable time together.
  20. Oct 7, 2014
    70
    A good remake of the original. Perhaps not the greatest game ever, but surely a good way to have fun with some friends.
  21. Oct 7, 2014
    70
    Gauntlet is a dungeon crawling/ hack 'n' slash game that revisits the 80’s Arcade all-time classic, offering immerse co-op fun and using distinctive gameplay mechanics for each of the four available classes/ characters.
  22. Oct 6, 2014
    70
    Arrowhead made a very true-to-source Gauntlet game, no doubt, but the source is 30 years old, and could use some modern accouterments. Gauntlet is as much fun as it has ever been, but it'll get old fast for those who still remember slogging through the original.
  23. Oct 2, 2014
    70
    Gauntlet is nothing more than a modest cycle of action, never selling itself as a self-important well of features.
  24. Sep 30, 2014
    70
    It's still a very engaging (couch) co-op experience, until routine sets in and you have to throw in something else for a bit. Still, the good news is, Gauntlet's saga is not quite over yet.
  25. Sep 29, 2014
    70
    There’s definitely a charming old-school spark to this reboot, but without anything beyond the constant monster mashing and levels that seem to blend together, you may find yourself needing excitement badly.
  26. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 25, 2014
    68
    One of the major Gauntlet’ problems is a small amount of content. Game offers just three locations divided into four levels with three short stages in each that could be finished in a couple of evenings at a leisurely pace. And then Gauntlet asks to repeat the same thing at the next difficulty level. [Nov 2014, p.76]
  27. Sep 26, 2014
    68
    Gauntlet can't quite strike the balance between the nostalgic arcade experience and a modern-day replay-friendly adventure. It's cool that there's such a varied experience amongst the iconic quartet of heroes, and four-player co-op is almost always fun with the right crew, but its repetitive structure works against its longevity.
  28. Oct 18, 2014
    65
    The cooperative/competitive system on which the game is based is pretty interesting, but simplistic mechanics and lack of variety are an hard obstacle to overcome. Also, playing it alone is a chore.
  29. Oct 19, 2014
    62
    This remake will hardly attain a cult status – ever.
  30. Nov 8, 2014
    60
    Under the right set of circumstances, though, the game can be fun thanks to its varied classes and trolling-heavy metagame. Shooting the food with three friends can still be a great time, but you’ll have to temper your expectations.
  31. Oct 6, 2014
    60
    Gauntlet is very friendly in multiplayer and offers simple and efficient system. However, it can be quickly repetitive and it's not always fun for only one player.
  32. Oct 1, 2014
    60
    The classic Gauntlet comes back with a dungeon crawler style and a lot of hours of fun and combat. You will miss communication tools and a better camera.
  33. Sep 29, 2014
    60
    A game that seems stuck in an uncomfortable middle ground, harboring more intricacy and challenge than the Gauntlet pedigree implies, but too bare-bones of a package to stand tall next to the action role-playing games currently competing for your time.
  34. Sep 29, 2014
    60
    Despite the missteps, Arrowhead's Gauntlet is a dungeon-crawler that understands the action's at its most thrilling when four players are piled in together, helping each other through the fight - and giving each other a hard time when they think that nobody's looking.
  35. Oct 7, 2014
    50
    Gauntlet is not a roaring return for the arcade classic, nor is it a critical failure.
  36. Oct 6, 2014
    50
    Even if you're desperate for a PC game to play with friends, it'll take a major content patch or expansion for this to be a worthy experience, much less live up to its name.
  37. Oct 1, 2014
    50
    Gauntlet needs fun, badly.
  38. Sep 29, 2014
    50
    It’s certainly not the worst Gauntlet revamp there’s ever been, but there’s too little substance or variety to satisfy either new fans or old.
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 184 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 30 out of 184
  1. 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. 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. 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 »