Reborn

Classic Gauntlet.  Elf needs food badly!

It has become a trend in movies and games to take something old and rework it into a newer, hopefully better incarnation.  I don't know that this is always necessarily a good thing for movies, but it seems to be working for games.  Recently I finished a rebirthed version of the 1980's classic RPG Wasteland.  Now, thanks to a generous gift from my little brother, I am revisiting another classic arcade game that I actually played on an arcade machine.  I have many memories of playing Gauntlet in my uncle's basement and now I can play it from the comfort of my own PC.

I have only spent a couple of hours playing this reworked version of Gauntlet, but I can tell that they really tried to capture the essence of the original.  You can still choose from one of four playable classes--warrior, valkyrie, elf, or wizard.  Each class has it's own distinct playstyle--the warrior slashes through enemies and can use a spinning move to mow them down, the valkyrie wields a shield and spear and can block enemy attacks, the elf is a ranged class and can snipe enemies from afar and use a bomb to take out large groups, and the wizard uses a series of different magic attacks to roast, freeze, or zap enemies.

Once you've chosen your character the game is very much like the classic.  You must navigate a series of dungeons filled with hordes of bad guys. As in the previous game there are summoning stones that continually spawn large groups of enemies and must be taken out.  In your journey your goal is to collect gold as you slay your way forward.  There are locked doors that require you to find keys and exploding barrels that can be used to blast open weak walls.  Beside your companions your old nemesis, death, is present and often chases you throughout the dungeon.  It's fairly easy to avoid, but can be tricky in some places.  At the end of each set of dungeons there is a special boss that must be slain.  After you have finished a set of dungeons you can use the gold you have found to purchase special relics that give you additional powers for a short period of time.  These powers use potions that are found throughout the dungeons and can be a lifesaver in sticky situations.  Like the arcade classic you only have so many lives in the form of skull coins which are obtained from killing enemies, and you must use your coins to be reborn if you die.

Gauntlet can be played solo, but is much more enjoyable when played with friends.  Steam offers a special deal to get four copies for the price of three.  I have played three of the four playable classes and settled on the valkyrie as my favorite.  Her shield throw ability is amazing but takes some aiming practice to get right.  The wizard appears to be the most challenging class and switching spells on the fly is tough.

If you're looking for a decently priced fun game to play with your friends or have a special connection to this classic arcade game, you should check out this reworked version of Gauntlet.