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Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: Midway
Genre: Action
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 06 Mar 02
User Rating
10 (2 votes) -
More Screens (5 total)
Overview
The #1 hack-n-slash RPG has finally come home to the 'Cube. Equipped with an awesome multiplayer mode, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy allows you and up to three friends play through the entire game together! That's pretty amazing, especially when you consider the fact that this is the only GameCube game available with such a unique feature. Actually, I can't think of any game -- on any system -- that allows four players to beat the game together, except for the Gauntlet series.
One of the best things about Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is its length. You definitely won't be able to beat this game in one sitting!
Gameplay
The analog stick has been programmed to detect even the slightest of movements. It's easy to take out an onslaught of undead enemies by gently pressing the stick in the direction of the enemy. Throw an axe at him and say farewell, then turn a little to the left and unleash your weapons on the nearby grave. Once the grave is gone, no more enemies can come out, trapping them in their "dirty" home below the ground (pun intended). There are several graves in the first stage though, and many other portals that enemies can respawn from in the later levels. So it's impossible to take out the portals as quickly as possible to ensure that no more enemies will appear.
If this is your first time playing Gauntlet, be sure to turn on the compass from the options screen. It will come in handy more than once, I guarantee it. The levels -- no, scratch that -- every stage in the game is lengthy. They all have several twists and turns and many hidden power-ups. Finding your way out of these gigantic mazes can be VERY difficult, especially if you're a gamer like me who won't leave a stage without collecting every item first. The compass won't tell you where the items are, but it will help guide you to the end of the stage.
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy grows on you over time. A very short period of time, that is. I started out liking Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, and ended up loving it after only an hour of play. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy features the same great gameplay that made it such a hit in the arcade. Thankfully, you don't have to keep inserting money into your GameCube to keep playing -- just buy the game and it's yours to play as much as you want. Of course, you could always charge your friends to play...
Graphics
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy looks better than ever on the 'Cube. GameCube allowed the developers to increase the resolution, giving the game a crisper and clearer appearance. Explosions are bright and colorful (or green and hazy, if you attack or bump into one of the deadly green barrels). All of the characters have really fluid animation, and in some cases they look better than their arcade counterparts.
Fun Factor
There are hundreds of games that allow you to slice and dice your friends, but only one GameCube game features a cooperative multiplayer mode -- Gauntlet: Dark Legacy. Whether you play through the game alone or with three friends, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is hack-n-slash gaming at its best. There's so much more than just "hacking and slashing." Every character has the ability to level up by earning experience points. You accumulate experience points every time you attack an enemy. As your level goes up, so does your strength, energy and other attributes. Some magic spells can be cast to eliminate a large number of enemies at once, while others can be used to protect yourself from being attacked. Diversity is one of the game's strongest assets. Midway always crams a lot of replay value into their games, and Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is no exception. Big Ape Productions deserves some credit too for converting this game to the 'Cube without changing any of the things that made the original game so good.
Overall
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is the best hack-n-slasher ever made! The RPG elements are awesome. Midway has done an amazing job of creating a game that never gets boring. Thousands of enemies will stand in your way to victory, and you'll have a blast killing every one of 'em. The health-depleting time limit has been removed, allowing you to explore each stage for as long as you want. Just when you think the game can't get any better, it does! Plug in four controllers and invite three friends over to play one of the most exciting multiplayer games on the 'Cube. No other hack-n-slasher can compare. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is the king of the genre. It always has been and always will be. Head down to your local game shop and pick up this game as soon as you can. If you don't have any extra GameCube controllers, pick up a few of those, too. Then go home and enjoy the arcade gaming goodness.
- Gameplay
8.0 - Graphics
8.0 - Fun Factor
8.0 - Overall
8.0
