Top down dungeon crawler that was ahead of its time
Gauntlet remains highly addictive, easy to learn to play and always impressive, even after all these years. The style, graphically, is the 8 bit one, as you'd expect from an 1985 game, but the playability, the design and the variety are really a lot of years ahead of the period. How does Gauntlet manage it? Well, it brings forth a large array of enemies, both quantitatively as well as qualitatively, but it also spikes the game up with simple and yet nicely done dungeons, that make hunting, dodging and running away really exciting. Its, however, the feeling that in the next corner you're going to find some really cool lot that is going to keep you playing, and it is this that is at the heart of the game, the feeling that you're always one step away from finding something worthwhile. Oh, boy, and you're sure gonna need all the help you get, as the difficulty gets tough quickly. But, when there are many enemies around there are also ways to escape, most often, though, at times you are going to have to reload. But that is the beauty of the game, always being on your toes, a bit scared, a bit excited that your luck is going to change. So, if you want an action crawler, top down style, fast paced and adrenaline filled, Gauntlet will do it. This is a classic worth revisiting.
