Gauntlet Dark Legacy
Xbox
Developer: Midway
Publisher: Midway
Release Date: 2002
Rated: T for Teen
It seems strange to refer to the Xbox as a "retro" system. Certainly it is not in the classic sense of the word or the way the NES or Genesis, or even the Saturn and original PlayStation are, but it is, in fact, almost ten years old.
By the time Gauntlet Dark Legacy, a port of the popular 4-player arcade game, was releases on Microsoft's first foray into the home console market, it was already several years old and it showed. The Xbox quickly established itself as a graphical powerhouse, but Dark Legacy did nothing to support this, looking only marginally better than the Dreamcast port of Gauntlet Legends (itself more of an amalgam of Legends and Dark Legacy) or the previously released PlayStation 2 port.
Midway must have been banking on the fact that the game's built-in 4-player co-op would be enough to attract gamers looking for a fun title to play with friends, but the strategy didn't quite pay off. Dark Legacy got torn apart by most reviewers - many of whom reviewed earlier ports favorably - and was sadly forgotten about.
It's a shame because, for all its flaws and unattractive warts, Gauntlet Dark Legacy is still one of the most fun co-op games ever made, and a superb update to an arcade classic.
I first encountered a Gauntlet Legends machine in the same bar/pool hall/arcade I discovered Crazy Taxi at. Myself and several friends from work would go there after late shifts and hang out, and the group of us quickly took a shine to any machine that allowed for us all to play together. With its innovative PIN number system, we were even able to save our characters and pick up where we left off on repeat trips.
Since then, I have purchased Gauntlet Legends and/or Dark Legacy four separate times - once on the Nintendo 64, the Dreamcast, the PS2, and the Xbox - and each time I sunk countless hours into them. The Xbox version was the last to be released and though you'd never know it from its 52% aggregate score at GameRankings, it's easily the best, containing all the levels and hidden characters from the arcade version, as well as some of the new features added for previous console versions.
I'm not going to lie - Gauntlet Dark Legacy is an ugly game. It was ugly in 2002, and it's even uglier now. Low polygon counts result in blocky character models that lack detail, and most of the textures look very muddy. The animation is stiff, especially for the enemies, and special effects and lighting are certainly nothing to write home about.
It seems most reviewers focused on these aspects when reviewing Dark Legacy upon its release, but neglected to point out that, despite the hideous veneer, the game underneath was still a whole heck of a lot of fun. Adding more playings multiplies that further, and when played with a full compliment of four people, you have one of the best co-op experiences on the original Xbox.
Gauntlet has never been a particularly deep game and its arcade roots are definitely visible, but the Xbox (and GameCube) version has a few changes to help make it feel more like a console title. These changes, minor though they may be, also help to improve the game's single player experience, such as the ability to store inventory items for later use, as opposed to the instant-use power-ups of the arcade and PS2 versions.
Each of the game's eight worlds has a unique theme, and there are over 40 rather large levels to explore, with plenty of secrets tucked away in each. Though it's best played with extra people, Dark Legacy's light RPG elements and well of content make it addictive enough to keep you playing well into the night.
Gameplay hasn't changed much over the years. Each player still picks one of four basic classes, though each class has been given a slightly altered counterpart this time - Warrior/Dwarf, Archer/Jester, Wizard/Sorceress, and Valkyrie/Knight - and then traverses the levels battling legions of enemies who will constantly respawn unless you destroy the generator they stem from. Magic potions can be picked up to aid you in clearing the screen, keys will unlock doors and treasure chests, and scattered food will restore life.
As you complete levels, your characters will earn experience points and level up. At certain milestones, you'll gain additional bonuses, such as a familiar that hovers nearby and attacks enemies. A few additional attacks were added to Dark Legacy, though for the most part you'll find it's just best to hold down the standard attack button.
Of course it wouldn't be a Gauntlet game without a booming announcer's voice warning you when you're about to die, or praising your heroic efforts slaying a particularly strong beastie. Voices can be fuzzy - like they were recorded too loud - but generally charming, and some of the sound effects (like muffled screams inside of coffins in one level) are clever. The music is also appropriate for each stage, whether its a dank dungeon or a giant castle.
All this praise isn't meant to suggest reviewers got it completely wrong. Dark Legacy does have numerous flaws, beyond its unattractive graphics. The arcade-style gameplay lacks depth when compared with other action-RPGs like the PlayStation 2's Champions of Norrath series, or even Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and that may be a turn off for players looking for more than bashing endless streams of enemies. Several glitches and bugs also hinder the experience, especially the inventory glitch that occurs each time you turn the game on that causes your inventory to be invisible unless you activate then deactivate each item.
Bosses can also be annoyingly difficult, and are next to impossible without finding the secret weapons hidden away in each world to give you an edge. Each weapon is automatically used against a specific boss, but they're found out of order (meaning you may not find the weapon to defeat the first realm's boss until the third realm), forcing you to wait until you've cleared all the standard stages then tackling each boss stage in succession - almost like a boss rush mode, but by necessity.
How much you enjoy Gauntlet Dark Legacy may rely on whether or not you've played the arcade version. It's certainly an underwhelming Xbox game from a technical aspect, but having been enamored with the arcade original, I found myself loving the console version just as much and still play it regularly whenever I get the urge. If you're looking for a good party game, you could certainly do much worse.
Great game. I do not usually play it as a single player. I have lots of friend, having Dark Legacy and for us it is definitely an asset. Thanks for the delightful write up!
Posted by: Geonis | February 02, 2012 at 09:05 AM