Sorry for the delay in posting.
I recently aqcuired this game, being one of the ones I was looking for quite some time, and it didn't dissappoint. It's like a somewhat deeper Gauntlet game. Graphics are correct if a bit repetitive, and I wish gameplay was a bit less "arcade-y" at times, but that are about the only flaws of the game. Music is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and gives a great atmosphere to the game. My favorite themes are the tavern one (so relaxing), and a later one you can hear at some sort of crystal tower.
I love the fact you have so many characters (even hidden ones!) at your disposal, each with different magic, attacks and overall stats, it gives the game a great replay value. Length is ideal for me, at about 4-5 hours. As someone said, one of the best reasons to get a Turbotap, if you're lucky enough to have 4 friends who want to play with you.
PS: I find odd how stats are distributed between characters. The Fighter has a total of 34 points if I'm not mistaken, while other characters have about 25-26. That means that some characters need to beat more than half a game to be even with a starting Fighter!
Yes, I concur, DE adds depth to Gauntlet and, IMO, improves it. At a certain point Gauntlet can get tedious, but DE, with its ARPG-lite dressing, is all I need to be totally pleased (I have a
purpose for getting to the next stage! building up characters! Etc!
Don't get me wrong, I love Gauntlet. Addicted to it back in the day.
I never really examined the STATS too closely, and how they evolved over a career, but my experience led me to feel that a "good player" can survive a lot of situations, regardless of stats. This is assuming, of course, that a certain minimum level has been obtained relative to the challenge (for example, you have to be able to run pretty fast to escape El Tigre boss...I'm not sure if a party without AT LEAST ONE fast bastard will be able to beat him.
Which leads to my next point:
2+ player parties lead to such a different mode of playing, because you can play off each other's strengths (ONE character doesn't have to be a well-rounded super-power, as required in a single-player game). For example, take the scenario with El Tigre: as long as ONE person in your party can outrun him, and beat him, the entire party can progress (sure they miss leveling up crystal, but the game isn't over). I remember a few folks in our party (of five! Ha!) dying at El Tigre, but we didn't care, we were having fun and yeah, it sucked a little (to forgo an opportunity to level-up with a CUTE CRYSTAL), but we didn't want to stop.
Topic: (7/17/2014 - 7/23/2014) Game of the Week: Dungeon Explorer (Read 662 times)