Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows Reviews

A large batch of new reviews for Midway’s Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows hit the web over the last couple of weeks. The first is at BonusStage with an overall score of 8.2/10:

The minimalist twist to Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows may turn of those gamers looking for depth, but the game really does pull you in with some great visuals and slick combo moves. Those more open-minded players who just want to dive into the game and groove on leveling up and slaughtering waves of enemies will love what’s here while the purists or deluded sort expecting the second coming of Baldur’s Gate will get their fur ruffled about half an hour or so into the action. Since i’ll always be a Gauntlet fan no matter what, I’m actually hoping that Seven Sorrows does well enough for Midway to do a follow up concentrating more on making it a multi-tiered gameplay experience that allows for a lot more customization and character interactivity. I’m not talking MMORPG-like depth here, folks; just the ultimate version of Gauntlet that’s got more tasty meat on its bones than what’s here. Seven Sorrows is a very good restart for the long-running franchise, but let’s see what happens when the developers really let their creative juices flow.

The second is at Netjak with an overall score of 3/10:

Simply put, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is a game that attempts to capture the charm of the original Gauntlet games by simplifying the gameplay, but unfortunately, it does too good of a job in simplifying the game to the point where it’s barely worth playing. Normally, I can have a good time with a multiplayer hack and slash game regardless of how minimalist the gameplay is, but Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows takes away so much that playing the game just seems pointless, and it’s over before it can even be classified as mindless fun. At the end of the day, Gauntlet may have seven sorrows, but I only have one: that Midway allowed this great franchise to deteriorate to this point.

The third is at GameZone with an overall score of 7.0/10:

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows ends up being a straight-forward hack-and-slash action game that isn’t a bad way to spend it with friend but if you’re looking for the next evolutionary step in the genre this isn’t it. Still, with solid action, decent levels and loads of monsters, the game is still fun enough for new fans as well as those who fondly remember the original.

The fourth is at JustPressPlay with an overall score of 6.3/10:

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is a rental at best. Definitely not something to go out and spend your money on for lack of time to complete and replay value.

The fifth is at Game Vortex with an overall score of 84%:

Overall, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows doesn’t feel like much of a step forward for the series. Yes, it’s a fun melee combat game, but it just isn’t all that great.

The sixth is at Game Revolution with an overall score of “D+”:

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows reworks a couple of the shortcomings of its predecessor, but has gleaned nothing from its ancestry. The winding dungeon crawl the franchise defined long ago has been replaced with a lifeless linear action game’s dash, one which will hopefully get back on the track its forefathers fought so hard to gain. Someone, it seems, shot the food again.

The seventh is at Inside Pulse with an overall score of 3/10:

I would not, under any circumstances, suggest this game to anyone. It is a boring hack-n-slash game that really has nothing enjoyable in it. The graphics and environments are pretty good at times, but that doesn’t make it fun. This is the type of game I wouldn’t spend $10 on in the bargain bin, and I wish I had those 5 hours of my life back that I spent playing it.

The eighth is at Happy Puppy with an overall score of 6.8/10:

Despite the pathetic storyline, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is a worthy sequel to a franchise that was in dire need of an update. Let’s just hope that future versions will include the ability to obtain new weapons and armor.

The ninth is at GameShark with an overall score of “D”:

My recommendation to players wanting a good hack and slash game is to wait for the next Gauntlet and hope they learn from their mistakes, or purchase a copy of Champions of Norrath or Baldur’s Gate.

And the tenth is at USA Today with an overall score of 6/10:

Overall, Gauntlet’s latest incarnation is fun at first, and may leave some veteran gamers feeling nostalgic. Seven Sorrows, however, does little to keep the franchise as engaging as the original.