Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows – XB – Review

A Wizard, a
Warrior, a Valkyrie and an Elf walk into a dungeon … this isn’t the start of a
joke only Tolkien fans would find funny but rather the situation that four
champions of good find themselves in as they band together to stop the evil
forces once again. This is the same situation the same four have been in before
when it was an ’80s arcade game called Gauntlet. Several years later, the
series returns with Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows for the Xbox. Ah, it’s just
great to get the old gang together for a good old-fashioned hack-and-slash
party.

Seven Sorrows
is a tale told
by the ghost of a fallen Emperor who, in his days, had the loyalty of the four
immortal heroes that served him well. Yet even he admits that greed and other
dark dealings had led him to commit unspeakable crimes, seven of them to be
exact (hence the title), with one of them being the ultimate betrayal of his
four champions. Tying them up and leaving them for dead in the Great Tree, he
regrets his crimes and quickly frees them in hopes that they will put right all
the evil he has unleashed on the Realm. Once again, the four heroes fight
against monsters, spirits and other magical hordes that will put up quite a
spectacular fight.

I should add
here that the original Gauntlet was a game best played with four players
in total, although you could play on your own. The reason: the game didn’t just
throw a handful of enemies at you but whole armies of them on the screen at
once. Seven Sorrows, on the other hand, does toss dozens of enemies at
you but not to an excessive degree as the original. What this means is that the
game can be comfortably played on your own but with the ability to play this one
using a single Xbox or through Xbox Live (complete with voice chat thanks to the
Xbox Communicator) you’ll really want to play this one with other players
assuming the role of the heroes.

Gameplay-wise,
nothing has really changed from the ’80s original. Depending on who you chose to
be you are tossed into the game’s level and will immediately be thrown into the
fray against a large number of foes. Even the monster generator, this time
appearing as a glowing shrine made of stone, is back so you’ll have to bring it
down if you want to stop the flow of monsters that come out of its mystic
portal. If you’re playing with others the hordes will feel less of a strain and,
much like the original, teamwork will get you through each level. Alone, though,
you’ll have to depend on your character’s unique abilities. The Warrior, for
instance, is a powerful hero who wields a battle axe and depends on his brawn to
survive. The Elf is less powerful but he is swift and uses his sword and bow
just as quickly. Meanwhile, the Valkyrie is acrobatic and can slice through
enemies with her short sword while the Wizard can cast a number of powerful
spells. Alone they’re tough but together they’re a force to be reckoned with.

What has
changed, though, is the fact that each character has a collection of combo moves
and specialty attacks. The Wizard now has an even wider selection of spells that
either knock enemies down, rain fire on them or pull them close enough for
Warrior or the Valkyrie to slash into them more easily. Like the arcade
original, the controls are simplistic since this is just a hack-and-slash game
after all. You’ll still go through level after level fighting off hordes while
discovering teleportation portals (remember those?) while opening treasure
chests, finding keys and smashing stuff. You can purchase upgrades for your
characters with the gold you find in treasure chests but they’re mainly to
upgrade armor, weapon and combos. While you do level up in experience, the
results are hardly noticeable like they are in most RPGs.

Graphically,
Seven Sorrows will not dazzle you with gorgeous Xbox graphics nor will it
impress you with detailed characters and monsters. We’ve seen games of similar
genre look much better than this but, for what it’s worth; the environments in
this game really stand out. With loads of environmental details, many of which
you can destroy, each level looks pretty good. The character models are decent
and the monsters, even the big ones, really could have been rendered a lot
better than this. At least the visual effects work nicely.

The game’s sound
is actually slightly better than the game’s Ok visuals, especially when it comes
to the game’s score. The soundtrack just works beautifully with the game’s
action and that it sounds wonderfully cinematic. There are even some excellent
sound effects, from the clanking of swords, the crumbling of fallen monster
generators and the breaking of shields and destructible environmental objects.
The Wizard’s spells even have that satisfying crackle while the Warrior’s growl
is a great touch. There’s even some voice acting in the beginning but mainly
you’ll hear a return of the announcer who will tell you who needs food and who
is about to die. Unfortunately, much like it did back in the day, the announcer
is way too annoying and, thanks to the new HUD that tells you if you’re low on
health, he’s not really necessary anymore.

In the end,
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is merely a simple hack-and-slash action game that’s
a worthwhile experience but it doesn’t really rise above the familiar 80s
formula that made this such a classic back in the day. Yes we’ve played better
games of similar genre – like Hunter: The Reckoning – but there’s a
reason the original Gauntlet shows up in everything from the PSP to the
Xbox 360. This is a classic that gets a slight gameplay and visual upgrade but
if you’re looking for something altogether new you won’t find it here.

Gameplay: 6.2
This is pure
hack-and-slash fare that, while slightly updated, hasn’t really changed from its
original source. The four characters don’t add a lot of variety unless you play
as the Wizard but there are lots of enemies to smash and its all the more fun
with a friend or, better yet, three of them.

Graphics: 7.0

While it’s not
the prettiest Xbox game you’ll play this year, the game does display some
excellent visual effects and the environments do look good. The character models
aren’t the most detailed but at least they do have their own distinct
personality.

Sound: 7.2
The game’s
score is definitely a highlight and it’s wonderfully cinematic. The sound
effects are nicely detailed as well, particularly when it comes to the monster
smashing. The voice work is really minimal; unless you count the hundreds of
times the narrator announces that the Red Valkyrie needs food badly.

Difficulty:
Medium/Hard
Alone you’ll
be surrounded by hordes that can easily cut you to ribbons if you’re cornered or
if you don’t destroy the monster generator. With three friends taking up the
role of the other characters, though, you’ll find it more bearable.

Concept: 7.0

It’s a
prettier and fiercer version of the original coin-op classic using four very
familiar character classes. There are enough levels, secrets and monster bashing
to do in this game on your own but this game was always meant to be played with
a group and you can no do so online.

Multiplayer:
8.0
Gauntlet
always had
multiplayer written all over its arcade cabinet and thankfully so does Seven
Sorrows. You can play this one using a single Xbox but the really good news
is that the game can be played online and boy is it good.

Overall: 7.0
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.