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Gauntlet III: The Final Quest is a home computer game by U.S. Gold and Tengen it was released in 1991 for the following systems; Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC. It was released one year after Gauntlet: The Third Encounter which was for the Atari Lynx. Besides the standard four main Gauntlet characters, Thor, Thyra, Merlin, and Questor, four new playable characters were available: Petras, a rock man; Dracolis, a lizard man; Blizzard, an ice man; and Neptune, a Merman. The game is viewed from an isometric perspective and includes a two-player cooperative multiplayer mode.

Plot

A land called Capra was having many wars among its kingdoms; peace would come but then another war would start. Then one day a wizard named Magnus came and brought peace, but to make sure there would never be another war he created a door to the dark dimensions from which evil things would come, if there was ever another war. "This be the Final Peace for if it is broken, all Capra will be at the mercy of the devourers." Then the Velcrons came to these kingdoms. They were servants of the things behind the door. They took over the magic kingdom and their king, Capricorn, held the wizard as his captive. Evil slowly came from this magic kingdom, bringing plagues, and even poisoning the food. The people of these lands begin to hate, and the peace was threatened. Eight champions have come to try and put an end to the darkness covering their land.

The back side of the box has the tagline, "The Gates of Hell are Open..." The cover illustration is by Peter Andrew Jones.
Gameplay

Gauntlet III is an original game with an isometric projection type view that would later be used in Gauntlet Legends and other Gauntlet games made after Legends. Its view is much like that of Solstice and games made with the Filmation engine. The player walks around various areas of each kingdom, with five areas for each of the eight kingdoms giving a total of 40 areas. The locations can be traversed from one area to the next. Places like the forest and castle dungeons have obstacles such as logs and tables blocking the player's path, creating a maze-like area. Each area has at least one doorway or pathway to the next. At times certain things must be done in order to advance into the next area. To avoid the player being lost the programmers created a hand that appears from time to time, holding a note to remind the player what they are supposed to do; this clue feature is also an option to call up the clues. Another feature programmed into the game is a combination lock key code for which the player must consult a code wheel packaged with the game, needed to open certain doors; if someone made a pirated version of the game they wouldn't be able to get past that portion of the game without the Combination Key.

The enemies in this version, as in other Gauntlet games, come mostly from generators that keep producing the enemies until the generators are destroyed. Other elements from the series also make an appearance, such as potions that make enemies disappear or weaken them, food (both good and poisonous), invincibility amulets, and treasure chests, some of which can contain traps or other items the player would need.

Review scores
Publication Score
Amiga Action 84%
Amiga Format 63%
Amiga Power 67%
CU Amiga 80%
The One 87%

Reception

Most reviews praised the games graphics, but some found they were over used in many places with very little variation. These reviews seem to center around the fact that the player is required to go from location to location and complete certain tasks, and follow a certain route to achieve these goals. Another problem with the graphics was that the backgrounds would shift as the player advanced, and that of the enemies themselves blocking the view covering the player and background. One of the games main attractions was the well received music by video game composer Tim Follin.

US Gold £10.99

Four of Gauntlet 3’s ghosts and they’re all after Lizard-man!

The island of Capra was a peaceful place. Full of singing birds, pretty flowers and friendly people. A law had kept it peaceful for so long, that stated that if a war was started the gates of hell would open and the Devil could do his worst. All the island’s inhabitants obeyed the law, but the Vellons, nasty creatures from the underworld, did not, and all hell broke loose (literally!). You’re the hero whose job it is to force the Devil back into hell and save the island. Easy, huh?

At the start of Gauntlet 3 you can choose one of eight characters to control. Take your pick from Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Dracolis the Lizard-man, Questor the Elf, Petras the Rockman, Blizzard the Iceman, Neptune the Merman and Thyra the Valkyrie. Depending on which character you choose, your various character attributes change (for example, Thor’s shot power is good and Thyra’s is poor).

Keeping your energy level up is very important. Food is dotted around the game’s eight kingdoms but beware, as some of it has become poisoned by the evil presence. Being careless with your firepower is not a good idea, either — you can shoot the food and drink before you have a chance to get to it.

The game is similar to the original Gauntlet. You run about the levels shooting ghosts and other nasties, collecting keys and going through doors. The big difference (if you hadn’t already realised) is the way you see the levels. Whereas Gauntlet was glorious 2D, this sequel is in full 3D, with highly detailed backgrounds and characters, all in lovely monochrome. The 3D works really well, characters able to walk behind as well as in front of objects. Unfortunately, as you can’t see behind things like trees, you can get stuck now and then.

You can play Gauntlet 3 with just one player, but a two-player game is included where both players battle evil together. You can help each other out with the ghosts and share the food, although if you play with Richard he usually shoots you and steals the food for himself (Oi! — Ed)!

Gauntlet 3 - The Final Quest is excellent stuff. The original game was highly addictive in both arcade and computer versions and this gives it a whole new lease of life. It’s skill!

NICK - 89%
When the original Gauntlet appeared in the arcades I was forever playing it (an expensive pastime). Now the third part of the saga of Thyra, Merlin, Questor and Thor has appeared and it’s on the Speccy! The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of each level; it’s a map-maker’s dream come true. You can wander around a level for ages, exploring and blasting the creatures that appear out of the hated generators before beginning to solve a level. Most of the original evil nasties are back, and they’ve brought a few friends along to add to your misery. Gauntlet 3 looks good, plays well and would take most of my week’s wages if it were an arcade game. But it’s not — it’s a Spec game (anyone lend me 11 quid?)!

MARK - 91%

RATING
As addictive and fun to play as ever, Gauntlet 3 is the bee’s knees and it’ll give you a buzz!
Presentation 90%
Graphics 91%
Sound 88%
Playability 89%
Addictivity 93%
Overall 90%