When comparing Mercenary Kings vs Gauntlet, the Slant community recommends Gauntlet for most people. In the question“What are the best local co-op PC games?” Gauntlet is ranked 4th while Mercenary Kings is ranked 34th. The most important reason people chose Gauntlet is:
Gauntlet offers full controller support that actually works extremely well for an action RPG. This makes for a good game to play on a Steam Machine or living room gaming PC.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Deep weapon customization allows for plenty of choice in how you would like to play
This game features a good weapon customization system. The only downside is that this can lead to a certain level of grindiness – but not too much.
Pro Awesome pixel art by Paul Robertson shows off a very polished game
If you don’t know Paul Robertson, check him out. From Adult Swim animations and dozens of video games to feature films such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Paul Robertson has quite the catalog of really great pixel animations and graphics.
Pro Great game for those who like Metal Slug
Mercenary Kings is the spiritual sequel to Metal Slug: a two-dimensional, pixel-based, side-scrolling action shooter with co-op multiplayer.
Pro Online or local co-op multiplayer, up to 4 players
Mercenary Kings offers local or online co-op for up to four players.
Pro You can easily play the PC game on a sofa with the included full controller support
Gauntlet offers full controller support that actually works extremely well for an action RPG. This makes for a good game to play on a Steam Machine or living room gaming PC.
Pro Bosses offer good bit of diversity to the gameplay thanks to requiring different strategy over the base gameplay
Different bosses require different tactics to defeat them. This creates a good change of pace from the regular hack and slash gameplay as differing tactics will need to be used.
Pro Good co-op options no matter if you want to play locally or online
Gauntlet has support for local and online 4 player co-op. Making for a game that works well for small groups.
Cons
Con Controls need to be tighter
Pressing down to shoot does not always fire at once, meaning missed opportunities. After a while this can become quite a nuisance.
Con Very repetitive gameplay
With a few exceptions, the gameplay and strategy is the same for the entire game. There is very little progression and very few new abilities. The game also seems to gets easier rather than harder, although the new Colosseum mode adds some challenge to the end game.
Con Locked camera
The camera is locked in a single position. This creates confusion while playing in a busy area, as the camera does not stay focused on the player’s character. While a locked camera made sense in the arcade or on home consoles, where only one screen was needed, it really doesn’t make much sense for online multiplayer.
Con Can be rather difficult
The difficulty level is way too high especially when playing with kids.
Con Requires controllers with XInput
You cannot play Gauntlet with PS controllers.
Con Wizard is complicated to use
The wizard character is complicated to use. He has nine spells that can be cast using a number of hard-to-remember button combinations. This results in very few people wanting to play as the character. For online matches, this means there are quite a few three-player games as no one wants to take the role of the fourth character: the wizard.