When comparing Hammerwatch 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 Hammerwatch is ranked 62nd. 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 Support for up to 4 player local and online co-op
The game can be played with up to 4 other people on the same computer or over the internet, making this a good game to play on a Steam Machine in the living room if you can.
Pro Allows for different playstyles
There are 6 different classes to choose from: paladin, ranger, wizard, warlock, priest, and thief. Each offers a different way to play the game, giving you a fair amount of freedom in your play style.
Pro Open-ended character builds
Players can upgrade their characters as they progress through the game. By choosing to upgrade certain moves instead of others, players can create different builds that have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Pro Shared money-pool
Everyone gets money when someone collects it, but when spending it only subtracts money from your own "bank account".
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 Can get very repetitive
There's not much variety in the game, and killing waves of enemies in the same way can get a bit boring after a while. This is especially true if you’re playing single-player.
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.