Fresh off the back of 1999, and into the 2000s, we start with this mission. (There is an asylum mission before this, but it's an unfinished demo.) Gauntlet. Gauntlet is a weird plotless maze. It almost feels like a gameshow, with a set of traps and obstacles that must be overcome, but no actual reason beyond them being there. There are puzzles, monsters, and a couple of interesting things going on.

With no plot, and no atmosphere to speak of, this mission is purely about the gameplay. Prehaps unexpectedly, most (if not all) of it's traps are telegraphed, escapable, and in short, fair. I never really felt like I was killed unexpectedly, or in a way that was not avoidable. In fact, the mission is remarkably easy.

The mission is also fairly short: a blessing in disguise, as it's clear it would not survive being stretched out any further than it is.

All in all, it's a fun little minigame, a distraction. It's not good, but it's not a bad time either.