Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood

"Challenging but fun"

I'm reviewing this game about 5 years after it came out, but maybe it needs a sort of updated review to show people to appreciate it even these days.

Graphics: 8/10.

The graphics are isometric view, aka 3/4 view, which are very similiar to Desperados and the first couple of Commandos games. The graphics aren't too good when fully zoomed in, but who wants a game with good graphics but terrible gameplay?

Gameplay: 8/10

This is where the game is the best. The game is a very simple 'pick up and play' type of game where you can easily figure out the controls. Another good thing about the game is that it doesn't have the frustration of Commandos and Desperados. You still have to study guards walking paths and find out what is the best way to take care of them, but if they spot you, you can draw your sword and either finish them off or get another companion to come behind them and knock them out.

The AI is rather good. The soldiers will all be doing different things, such as generals discussing things, simple soldiers juggling to entertain children, others sat on walls cleaning their swords. The soldier classes are individual, and this can be used to your advantage. If they spot you, some soldiers would run to call the sergeant, others will hide in cupboards, and some will of course fight you. Upper class soldiers such as knights and crossbowmen will not even think of picking up coins in the street, but lower class soldiers like spearmen and lowly archers will squabble over a small amount of money.

The flipside about gameplay is that you only have 3 forest locations (all in Sherwood) and 5 cities (York, Lincoln, Derby, Nottingham, and Leicester) to explore, whereas other games of the genre have about different 25 locations. However, the game has lots of levels that take place in these places, so never fear.

Story: 6/10

The story is similiar to other Robin Hood depictions, with a view twists and differences in the character's backgrounds. It has all of the characters from these depictions in, like Maid Marian, Stutely the Craftsman, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Little John, aswell as a few extras. The main goal of the game is to defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham, defeat the corrupted Prince John and steal enough money to rescue Richard The Lionheart from the captivity of Duke Leopold.

Sound: 7/10

The sound is excellent when you first play the game, but gets extremely repetitive after awhile, especially the music that plays when soldiers get suspicious of activity near them. The voices also get annoying, and you may find yourself wanting to play the last few levels of the game with the sound off.

Replay Value: 5/10

There isn't really much replay value aside from different difficulty modes. The game could've been so much more if the developers had put more modes than the simple story mode in or put some kind of map editor in. You may find yourself wanting to come back to it after a year or so. There are many cheats however, and you can play the game with these on or use them when you are impossibly stuck (which can actually happen). For those who don't like to cheat, there won't be much replay value for you.

Overall, Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood is a good game, and can be found nowadays in budget ranges for £5 or less. It is worth a purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/09/07