Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood
Developer(s)	Strategy First Spellbound Studios
Publisher(s)	Mindscape Freeverse Software Wanadoo
Platform(s)	Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, MorphOS
Release	2002
Genre(s)	Strategy game
Mode(s)	Single player

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood is a 2002 stealth-based real-time strategy video game developed by Spellbound Studios. It is similar to games such as Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive and the Commandos series. In the game, the player controls up to five characters in a setting based on the stories of the protagonist, Robin Hood. The player can also control Robin Hood's Merry Men, including Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Will Stutely, and Maid Marian. Robin and his crew must evade the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham and his henchmen and stop the machinations of the vile usurper to England's throne, Prince John. However, Robin must avoid killing enemies as much as possible, or he will not be able to recruit as many new Merry Men.

Plot

The game starts with Robin Hood, arriving in Lincoln from the Crusades, and finding out that his inheritance has been stolen by the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham. After the player finishes the first and second missions, meets with Maid Marian in the Nottingham cathedral, and subsequently tries to meet with the Prince, it is understood that King Richard has been kidnapped by Leopold of Austria for a ransom, and that the Regent Prince John is unlawfully usurping the rightful king. The responsibility of getting the ransom of £100,000 to save the king falls into the player's hands. In the final mission, Robin must fight the Sheriff, thereby defeating the Prince.

Characters

Robin Hood

Robin is a good all-around character. He can jump and climb, so he can get anywhere on the map, and he can search bodies and knock out enemies. On the downside, in strategic missions Robin uses a sword, so if he gets into a fight he can only kill his opponent. (In ambush missions, he gets to use a staff.)

Robin requires two punches to knock out officers, most knights, and most black soldiers. All other soldiers only require one punch (this is possibly linked to his combat skill).

Robin is required for every mission except for the one where you have to rescue him. But there’s a trick to allow him to train his combat skill. After the mission where you rescue Maid Marian from the wedding (A Wedding and a Funeral), have Robin train during the consequent ambush mission. When you return from the ambush mission you’ll learn Robin has been captured, but then during the mission where you rescue him the game will consider him to still be training in Sherwood Forest, and so you can get his combat skill from 2/5 to 4/5.

Stuteley

Stuteley is a good utility character. He can tie up unconscious enemies, and he can unlock doors. He’s useful until Friar Tuck joins you.

Maid Marian

Maid Marian is a little better than the aggressive merry. She heals just like the aggressive merry, but her spy ability is great for scouting.

Will Scarlet

Scarlet looks like a good character because his “catapult” (aka slingshot) can knock out enemies from a distance. But the slingshot doesn’t have much range, and it is difficult to target, and so Scarlet isn’t as useful as he could be. However, the slingshot can knock out an officer with a single shot, and Scarlet does come equipped with a flail, which usually knocks out enemies rather than killing them, and so he’s useful enough to have around in missions where you don’t have Little John.

Scarlet’s slingshot will only daze knights for a moment, not knock them out.

Don’t use Scarlet against archers. With 5/5 combat training he’ll kill them with one hit.

Little John

Little John is easily the best character in the game. His staff not only knocks people out, but it has a long range, so he can take on and knock out several enemies at once. Plus, a single one of his punches can knock out any enemy, and he can carry enemies around.

Little John is susceptible to archers. It takes him so long to stop and pull an arrow out of his chest that archers have time to fire again, and so a single archer can defeat him.

Friar Tuck

Friar Tuck and Stuteley are about the same character, since they both tie up enemies and unlock doors. But Friar Tuck has more useful skills, and his weapon is blunt so he’ll knock out enemies rather than kill them. Once you get Friar Tuck, you should use him instead of Stuteley.

Mustachioed Merry Men

The mustachioed merry has limited use. He ties people up, and that’s about it. The only time to use him is if you want to leave Stuteley and Friar Tuck in Sherwood Forest to train.

Aggressive Merry Men

The aggressive merry is the most useful of the secondary characters, simply because he heals. If you’re playing anything other than the easiest difficulty setting, then you’ll probably need all the heals you can get, and you should bring the aggressive merry along, even if you have Maid Marian with you.

Strong Merry Men

The strong merry is useful early in the game. He can knock enemies out with his hammer, and he can carry bodies around. However, once you get Little John (who does the same things and more) you should probably leave your strong merry characters in Sherwood Forest.

Gameplay

While the merry men can kill or wound enemy soldiers, their resources are limited to a certain extent, with main characters having more than minor miscellaneous ones. In addition, in every town, the player obtains beggars, who, when given coins and purses, help by providing hints and tips. Common folk sometimes offer help as well (although this happens very rarely). On the other hand, there are two types of folk, who flee at the sight of a merry man, and alert nearby enemy soldiers. One is a woman, who wears a red apron; the other, a man, who wears a red-and-blue shirt. The greed of enemy soldiers is also limited, with money purses not affecting sergeants, while ale does affect them. Sometimes, money can be found in knights, cavalry units, sergeants, and more rarely, normal soldiers.

Reception

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood received a metascore of 80 from Metacritic based on 15 reviews and a score of 79.58% from Game Rankings based on 24 reviews.

Awards

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood received awards for Best Game Design and Best Animation at the 2003 Animago Awards.

External links

• Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood at MobyGames
• Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (PC) at IGN
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