The Adventures of Robin Hood (Second Review)


Title           The Adventures of Robin Hood (Second Review)
Game Type	Adventure
Players		1
Compatibility	Any Amiga
HD Installable  No
Company		Millennium/Brainware
Submission      Seppo Typpö (groucho@pp.inet.fi)

Review
The legend of Robin Hood is one of the most famous and well known stories
in the Western world. It tells a story of a nobleman who rises against
injustice by forming a group of Merry Men who rob from the rich and give
to the poor. This legend has spawned numerous motion pictures, TV series and
several computer games some of which have been released on the Amiga.

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Millennium is one of these games. Instead
of doing a pure arcade or adventure game this game is a mix of both with
strong emphasis on the adventure side. This game is not your average
Monkey Island game though - Millennium have poured some refreshing
originality into the concept by adding some strategic elements into the
game.

The plot of the adventure is introduced at the beginning of the game,
where Robin is thrown out of his own castle by the Sheriff of Nottingham.
It is up to Robin to rectify the situation preferably in a way which
allows him to pay back the evil Sheriff and at the same time help the poor
people suffering under the Sheriff's ruthless regime.

Unlike traditional adventure games, Robin Hood is a very non-linear game.
After the introduction the player is given a totally free hand to plan the
actions which help Robin to achieve his ultimate goal. It is up to the
player to gather the necessary information, tools (icons) and friends
(Merry Men) which help Robin to complete his mission. This is done by
wandering around the game world, interacting with people, solving puzzles
and performing various deeds.

The player also needs to keep up with the general ongoing events of the
game world - everything in the game happens in realtime so it is sometimes
necessary to be in the right place at the right time. The game gives
subtle hints - for example, the trumpet sound usually means there's some
important announcement given in the castle yard the player might want to
hear. The main character is also eager to point out if there's something
interesting happening nearby - it is up to the player to decide whether it
is important enough to stop Robin's current activities and check them out.

Controlling the main character is a bit of a tricky combination of
keyboard and mouse - the game can be controlled by mouse only, but that can
get cumbersome (especially moving the character). Moving the character
with keyboard while using the mouse to interact with the Computer
Controlled Characters (CCC) and manipulating the inventory is propably the
most fluid way.

When starting a new game the player is probably bewildered by the freedom
the game offers. Some will probably give up after wandering aimlessly
around the game world. Perseverance and experimentation will reap rewards
- pretty soon the player starts to collect useful bits of information as
well as a variety of objects. From then on a suitable strategy needs to be
developed and actions planned and executed according to it.

Everything the player does has an effect to the game world and its
inhabitants. In this game the CCC's reactions are almost directly linked
to the strategy the player chooses - for example, if the player chooses
too aggressive a tactic (like robbing the rich too often) he will find
the Sheriff's men will hunt Robin more obsessively than when a more subtle
approach is used. The village people also react to Robin's deeds - a few
heroic deeds or acts of mercy will raise his popularity and support
amongst the common folk.

Robin does not need to work alone - after making some friends he can
delegate tasks to his men. While the CCCs can only perform very simple
tasks it can make things bit easier.

The game loosely follows the real legend so anyone familiar with the Robin
Hood saga will have additional benefits - some of the puzzles the game
offers can be solved with similar tactics the real hero used.

There are several ways to win the game. Due to the real time nature of the
game it is quite easy to miss some secrets the game offers but still
complete the mission - finding these secrets offers some additional replay
value after the player has completed the game the first time.

The isometric 3D graphics (similar to Populous and PowerMonger games) look
very pretty - there are some nice visual effects like landscape changing
according to season (snow on the ground during winter etc)  There's also a
plethora of quality sound effects put to good use - acting as signals of
important events and generally upping the atmosphere.

There are only a few niggles in Robin Hood - the control system is a bit
awkward to use and the viewing area could be a bit bigger. The main
character is also a bit too independent sometimes - if you leave him alone
he might wander off to get into trouble without any assistance. This can
get irritating sometimes when the player tries to complete some task (like
robbing somebody) and the little Man In Green  decides to go and check out
some nearby commotion. It is also bit too easy to die in the fights at
least at the beginning of the game, so saving the game frequently is
recommended.

In all, The Adventures of Robin Hood is a nice little game which manages
to generate a real feeling of adventure with its non-linear style. While
it demands a fair amount of initiative from the player, the patient
adventurer will ultimately find it a challenging and charming little game
full of original features. It is one of those games which will create a
warm, cuddly feeling when playing it, and after completing it, the player
will replay it from time to time just to find out some of the mysteries
which he (or she) might have missed the first time around. Recommended.






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