The Merry Men, Game of Thrones Style.
"We are all outlaws. Only some of us will become legends..."
Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a Competitive Multiplayer Action/Stealth video game developed by Sumo Digital: Newcastle for Playstation, Xbox and PC, released on 10th May 2021 worldwide. The game follows a team of outlaws comprised of Robin Hood's merry men as they attempt to steal from a fictional authoritarian entity known as the State. The only issue - they aren't the only outlaws professing to be Hood and his gang who are after that treasure...
The gameplay mixes stealth, melee and ranged combat with a particular emphasis on the unique skills of each class and their role in carrying out the perfect heist. The legend of Robin Hood is taken and rebooted by Sumo Digital, giving the world a distinct Darker and Edgier feel and the merry men are not so merry, but depending on player actions, still altruistic.
There are four unique classes at launch, each one representing a particular member of the gang with their own skills and backstory. They are:
- Robin ('The Ranger'): An updated version of a Robin Hood, with a dark cowl, deadly tactics, and military skill. The undisputed leader of the outlaws and already a legendary figure who has been operating out of the Greenwood for nearly half a century now. Robin focuses, naturally, on ranged combat and has access to a deadly longbow and flashbangs.
- Marianne ('The Hunter'): Maid Marian in the origin legends, now a dispossessed noblewoman trained in the depths of the wood in stealth and assassination, in the hope of one day reclaiming her Scottish land (and if not, making the State suffer in payback). Marianne focuses on stealth and has a unique rapid-firing crossbow which enables her to be a short-mid range choice with a focus on the element of surprise.
- John ('The Brawler'): Little John, a mountain of muscle with a huge hammer. A former blacksmith whose family was killed by the State, John has turned his talents for violence into the service of Hood. He plays as a straight-up tank and melee character who is particularly good at killing enemy players.
- Tooke ('The Mystic'): Friar Tuck of the original legend. In this iteration he’s a former Inquisitor of the State, now disillusioned and looking to get revenge. In game he acts as a secondary melee character to John with a number of support abilities to affect enemy stamina and use undefined magical abilities to heal his gang.
In September 2021, Hood: Outlaws & Legends launched its first season of content, with which came a battle pass and a new Outlaw, with more confirmed to be coming along the way. They are:
- Eidaa ('The Sellsword'): A Canon Foreigner, inspired by the modern trend of a Token Minority among the Merry Men, Eidaa is a foreign mercenary whose lands have been invaded by the State, having come to avenge her murdered lord while allying herself with Robin and co due to their shared cause. The Sellsword is another melee specialist, with additional powers focused on trickery and crippling enemies.
This game provides examples of:
- Boom, Headshot!: Robin’s longbow allows him to weaponize these and a headshot is a guaranteed way to take out an enemy player.
- The Brute: The Sheriff is huge, bigger than resident The Big Guy Little John, a Master Swordsmen per his backstory and can crush a man in a single blow.
- Corrupted Character Copy: The playable outlaws lean more to this than being Deconstructions of their namesakes from the legends.
- The Ranger, Robin Hood himself, is treated as a more enigmatic figure here, with his classic In the Hood look now making him an example of The Faceless, and his reputation and attire shift him from being a folk hero to a sort of vengeful spirit.
- The Huntress, Maid Marian, is said to be the heir to a Scottish Nobleman, which Marian is usually stated to be in the myths (though presumably of English origin rather than Scottish). Here, though, the reason for her being in Robin's band is quite a bit darker than normal - her father was executed by the state and she was forced on the run, making her mission as much about Revenge and regaining her titles as it is helping the innocent.
- The Brawler, Little Jon, is here portrayed as having once been a blacksmith, to account for Jon's famous size and strength. His creations, however, caused the deaths of many, including his own parents, leading to him opposing the state as a form of atonement. Additionally, he's portrayed here as being The Berserker and thus more aggressive than normal.
- The Mystic, Friar Tuck, has probably the darkest changes from the others - he was raised and trained as an Inquisitor and carried out his duties without fail until his mentor was jailed, tortured, and murdered, after which he changed sides.
- The Sellsword, Eidaa, isn't based on a character from the traditional sources, but rather the modern concept of a Moorish or Saracen among the Merry Men. Still, her reason for being in the Greenwood is much darker than typical examples. Rather than having a noble reason for coming to the Greenwood or allying with Robin, they're on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge and are firmly Not in This for Your Revolution. It's just that aiding the Outlaws is beneficial to their own cause.
- Darker and Edgier: Partly why the game exists. A designer drew up concept art of Robin looking like a Ringwraith and the idea kind of leapt out from there. In game, the world is darker than Disney’s version. This, ironically, makes it Truer to the Text for the original legends.
- Death Is a Slap on the Wrist: Hood was executed shortly before the game begins, yet it only took a few weeks before he returned to life. This only amplifies his legend. In game, players quickly respawn after being killed.
- The Dreaded: The Sheriff, who is a hulking force of nature that cannot be taken down with conventional means. One of the only surefire ways to do this is with Robin's explosive arrow. Also, to a lesser extent amongst the soldiers of the State, this trope applies to Hood.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Averted - none of the initial playable classes can wield swords, but many enemies can. Finally played with when Eidaa was added, but even there, her sword is of Eastern inspiration rather than the traditional English arming sword/longsword that this trope is best associated with.
- Legacy Character: 'Hood' is this - the commoners speculate that he is immortal but there are those who simply think 'Hood' is a title passed down to a worthy leader of the outlaws. In game, all the players are essentially trying to live up to and claim this title. The lore confirms that 'Hood' is a title passed down from one person to another... and that one of the prior holders of the title is now the game's version of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
- Master Archer: Robin is, as expected, one in the lore and his trophies encourage this. Ultimately it will depend on the skill of the player, though there is some slight aim assist to help with that.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Hood is this - some say he is a dispossessed nobleman, others a knight who returned from crusade. It is also speculated as to whether he really is ageless or it is a title passed down to others. Whatever the case, Hood is always an outstanding archer.
- Outlaw: Every player is an outlaw and seeks to steal the State's riches, either to line their own pockets or to give it to the poor.
- Robin Hoodlum: The game, being a Darker and Edgier take on the Robin Hood folklore, presents Hood, aka: the Ranger, as less like a folk hero, more like a vengeful spirit, who has operated against the authoritarian State for nearly fifty years by the time the game is set. He wears a creepy face-hiding hood that makes him look faintly like a Nazgul, and it's later confirmed that Hood is a Legacy Character, a title passed down from outlaw to outlaw, and one past Hood is now the Sheriff of Nottingham himself.
- Splitting the Arrow: Robin can actually do this if you hit the same spot with another arrow.
- Truer to the Text: While Darker and Edgier than many modern Robin Hood stories, Hood: Outlaws and Legends is actually in the same tone as the original stories, where Robin and his Merry Men were much more willing to kill enemies if necessary, though still being unambiguously heroic.
- The Pagan imagery of the outlaws might be a further example; many folklorists suspect Robin Hood's myths originated as Pagan folklore adopted by the British Catholics (though any actual evidence of this has been lost to time, and the actual true origin of the Robin Hood legend is still unknown). This is most prominently supported by the character's association with May Day; the holiday started as Beltane (a Pagan festival) that celebrated the union of two Nature Spirits -a male spirit that personified the forest and a female spirit that personified the summer- that evolved over time into being about Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
- What You Are in the Dark: From a story perspective, how you divvy up the treasure after a match is this - will you give it all to the commoners, keep it all for yourself, or give some to the people and keep the rest? From a gameplay perspective, giving up money unlocks new perks, but you need to spend money you have to use those perks.
