Hood: Outlaws & Legends Review

Today’s game is a PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment) set in Britain and in the context of Robin Hood. Take note that Robin Hood is by far the most famous archer thief ever. Being the subject of many adaptations over the years, Robin Hood has always been a fascinating name and easy to exploit. The latest video game reinterpretation of the character is Sumo Digital and Focus Home Interactive’s new title. Here is my Hood: Outlaws & Legends review on PlayStation 5!

DUELS TO THE DEATH

I’ll start by specifying that Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a title that lives online. As mentioned, the game is pure PvPvE based on the character of Robin Hood and the various followers that orbit around him. The game is, as you can guess, stealing rich loot from under the noses of heavily armed guards. Here, the greatest threat is the fearsome Sheriff of Nottingham. He is a sort of invincible boss, ready to take you out with no ifs and buts.

Besides the guards that are all controlled by the CPU, you will also challenge an opposing team that will have the same goal as yours. Take note that you have four character classes to choose from: The Ranger, The Hunter, The Mystic, and The Brawler. Focus Home Interactive’s title provides a tutorial beforehand, which sees you immediately engage in a theft against the crown.

In this tutorial, you will face the three steps that make up each match: take the key to the loot room from the Sheriff, seize the loot, and proceed to extract the chest, transporting it to one of the checkpoints. The fundamental dynamic of the game is that of stealth. After a while, you will realize that the modes set by Sumo Digital take full advantage of the online multiplayer mode in Assassin’s Creed. Get ready for diversions, stealth killers, and duels to the death!

KEEPING A LOW PROFILE

Although the tutorial shows you the “simplicity” of robbing a government that is armed to the teeth, from the very first online PvPvE games you will realize how complex and ruthless Hood: Outlaws & Legends really is. As already mentioned, the stealth component is the basis of the game. Keeping a low profile is literally the golden rule to survive. Triggering the alarms creates enormous problems and greatly benefits the opponents.

This basically signals your presence to everyone. Consequently, if discovered, you will find yourself hunted by the guards of the crown and your opponents. As mentioned, there are four character classes available in Sumo Digital and Focus Home Interactive’s title. Take note that each of them has their own characteristics. Some of them use a normal bow or crossbow to place arrows and darts straight between the eyes of the enemies.

Others, on the other hand, use a little less orthodox methods. Yes, the stealth, diversions, and skills sector in Hood works very well. However, the one that includes hand-to-hand combat leaves something to be desired. This is also because of the large number of bugs that the game still suffers from. Here, it is not uncommon to see bodies flying away from blows. Sometimes you may even find yourself flying through buildings and constructions when an opponent hits you.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

One of the fundamental points of the gameplay in Hood: Outlaws & Legends lies in the character classes. The way the developers structured this system can be both good and bad. Yes, there are many possibilities for customization when it comes to perks, special skills, and costumes. However, you will inevitably find yourself tied to an obligatory standard composition of the team. Take note that the Ranger and the Hunter, who attack from medium and long range, are ineffective in clashes with larger opponents.

Having that gap in face-to-face combat, it is better to silently assassinate the victims or sneak between enemy lines to steal loot. To compensate for this lack of muscle, the Mystic and the Brawler will intervene and, inevitably, form the rest of the team. This means that the teams will always be the same four characters. Consequently, it is impossible to find a team of only a certain character class.

Technically, Hood: Outlaws & Legends proves to be a really great game. The character models look fantastic and the many customization possibilities always make them interesting. In all, five maps are currently available in the game, where nature and the hand of man coexist well, creating a wonderful variety in the environments (albeit small).

I must congratulate Sumo Digital for the deep attention to detail. Yes, the graphic effects convinced me, but the animations are a bit woody and unnatural. However, this is nothing detrimental to the overall experience. Even the sound design was superb. This is a crucial sector of a game that is so focused on stealth action. Thanks to the PlayStation 5’s 3D audio, it will give you a good immersion.

CONCLUSION

Hood: Outlaws & Legends turns out to be an extremely fun game, especially for playing with friends. However, there are some basic issues that don’t allow it to take that big leap forward. The first lies with the fact that Sumo Digital divided the game into phases. Too often it happens that after fighting for a few minutes and completing the tasks necessary to win the game, something or somebody kills you. This specifically happens in the “opening” phase of the chest.

This imbalance in the management of the phases makes the game a gold rush where the one who mockingly waits on the sidelines ultimately wins. There is absolutely no fun in that! Staying on the subject of imbalance, even the characters should get a few fixes here and there. Some character classes are much stronger and versatile than other, making some classes absolutely useless. However, the Sumo Digital title fully convinced me. At the end of the day, this is still value for your money!

Do you want to try Sumo Digital and Focus Home Interactive’s Hood: Outlaws & Legends? What do you think of my Hood: Outlaws & Legends review on PlayStation 5? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Are you interested in more games? Check out our reviews for Maid of Sker, Returnal, Oddworld: Soulstorm, and Lost Words: Beyond the Page.