Gangs of Sherwood marks indie developer Appeal Studios’ biggest release yet. Published by Nacon and out now on PC and current-gen consoles, it’s a $50 multiplayer action game putting a neon-punk twist on the classic Robin Hood lore.
You and up to three buddies step into the shoes of Robin, Marian, Friar Tuck and Little John as they battle the oppressive Sheriff of Nottingham. His iron-fisted rule is enforced by futuristic technology and soldiers, but your merry band sparks a resistance movement from the forests of Sherwood.
It’s a familiar premise seen across various Robin Hood adaptations, but Gangs of Sherwood’s dystopian cyber setting and cooperative gameplay offer a fresh take. With teamwork-focused combat across story missions, side activities and endgame content, it aims to be an enjoyable romp through the woods with friends.
The game seems to nail its distinct flavor, but does it deliver meaningful and entertaining gameplay with enough content to satisfy? Let’s draw our bows and dive deeper into the forests of Sherwood to find out! We’ll assess crucial elements like story, combat, progression and graphics to determine if this delightful deviation on Robin Hood’s legend is worth every penny.
A Fresh Take On A Beloved Tale
At its core, Gangs of Sherwood tells a familiar Robin Hood tale – you play as Locksley’s band of merry men battling the oppressive rule of the Sheriff of Nottingham. He’s taxing the poor into oblivion and your gang aims to spark a resistance movement to restore justice.
It’s a premise gamers know all too well – but Gangs of Sherwood manages to infuse some welcome twists into the storied legend. Instead of medieval England, it takes place in a unique dystopian setting that’s equal parts cyberpunk and steampunk, blending medieval and futuristic vibes.
Nottingham has been transformed by the Sheriff’s authoritarian techno-regime. The landscape is now dotted with towering fortresses, gigantic airships and soldiers wielding robotic enhancements and weapons. Yet your merry band sticks to traditional gear like bows, staves and hammers rather than high tech arms.
It’s a killer aesthetic combo that injects fresh life into Robin Hood. The anachronistic blending of old and new creates a visually arresting world brimming with personality. While the tone is still light-hearted and comic book-esque, the dystopian setting adds a renewed sense of rebellion and resistance missing from some past adaptations.
The characters also receive expanded backstories and deeper ties to the unfolding events. For example, Maid Marian is revealed to be the Sheriff’s niece, adding emotional weight to the conflict and explaining why her convincing her brothers is crucial.
The expanded lore gives more context about the tyranny plaguing Nottingham. While Marian’s quest to wipe out her entire family bloodline for assisting the Sheriff seems overly flippant given the graveness of his rule, it tries to add complexity to the traditionally straightforward tale of good opposing evil.
Overall, Gang of Sherwood succeeds more than it fails when putting creative spins on Robin Hood. The fresh aesthetics and lore help overcome an merely average storyline. It may not win awards for narrative depth or complex themes, but the tongue-in-cheek humor and unique cyberpunk setting carry real charm. Fans sick of yet another by-the-books Robin Hood game will find the departure from norm highly refreshing.
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Hectic Brawling Through Sherwood Forest
Gameplay is where Gangs of Sherwood truly shines. Whether playing solo or with up to 3 friends, it delivers wildly entertaining hack-and-slash combat paired with light RPG progression.
The core loop follows a standard format – tackle story missions featuring action-packed skirmishes interspersed with objectives, return to your home base to upgrade abilities, then dive back in. It’s a cycle seasoned gamers know well, but appealing execution makes it feel fresh.
Each mission ranges from 30-60 minutes, taking place in distinct locales like Sherwood Forest, Nottingham city streets and massive fortresses. Environments are linear but well-designed, with hidden nooks offering useful collectibles. Between battles, simple objectives like pushing carts or surviving ambushes add variety.
The real stars are the four playable merry men – Robin, Marian, Little John and Friar Tuck. Each wields unique weapons like bows, daggers, staves and hammers that translate into wholly distinct playstyles. Robin relies on elemental arrows for ranged attacks and crowd control, while Marian wields rapid dagger throws to build up massive damage. Little John serves as the brute force tank, smashing foes with crushing blows from his staff.
Mastering combo chains, Weapon-specific upgrades and equippable buffs give robust progression. Effortlessly swapping between the merry men keeps the 8-10 hour story campaign fresh, and competing with friends to top combat leaderboards takes replay value up a notch.
However, enemies lack diversity – shield bearers, basic grunts and the occasional mini-boss offer little challenge. Thankfully, epic boss battles against Marian’s corrupted family members save the day with creative mechanics and multiple phases. Still, more content variety is sorely needed – side quests involve dull fetch tasks and collectible hunting in repetitive environments.
While still a fun romp overall, Gang of Sherwood would feel truly legendary with content expansions. Richer enemy types and deeper side quests bringing more story content would be welcome. Addition of online 4 player co-op with expanded teamwork mechanics could also amplify the camaraderie. With solid foundations in place, the right support could elevate an already enjoyable experience into something grander. For now, hacking through wonderfully kinetic battles offers plenty of old-fashioned fun even if the merry men lack some diversity in their adventures.
A Feast For The Eyes & Ears…Mostly
Gangs of Sherwood’s audiovisual presentation is a mixed bag – while the stylized cyberpunk art direction pops with color and energy, lacklustre animations and performance hold back the feast for the senses.
The vibrant, neon-bathed environments are the highlight – whether it’s the lush forests of Sherwood, dystopian slums of Nottingham or towering high tech fortresses, each location oozes personality. Thick fog drifting through the trees, glowing purple holographic panels adorningcastle walls, smoke trails left by elemental arrows…small touches bring extra flair.
Characters also sport memorable designs like Robin’s modern hooded outfit and high-tech glaive bow. Marian’s sleek leather armor and the merry men’s mismatched garb further the stylistic hybrid fantasy. These fashion choices mirror the world itself – anachronistic blends of medieval andfuturistic give Gang of Sherwood its WOW factor.
Regrettably, this creativity doesn’t fully translate into facial animations and character movements – conversations are stiff andmarionette-like. From awkward gestures to moments where it seems Robin’s face was replaced by a shapeshifting alien, shoddy animation work often dismantles suspension of disbelief.
Environmental textures also vary wildly in quality, with muddy ground texturesclashing against beautiful tree and foliage models. Combined with frequent framerate hitches when the action gets too hot, the blemishes stand out against otherwise stellar art direction.
It’s a letdown, because when firing on all cylinders, Gangs of Sherwood dazzles the eyes with its neon-drenched forests andcfi-tinged conflict. Thankfully the cheerful orchestral score avoids these pitfalls, complementing the lightheartedswashbuckling tone nicely with flutes, lutes and harmonized choruses. Effort clearly went into crafting an audio identitybefitting Sherwood Forest’s legendary outlaws.
In the end, rough edges don’t overwrite Gang of Sherwood’s visual achievements but do mute their impact. With more polish, the game’s flourishes could leave legends of its own rather than reminders of potential left unfinished.
Progression & Endgame: Familiar But Still Fun
Outside the main story, Gangs of Sherwood offers enjoyable, if familiar RPG progression systems and endgame activities.
Finishing missions earns gold for purchasing new combat abilities. Each of the four merry men has their own skill tree with weapon-specific moves. Robin unlocks charged arrow attacks with special effects like freezing foes. Marian gains dagger throws that warp back into her hands like boomerangs.
It’s classic action RPG fare – new skills make you feel constantly more powerful. They also enable higher combat ratings during encounters involving longer combo chains and quicker takedowns.
Outfits eventually unlock too, though cosmetic changes are subtle. Only Marian’s forest green noble gown and Robin’s sleeveless hooded assassin garb stand out. Without bigger wardrobe variety or transmog options, fashion remains an afterthought.
Nevertheless, steadily gaining new abilities kept progression addictive during the moderate length story. I finished at level 13 – some friends hit the level cap at 20 during co-op sessions.
Endgame activities also hit the usual beats. A boss rush mode lets you replay major encounters on higher difficulties. Leaderboards drive competition to set high mission scores among friends.
Then there’s the wave-based survival challenges. Fending off 50+ foes back-to-back tests skill, but grows repetitive given basic enemy types. Still, they offer another reason to keep sharpening combat mastery after the credits roll.
While the post-game content isn’t hugely extensive, it ticks the right boxes for replayability. The progression and activities integrate smoothly into the gameplay loop without complicating things.
Veterans may find it all basic – but for casual players or those new to action RPG brawlers, it should scratch the itch for upgrade cycles and endgame tests. Nailing the fundamentals here lays solid foundations if Gangs of Sherwood eventually gets more content updates.
Joy With Friends, But Lacking Longevity
Gangs of Sherwood shines brightest when playing co-op. Tearing through Sherwood Forest with three buddies delivers raucous fun, but replay value is hindered by repetitive content.
Up to four players can join forces, either online or local. Each controls one of the merry men. Surprisingly, there’s no real teamwork mechanics – no coordinated attacks or tandem abilities that require coordination exist. You’re essentially playing solo, just with friends by your side.
But chaos reigns supreme when four uniquely skilled fighters dominate the battlefield simultaneously. Arrows raining from the skies, explosions booming everywhere, flurries of daggers eviscerating enemies – it becomes visual overstimulation of the best kind!
The rowdy camaraderie keeps motivation high when replaying missions too. Competing with buddies to get the highest combat rating, ruthlessly trolling them mid-fight with Little John’s stomp attacks, finding all secrets in a stage together – cooperative play amplifies the enjoyment tenfold.
That said, the repetitive nature of missions still fosters boredom quicker in single player. With minimal plot changes when replaying levels as new heroes and frequently reused environments, the 12 story missions only take 6-8 hours to fully complete.
The relationships between characters and small story changes for each merry man add mild depth. But combat starts feeling like a chore earlier without others to mess around with thanks to predictable enemies and objectives.
Additional modes add a few hours at most, leading to an fairly short overall experience given the $50 pricing. Committing to multiplayer is really the best way to maximize satisfaction.
While great fun with friends over its short-lived adventure, Gangs of Sherwood lacks the staying power or variety to thrive as a solo experience. Fingers crossed free DLC adds not just content, but more substantive reasons to keep returning to Sherwood – both alone or with your own merry men.
A Fun Romp, But Lacking Staying Power
Gangs of Sherwood succeeds far more than it fails at delivering a fresh take on the beloved Robin Hood legend. Blending cyberpunk and medieval fantasy aesthetics with kinetic brawling action, it captures the source material’s adventurous spirit and charm.
Co-op multiplier elevates the enjoyment tenfold thanks to chaotic battles with uniquely skilled merry men. Each hero feels great to control with tailored movesets, even if some lackluster enemy variety dulls their shine by the finale.
Regrettably, flaws like repetitive side content,performance issues and disappointing facial animations hold back the experience. Combined with an only moderately compelling plot failing to fully capitalize on its fascinating dystopian setting, Gangs of Sherwood stops short of sealing itself as a multiplayer legend.
Yet at its best when messing around with friends, it still delivers plenty of old-fashioned hacking, slashing fun. Players who dig couch co-op experiences will find a breezy, enjoyable romp even if it lacks additional polish. Considering potential value if post-launch support stays strong, $50 feels like a fair price if playing cooperatively – just don’t expect adventures overflowing with substance when going solo.
In the end, Gangs of Sherwood succeeds more as a celebration of Robin Hood’s contemporary possibilities over definitive interactive reimagining. But getting the merry men back together should spark enough enjoyment to look past the scattered flaws…at least for a short while.
The Review
Gangs of Sherwood
Gangs of Sherwood is a solid first swing bringing a beloved franchise into a modern gaming context. Appealing style and satisfying gameplay make it easy fun, especially with friends. But significant rough edges keep it from attaining genre greatness. Give it a shot for some merry old chaos, but temper expectations on substance and longevity.
PROS
- Enjoyable and kinetic hack-and-slash combat
- Unique dystopian cyberpunk art style
- Co-op multiplayer elevates the experience
- Tailored playstyles for each merry man
- Light RPG progression is satisfying
CONS
- Repetitive missions and lackluster side content
- Friendly fire and lack of coordinated co-op attacks
- Awful facial animations break immersion
- Frequent performance issues and frame rate drops
