A Preview of Gangs of Sherwood

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Discover a whole new take on Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw in Gangs of Sherwood, the upcoming cooperative action-adventure game from Nacon. Whether you’re a fan of the story, or a cooperative action game player in search of a new medieval-cyberpunk challenge, prepare to find your fortune and free old England from oppression in Gangs of Sherwood.

Many movies, as well as strategy and action video games have taken their inspiration from the timeless story of Robin Hood. It’s been awhile since the last Robin Hood movie, and over two decades since Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood captured the spirit of medieval Nottingham, pitting our hero against the evil Sheriff.

Offering an original twist on the traditionally medieval setting, Gangs of Sherwood transplants the derring-do to a dystopian era, where the medieval and futuristic collide. The good people of England have never been so oppressed by the Sheriff of Nottingham, so get ready to rise up in this explosive action game. If you’re a lone wolf, feel free to play solo, or gang up with up to 4 players to rob the rich and lead the rebellion.  Read on to discover the story behind the game, as well as storyline, gameplay, and of course, Gangs of Sherwood release date!

Who’s behind Gangs of Sherwood?

Gangs of Sherwood is developed by premier Belgium based game developer Appeal Studios, a subsidiary of THQ Nordic. Appeal are responsible for the Outcast  action-adventure franchise. The publisher behind Gangs of Sherwood is French video game company Nacon. Nacon is renowned for several popular game franchises, including the Warhammer universe.

Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen?

Before we get into the characters and gameplay of Gangs of Sherwood, let’s set the scene by reminding ourselves of the legendary tale of Robin Hood. While the story of a handsome, Lincoln green clad hero fighting for the oppressed and outwitting the nefarious Sheriff of Nottingham is the popular version of the legend of Robin Hood, the truth is a slightly murkier shade of green.

A skilled archer and swordsman returning to northern England from the Crusades, Robin finds his land taken by the oppressive Sheriff of Nottingham, and the country misruled by Prince John.

Ever faithful to the rightful king (Richard the Lionheart), Robin and his gang of merry men rob the rich and give to the poor. An honorable outlaw defending the people against tyranny, Robin Hood and his gang hide out in Sherwood Forest. Since first appearing in ballads, poems and tales in the 15th century, there have been many variants of the story or Robin of Locksley, yeoman, archer and outlaw, this interesting article helps to pin down the truth about Robin Hood.

https://youtu.be/_OwV3p71vaY

Gangs of Sherwood story and characters

How did we get here? Returning from the Crusade with the Philosopher’s Stones, the King harnessed the power of the stones to greatly advance the motherland through technology. As we all know, power corrupts, and the Lionheart stone was seized by the Sheriff of Nottingham, degenerate oppressor of the English people! Fight the forces of evil in the beauty of Sherwood Forest and on the streets of the dystopian town of Nottingham, where the medieval peasantry and futuristic steel meet.

At the start of the game, Robin and his gang are in the midst of an uprising against the Sheriff of Nottingham and have been ambushed in his hometown of Locksley. The resistance movement in Gangs of Sherwood features the four iconic heroes from the legend of Robin Hood:  

• Robin himself, archer extraordinaire who can take out enemies from afar and trick them with his special arrows.  
• By his side is Little John, a reformed royal knight who specializes in smashing enemies up close with his (literal) fist of steel.  
• Maid Marian is the Sheriff’s daughter, an assassin of noble birth, who prowls the battlefield attacking when the time is right.  
• Last, but certainly not least, Friar Tuck protects his allies with his magnetic shield barrier and heals them with his medicinal mead.

Gameplay

While you can take on the Sheriff and his minions alone, Gangs of Sherwood is primarily intended to be played in co-op multiplayer mode. Gangs of Sherwood gameplay reflects this: each character possesses a unique, customizable gameplay, as well as unlockable combos and fragments to take on increasingly formidable enemies. Strategy, thought and coordination are all required to reign supreme in this game. 

Roaming the medieval-futuristic land of Sherwood and Nottingham, Robin Hood and his sidekicks must battle a range of enemies. To attain victory in combat, players must combine fast, light attacks with devastating heavy attacks, and make use of their grappling hook to launch themselves into the air to perform aerial combos. Players must take advantage of their surroundings in Gangs of Sherwood, trapping enemies with falling objects or luring them into pits. Standard moves are complemented by Rebel Ability, a means of inflicting maximum damage, and Rebel Instinct, a foil that assists when taking down stronger enemies.

The mission based gameplay and design exude creativity, from the cyberpunk/medieval setting to enemies including laser crossbowmen. Varying your attacks and scrapping with style will boost your combo score, earning more gold. Gold is totted up at checkpoints, and can be cashed in for attack bonuses and health bars. Gold, as well as artifacts can be found along the way, unlocking unique advantages for the rest of the mission. Players must also help out villagers, another source of gold!

After completing each level, your gold as well as achievements can be used to access upgrades and new moves before returning to your hideout. The hideout features vendors who will sell you various items to enhance and customize your characters, as well as new clothes to make them look the part while robbing the rich. Higher difficulty settings and new modes unlock after completing the main adventure, so head out into the forest today with your bow in hand, and save  

England from her cruel oppressors!

The takeaway

We hope that you have enjoyed this journey into the unique action-adventure universe of Gangs of Sherwood. Remember the release date: 30 November 2023 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. We hope that you enjoy Gangs of Sherwood, be sure to also visit Acer’s Game Pass to discover all of your favorite games, past, present and future.

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