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Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood

From Alfawiki
Sierra On-Line
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded1980
FounderKen and Roberta Williams
Headquarters
Oakhurst, California
,
United States
ProductsVideo games (including Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood)

Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood is a graphic adventure game created by Christy Marx and released by Sierra On-Line in 1991. Serving as the second and concluding installment in the Conquests series, it succeeds Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail. The title utilizes VGA graphics alongside Sierra's icon-based interface first introduced in King's Quest V.

Players take on the role of the iconic Robin Hood, whose mission is to gather King Richard I’s ransom to reinstate him on the throne, all while avoiding capture by the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Gameplay

This title operates mainly as a traditional adventure game where users guide Robin Hood through various scenes, interacting with characters and objects through point-and-click mechanics. Movement also involves navigating hotspots on a map. The game includes several minigames such as archery contests, combat sequences, and nine men's morris, each offering adjustable difficulty settings.

The gameplay unfolds over a series of days, each concluding with a cutscene that advances the storyline. Players are expected to accomplish essential objectives daily; however, failing to complete certain tasks may result in less favorable conclusions.

A strong focus is placed on reading instructions and dialogue, with very limited voice acting. Some puzzles rely heavily on language and employ British English spelling and terminology, despite Sierra being based in the United States.

The scoring system monitors puzzle completion points, funds raised toward the king’s ransom, and the survival rate of outlaw allies. Players can recruit new members to Robin’s band but must be cautious as these recruits can be lost during missions.

Player performance influences one of four possible endings: Robin Hood might be executed, pardoned without reward, pardoned and offered a royal position but denied marriage to Maid Marian, or elevated to nobility with Marian’s hand in marriage.

Characters

  • Robin Hood is portrayed as a courageous woodsman with yellow facial hair and expertise in disguise. Although forced into outlawry by corrupt authorities, his origins—whether commoner or dispossessed noble—remain ambiguous. He is loyal to the common folk, women, his monarch, and the Virgin Mary.
  • Maid Marian lives a dual existence as both a noblewoman from Nottingham and a pagan forest priestess. She harmonizes her spiritual duties with Christianity by identifying the "Virgin Queen of Heaven" with the Virgin Mary, yet she fears accusations of witchcraft. Marian serves as Robin Hood’s romantic partner and acts as a conduit to the Queen Mother’s espionage network that helps fund King Richard’s ransom.
  • The Sheriff of Nottingham is depicted as a harsh yet somewhat inept servant of Prince John. He conspires with the Abbot of St. Mary's and the Prior to misappropriate ransom funds and maintain King Richard’s captivity.
  • The Abbot of St. Mary's is characterized by greed and cunning, indulging in jewels, young women, and drinking competitions.
  • Friar Tuck, described as a short friar, fulfills roles including chaplaincy, treasury management, and cook for Robin’s group. Despite his fondness for food, he disapproves of idleness.
  • Little John, Will Scarlet, Much the Miller's Son, and Alan-a-Dale comprise Robin Hood’s core team along with Tuck. Will excels as woodsman; Little John possesses great strength; Alan serves as a troubadour. The game allows Robin to strategize with them prior to major heists.
  • King Richard the Lionheart appears during the prologue, having been captured while returning from Crusades and held for ransom by King Leopold. His regent, Prince John, refuses to pay.
  • The Widow, who lives in Sherwood Forest with her sons Hal, Hob, and Dicken, supports the outlaws by supplying spun wool and counsel. She previously served as forest priestess before Marian.
  • The Prior commands a monastery located in the fens, staffed by militant monks loyal to Prince John; these monks were soldiers before taking religious vows and favor quarterstaff weapons.
  • Fulk serves as King Richard’s jester.
  • Lobb the Cobbler is a commoner from Nottingham secretly aligned with King Richard alongside Marian.
  • The Green Man represents a potent forest spirit whose confidence Robin must earn.
  • The Bartender, an experienced Crusades veteran, operates the Trip to Jerusalem tavern in Nottingham.
  • Matilda, the Sheriff's Wife, is portrayed as a stout woman with a sharp voice who has an affinity for jewels.
  • Roger, Giles, and Jack frequently appear as guards serving under the Sheriff in cutscenes.

Development

The creation of Conquests of the Longbow was grounded in thorough historical and cultural investigation to enrich both its narrative and puzzles. The game manual references twenty-eight scholarly sources, such as J.C. Holt's Robin Hood, Maurice Keen's The Outlaws of Medieval Legend, and Robert Graves' The White Goddess. Included within are essays by Marx that explore the evolution of the Robin Hood legend, pinpointing the 15th century as when figures like Friar Tuck and Marian became part of the folklore; interestingly, Guy of Gisbourne is acknowledged historically but does not appear in the gameplay. Further essays delve into topics like arboreal mythology, early British history, and issues surrounding video game piracy.

Music direction and sound effects were overseen by Mark Seibert, with synthesized compositions contributed by Ken Allen, Christopher Braymen, Orpheus Hanley, and Aubrey Hodges.

Reception

Jim Trunzo, writing in White Wolf #31 (1992), commended the game's variety, noting its combination of combat, puzzles, and arcade elements that could be adjusted for difficulty.

In 1992, Dragon granted the game a perfect 5-star rating. That same year, Computer Gaming World recognized it as one of the four leading adventure titles.

A 2009 review from Adventure Gamers awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising its challenging puzzles, well-crafted writing, meticulous historical research, branching storyline, and visual presentation, while mentioning that some action sequences suffered from sluggish controls. Although it did not achieve the same level of fame as other Sierra games, it has since been regarded as a classic.

By 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked Conquests of the Longbow as the 42nd greatest adventure game ever produced.

Reviews

  • ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (February 1992)
  • Amiga Games (October 1992)
  • PC Joker (March 1992)
  • Games-X (January 1992)
  • Joker Verlag präsentiert: Sonderheft (1993)
  • Power Play (March 1992)
  • Amiga Joker (October 1992)
  • Amiga Joker (September 1992)
  • Australian Commodore and Amiga Review (April 1992)

External links

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