A Base-Building, Survival Tale of Robin of Sherwood- PC Review
A Base-Building, Survival Tale of Robin of Sherwood- PC
Publisher: PlayWay S.A.
Developer: MeanAstronauts
Genre:
PEGI:
Comments:
Robin Hood Sherwood Builders is a survival, base-building, crafting game developed by MeanAstronauts and published by Playway S.A. The game’s mechanics work so well together that you really get entrapped in becoming Robin Hood and really engulfing the environment and the gameplay. The amount of crafting and building that is needed in this game takes up most of the gameplay, so if you’re not into that, then step away.
I was intrigued by this game when I first heard the title. Many folks have probably heard of a game called Robin Hood Sherwood Builders through media and other sources, however, when I was given the chance to review this game, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but was curious because it is one of my favorite childhood stories.
The game is self-explanatory, especially for those who have grown up with Robin Hood. You have an open-world map which you explore and have to gain reputation with people between four different regions. You do this while gathering a variety of different resources that will aid you in crafting materials, weapons and building your base back home. You are given the option to either be a great swordsman or an amazing archer and you do this by redeeming skill points you receive as you advance in this game. I chose the path of an archer, because I look so much better with a bow in my hand than a sword.
The base building in Robin Hood Sherwood Builders is the key point in the game because without it, you cannot upgrade your weapons, armor or have potions to heal yourself, and to heal the status effects. If you’re not a fan of city building games, then this game may not be the one for you. The game doesn’t really do a great job on explaining base-building and while the storage box is self-explanatory on how to utilize the items you find on your adventure to base-build, it becomes a bit difficult to find all the items needed for certain blueprints, becoming challenging and frustrating as you advance in the game. I did search up online where to find some ingredients, but then learned if you highlight on an item, it does give you a town where you can find them, I guess that sort of helps? This just shows that if you’re not familiar with survival or city building games, then you might want to think twice before trying it. Otherwise, this game can provide tons of hours to a fan of these genres incorporating the best of both worlds. Just a side note, the survival elements of this game are extremely easy, just pay attention to the hunger and thirst meter and as long as you carry food and water with you, then you should be okay. Eventually you do get skill points to raise the timeframe between hunger/thirst periods.
Admittedly, for the purpose of reviewing the game I chose the easy mode so I felt that the combat system in this game was fairly easy from the beginning. However, even on easy mode, as you progressed in the game, it got a bit more challenging and this grabbed my attention. The attack system of the game is quite enjoyable once you really get a grasp on it. The stealth mechanic introduced to you by Little John was a bit complicated to understand, but that’s because I don’t usually play stealth games so it was a bit confusing. I barely used this technique, because even when sneaking up on enemies in this game, stealth sometimes didn’t work and I’d trigger a battle with the entire camp at once, causing me to fight various enemies, which was not simple, even on the easiest mode. Robin also has two abilities, hunter sense, which shows you which objects are lootable and slow-motion, which was definitely handy for killing deers for food or slowing down the horse and carriage to steal its cargo. I utilized slow motion a lot in the game, strategizing my next attacks and how I would escape a battle if need be.
The map isn’t complicated, and while it is extremely large and has a lot of locations to explore (it is open-world after all), the map marks all important events and locations for you. I actually remember thinking while playing this game, that if you’re not a big fan of the open world concept, this game has such a simple mechanic of exploration that it’s actually quite relieving, plus being able to fast travel from location to location right from the beginning of the game, makes it a smooth experience for beginners of this type of genre.
One of my favorite parts of the game was the weather and sound design. This game obviously takes place in Medieval times in England and we all know how the weather is like in England. Sherwood forest is constantly raining, there’s constantly a storm and it’s just my favorite weather in any video game. The sound effects of the game were done very well too, with sounds of nature, eerie music when approaching danger and just story music. I really enjoyed feeling immersed in the game. The only drawback of the game that I would mention is the poor acting. I feel some of the characters were exaggerated and it felt too awkward. However, I really liked Robin’s voice, among many other characters, so it wasn’t completely a disadvantage.
This game is extremely entertaining and I see myself getting over the 50 hour mark as I continue playing it. There is so much to do, many puzzles scattered around the world and lots of resources to collect. Aside from all of this, the base-building element of the game provides more hours of gameplay as you expand Robin’s village. If you aren’t used to survival games, but always wanted to dive into them, this is a great game to start with. The survival elements are extremely easy to manage, and the amount of content this game provides really makes the game worth its money. The game is currently out on steam and was released on February 29, 2024. I was extremely surprised by how much I enjoyed playing this game when it wasn’t even within the genres I normally play. So give it a try and hopefully you will enjoy it too.
Thank you to PlayWay S.A. and MeanAstronauts for providing this code for review.