Hood: Outlaws & Legends Game Review
3 Step Game Review
About the Game
Released
May 10, 2021
Developer
Sumo Digital
Price
US$ 29.99
(MAY VARY PER LOCATION)
Game Description
We are all Outlaws… but some of us will become Legends.
Faced with a merciless, unchecked state, rebels and rogues battle to claim their place among legends. To win influence with an oppressed people, rival gangs compete in daring heists to hit the wealthy where it hurts. Folk hero or gold-hungry outlaw, only the best will escape with hard-earned riches.
Two teams of 4 players compete to execute the perfect heist, in medieval… (continues)
Step 1: Playing Conditions
Read below the game basic characteristics. If it is something you see yourself playing, move on to Step 2: Graphics & Sound.
Gameplay Overview
Hood: Outlaw & Legends (Hood) is a team-based third-person shooter game in which two teams of 4 outlaws compete to be the first to extract the chest. NPCs are responsible for protecting the chest, you can sneak around them or fight your way in.
TO EXTRACT THE CHEST you got to do 4 things: steal the vault key, open the vault, carry the chest to an extraction point, and winch! Between those simple tasks, there will be a lot of blood spilling, arrows flying, and alarms.
Find the outlaw that best fits your gameplay style and level him up to unlock perks, weapons, and clothing. No need to say, teamwork and good communication are crucial for victory.
BIG DISCLAIMER: Hood feels more like an Early Access game than a full release. It has only 4 outlaws to pick from, 1 game mode, some crazy bugs, and no ranking system, something essential to any multiplayer competitive game. As it has been marketed as a full-release game, it would be smart to set your expectations to an Early Access version instead.
Step 2: Graphics & Sound
Watch 5 to 10 minutes of any video below. If you like what you see and hear, move on to Step 3: Game Evaluation.
Step 3: Game Evaluation
Build your expectations about the game by learning what it offers and how was The Partisan Spy’s experience.
USER INTERFACE
The game has no menu and functionalities feel UNFINISHED. For example, if you queue into matchmaking, there is no way to leave or if you want to fully quit the game, you need to first open the game settings tab.
The UI is similar to what is found in the team-based shooting games but basic information about your teammates is missing unless it is intended to be that way.
STORY
Hood is based on the ROBIN HOOD ENGLISH FOLKLORE. The game is set in medieval times, outlaws are named after Robin Hood characters and the main NPC is a Sheriff. As outlaws are leveled up new lore chapters about the character are unlocked. The folklore sets the plot for the “conflict”, it’s just weird to have Robin vs Robin. Maybe France as NPCs and the Hood vs England would fit more to the folklore.
COMMUNITY POTENTIAL
PVP team-based shooting games are an ABSOLUTE category in the gaming industry. It has the potential to attract and keep players interest for long years. From established games as Overwatch and Apex to new contenders as Call of Duty Warzone and Valorant, the biggest CHALLENGE for Hood is to develop in-game features to become a competitive game and find its niche in the category.
GAMEPLAY MOOD TRACKER
MOOD ANALYSIS
Hood was never boring or exciting. Mood tracker was 96% of the 25 hours of gameplay between NORMAL and EAGER. The novelty of learning a new game and playing with premade teams pushed my mood to EAGER while the bugs and the feeling of playing an unfinished game pulled it back to NORMAL levels. As a result, the mood average ended at NORMAL.
GRIND FEELING
You can play Hood for dozens of hours with NO FEELING OF REPETITION. Even though it has only 4 outlaws and you need to level them up to unlock perks, by nature PVP matches are unpredictable. The 5 different maps also help on avoiding any grind feeling. One thing to look out for is the lack of a ranking system, the best indicator of progression, and a long-term reason to keep playing.
LIKED THE MOST
The concept of the game is based on the Robin Hood folklore and the attempt to create a 4v4 with a tactical aspect.
HATED THE MOST
Bugs is a major issue and always present in almost every game segment: party system, matchmaking, gameplay…
EVALUATION SUMMARY
Hood: Outlaw & Legends is an EARLY ACCESS game and it is not worth US$ 30.00 at its current state. The idea and game concept are appealing, the execution is unfinished. And not just because of the various bugs, gameplay exploits, and lack of a structured UI.
How can a 4v4 competitive game entitle itself as a full release having only 4 characters to choose from or without having a ranking system?
The game FEELS INCOMPLETE when your team has in its composition 3 or 2 of the same character or when progression is limited to characters and account XP progression.
Hood chose to be in an extremely competitive market, directly fighting to build a player base against big names as Overwatch, CS:GO, COD, Valorant, Apex, and the list goes on… And starting by manipulating players’ expectations is not the best way to release a game. Game developers should have learned about that with Cyberpunk 2077 and how damaging it can be.
In a couple of months, we will know how Hood’s near future will look like. Today, its player base is made of players who bought the game and are trying to make the most of the invested money. Will developers be able to keep and grow this base after a misleading release? Time will tell and YOU CAN WAIT AND SEE.
Choices & Advice
DON’T BUY IT
IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TPS PVP GAME YOU ARE PLAYING.
WAIT TO BUY
IF YOU WANT TO BE CERTAIN THE GAME WILL HAVE THE BASIC FEATURES OF A COMPETITIVE GAME AND THE PLAYER BASE WILL KEEP GROWING.
BUY NOW
IF YOU ARE CERTAIN THE GAME WILL BE POPULAR AND YOU WANT THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ONE OF THE EARLY GAME PLAYERS.
GAME LIFETIME
+500 HOUR GAME SIMILAR TO EVERY PVP MULTIPLAYER GAME
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