Customer Reviews

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think this game is so boring. It's more like a computer game. You can't even run around to get guys. Graphics are good. That's the only good thing I can say for it. I'm 11 years old.

I remember being about thirteen, coming home from school and playing this game on my Apple IIgs. Hours upon hours wasted. Well, now I can waste even more because Capcom has released it on Xbox and Playstation, completely updated yet very faithful to the original.

The story starts with you as Robin Hood in Sherwood forest. You have to defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham in a similar style of play that made the original Defender so great. It's a territorial battle, where the number of men that you recruit and have stationed in a province will determine your ability to protect that province against attack. This part of the game is rather quick and thrown together. They would've done better to extend it, since it is the primary difference between this updated version and the original release.

From here you enter into the original storyline. England is in disarray and it's up to you to save it. Several other nobles are vying for the same properties as you are, and you must choose your properties and fortify them with castles and men, all the while watching your back against attack. The ultimate goal is to defeat other nobles and claim their territories, and essentially be the last one standing when it's over.

As a standalone game it's hard to recommend very highly. It's relatively simple compared to the monolithic games of today, and doesn't have a lot of "sparkle" to it. But as a fan of the original it's like being reacquainted with an old friend. They pay homage to the original scenes, even lifting some of the actual text and cut scenes directly from it. One of the almost humorous additions is the animated princesses after you rescue them. Instead of the simple silhouettes in the window, you now see a scantily clad vixen straight from a Victoria's Secret add. That probably wouldn't have fit in too well back in the 80s. On the most part the scenes are great, especially in the swordfighting sequences. They now take place in 3D castle settings and utilize unique camera angles and perspectives to show some amazing animated scenery.

Overall it's a simple but still great game. On this review page, the major complaint was that the game is "hard." Even if this were true it doesn't mean it's a bad game. And with a little practice you can easily master the elements of the game, from catapult launching to swordfighting to basic strategy. If you're a fan of the original, buy it without hesitation. But if you're new to the game, I'd suggest renting first to see if you like it, since it's so different than what's currently popular in the market.

O.K, I bought this game because of what all of the other online reviewers said about it. I was very disappointed.

Although it's an interesting and original game it has some serious shortcoming. It's almost impossible to hit the men on horseback with your bow. When you raid a castle, it's the same level over and over again. No matter which castle you do! The play control is extremely bad.
The military campaign has some good strategy but the battle scenes themselves are horrendously bad. First off, it's extremely difficult and Prince John inevitably defeats all of the other nobles and becomes almost impossible to defeat.
I don't think the original ATARI would boast such poor graphics during the battles. The graphics during the battles are like Intellivison or Odyssey quality (how many old-school gamers remember those) graphics. You have to see it to believe it that PS2 is capable of such poor graphics that were bad even by 1985's standards.
It's still a fun story and the non-linear nature can be refreshing for orthodox RPG/adventure fans. The archery raids are fun if you have superb aim. Castle sieges are fun addition as well. You get a certain satisfaction watching your enemies walls crumble before your catapults.
This game is worth renting but definetely DO NOT BUY IT!

This game has been very entertaining, and brings a new style/perspective to games that have been lost for a long time. A lot of games these days have missed the gameplay aspect in favour of flashy graphics. This baby has both! The game does get monotenous at times, but it's nothing to daunt me to much from enjoying it. The strategy of the game is very challenging and keeps the game going. You get a lot of re-play out of this game instead of the normal, once you beat it your done type games. You can just keep replaying it, and it retains it's fun. Which is very important to me.

There are ascpects I wish they would have developed further, like the swordfighting. It's not the greatest system, and I found the fights quite easy after my third time playing it. But it's still very enjoyable, definetly not the worst!! You can block, duck, jump, and do high and low attacks. But it's simplistic in method.
Jousting is definetly kool, but like the fighting, they could have added more features. Still, I love watching the guys getting smashed by my lance, and the controls are very good. You get to go on castle raids which is totally awsome! So you can steal treasure from enemy castles, hee hee. (stealing is so not good in real life though). Archery ambushes are quite hard, in my opinion the hardest part of the game. If they made it just a tad easier it would be my most played sequence. Ahhh, and the sieges! Very well done. Let the castle walls crumble! They could have added extra features in there as well, but I still enjoy it. The voice acting was supurb! and the movie sequences are truly awsome. it adds a very nice flare to it, and is done better then any other game i've seen. The graphics are really good, my applause to the artists and animators.
Overall, the game is very well worth the price of admission!

I hope to see a Robin Hood: defender of the crown 2 with added features and sequences.
The game could really use some added spice to make it more robust. But after playing it and knowing it's pro's and con's. I would still buy it if i didnt own it. I am very happy with this game and my purchase.

So I think this game sounds good but I need to know if this is real swordfighting or like Final Fantasy where you attack and they attack. I like the real swordfighting better and really want to know.

I bought this game and absolutely love it! I played the original on the Amiga, and this new version is very much in keeping with it, yet has come on a long way. All of the mini-games look and feel excellent. Your first exposure to them is an archery raid, which is SO addictive! You'll end up playing it again and again until you can master it and kill all the riders before you get hit yourself.

The cut-scenes are also astounding. I've never seen such attention to detail and atmosphere put into in-game movies before. And there's so many of them!

Most people seem to assume this is a game about archery, swordfighting, jousting etc. But there's such a big strategy game behind it, with a map of England (and Sherwood Forest) that you attempt to take-over county by county. It's up there with the Sid Meier classics.

This is a great game. I can't stop playing it. I'm off to kick the Sheriff's ass!