Hood: Outlaws and Legends is an upcoming competitive multiplayer game set in a dark medieval world loosely based on the Robin Hood myths. Playable characters take inspiration from the different members of Robin of Locksley's Merry Men, while enemy characters are based on famous folklore antagonists like the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The game's developers were inspired by the multiple accounts of Robin Hood's life in English folklore, and the various potential origins of the legend. The game also avoids specifics. The government which teams of players will compete to steal from, for example, is named only "The State." Player character's are given first names in the character selection screen, but are intentionally distances from the figures they would implicitly later become in legend. As such, the stylized world of Hood: Outlaws and Legends shouldn't stop with the Robin Hood myth.

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The Legends Of Hood

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Hood: Outlaws and Legends doesn't specifically take place in Sherwood Forest or Nottingham, instead creating a dark fantasy version of Britain which leans into the ambiguity of the myths. The game takes place in "the Green Wood," and the only hint that it takes place on Earth at all is a reference to Scotland in the Hunter Class' character story trailer. With rival teams of outlaws attempting to take the State's treasure, the game is deeply interested in the idea that multiple people could be behind certain myths.

So far it has been revealed that the playable characters in Hood: Outlaws and Legends are roughly based on and named after Robin Hood's Merry Men. These characters include Robin, "Marianne," John, and "Tooke," though it is intentionally ambiguous whether or not they are the Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Little John, and Friar Tuck from the stories (they almost certainly are).

The Sheriff is already a boss NPC in the game, but Hood: Outlaws and Legends could include more characters inspired by those found in the Robin Hood myths. Guy of Gisborne, King Richard, Prince John, and Much the Miller's son could all be included. If the studio wants to dive deeper into exploring the strange origins of myths, they could even include some of the legends' most obscure characters, like Gilbert Whitehand, said to be the only man who was Robin Hood's equal in archery.

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Competing Mythologies

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This idea of competing mythologies could be extended to include characters from English mythology beyond those found in the Robin Hood myths. Sumo Digital has already promised a steady stream of updates for the upcoming game. New heroes and enemies could take influence, for example, from Arthurian mythology. Though Robin Hood and King Arthur aren't alive at the same time in their own myths, the game already bends reality enough that characters inspired by those figures from folklore could easily blend into the game.

With the idea of competing mythologies, it would be interesting to see a team of players based on the Robin Hood myths go up against a team with characters and abilities based on the Knights of the Round Table. Alternatively, figures inspired by King Arthur's knights could provide new boss characters on the side of the State, to add to the Sheriff that players must already take the key from in order to reach their goal.

Expanding the mythological influences of Hood: Outlaws and Legends could allow for new mechanics, abilities, boss fights, and a more diverse roster of playable characters to choose from. The castles in the game's current maps take inspiration from English castles like the ones found at Lindisfarne and Bamburgh, but the game could also begin to take inspiration from locations found in folklore as well. Time will only tell how Hood: Outlaws and Legends will grow, but once it has expended the limits of the Robin Hood myth it will be interesting to see which direction the developers take.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends releases May 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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