Gangs of Sherwood Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

For the record, I haven’t been the victim of daylight robbery since Glass Bottom Games’ SkateBird came about back in 2021. That said, if I had to reignite such a core memory and have the coins lifted from my back pocket by anyone, I like to think that the likes of Robin Hood and the ‘ol faithful Merry Men of Nottingham would do the deed some level of justice. As luck would have it, such a scenario came to fruition rather recently, when Appeal Studios’ Gangs of Sherwood graced the shelves and slapped a cyberpunk twist on the whole thing. Unsurprisingly, I felt inclined to explore it, even if it did mean having to feel the clenched fist of a thief for the umpteenth time. Swings and roundabouts, you know how it is.

For those who’ve yet to delve into Appeal Studios’ latest third-person action-adventure IP, just know this: it’s Robin Hood, but with less quaint and idyllic villages and all-round camaraderie, and more nano-infused technology and arrow-brazen level designs. It’s almost as if Evil West ported its way over to a futuristic version of England, but rather than trying to emulate the characteristics of the undead, instead opted to take a few armor-sporting brutes for a spin. And as with any love letter that dares to add flavor to a traditional mix, fortune often favors the bold. The question is, does Gangs of Sherwood come out smelling of daises and drenched in coin, or does it put something of a stain on the classic English folktale?

It’s been a few hours since I first donned the cloak and dagger, and so, in my mind, I’m something of a Merry Man myself. But was obtaining such a title worth the time and effort that I poured into it? Let’s talk.

Velkommen til Sherwood

Gangs of Sherwood slots you into the shoes of Robin Hood and the Merry Men (that’s Marian, Friar Tuck, and Little John, just to clue you in.) As one of the four cloaked rebels, you must take to the borders of Sherwood Forest and beyond in a desperate attempt to foil The Sheriff of Nottingham’s plans to conquer England through the power of the Philosopher’s Stones—artifacts that grant its users immeasurable abilities. It’s an underdog tale, fair and square, and it does all in its power to conjure a good-versus-evil script that’s complete with all the trimmings.

To put it out there, artistically, Gangs of Sherwood is actually a very pretty game — so much, that it’s almost possible to brush over a lot of the other elements, both missing and half-baked. From the loading screens to the actual world itself, the game presents a clean and vibrant palette of extravagant locales to explore and thrice as many small details to hawk over. But that, really, is about as much as I’m willing to praise, as the cracks that are glued beneath the glorious art style are almost too deep to ignore.

Before we delve into said cracks, I will give credit where it’s due; Robin Hood doesn’t get all that much attention when it comes to video game portrayals. I admire the concept, and I also respect the fact that Appeal Studios went with a folktale that’s flown under the radar on more occasions than I dare to think of. But again, I can’t shake that ill feeling that, graphics and concept aside, it just isn’t enough to win my favor.

Pil etter pil etter pil—

You get the picture. Gameplay-wise, there isn’t a whole lot to write home about, as it’s more or less the case of whittling down one foe, and then moving on to the next. That’s the bulk of the experience, right there: discard a set amount of enemies with the same moves, and progress to the next area to do the exact same thing. It isn’t difficult by any stretch, and even with the special move—an ability called Rebel Instinct—enabled, it makes most combat encounters surprisingly easy to shovel through. And that’s taking the higher difficulties into account, too.

Of course, there’s also a bit of exploration and parkour to bridge a few gaps between battles, but for the most part, it really is the case of swinging your fist around and clobbering an army of soldiers for a handful of hours. It isn’t terrible, but it almost feels lazy—uninspired, even, and I can’t help but think that there could’ve been so much more sewn between the crags and crevices to make it a little more invigorating.

There is a sense of progression in Gangs of Sherwood, albeit a fairly shortsighted one, to say the least. You can, in a true Robin Hood fashion, loot a fair amount of gold during your daring exploits, though the lion’s share of said coin can only be flushed into the absolute basics, such as a new skill or cosmetic for one of your Merry Men. At just five hours long, though, it isn’t entirely possible to collect all the skills needed to feel that true sense of accomplishment — and that’s a shame, truly.

To rebels er bedre enn en

The good news is that Gangs of Sherwood does offer the chance to play alongside friends, thanks to its four-player co-op mode. Does this make the overall experience that much more enjoyable? Not exactly, though to be fair, it definitely lessens the tension and gives you the faintest glimmer of shared pride. And that’s sort of what I had to resort to mop up the final portions of the campaign — finding a shared purpose that would make an otherwise lonely and somewhat boring adventure worthwhile.

The bad news, however, is that there just isn’t a whole lot of variety when it comes to mechanics or joint moves, to the point that you spend most of your time fighting alone, even when under the wing of three other players. Sure, they stand in the same ring as you, but honestly, I rarely found that their presence was noticeable, let alone necessary for me to progress further into the story. Having said that, having several pawns on the board definitely gave the relatively dull story some more excitement, or at least, a heartbeat.

Gangs of Sherwood has the potential to be something that it’s not, and it’s a crying shame that Appeal Studios didn’t make the extra effort to add new flavors to a rather boring formula. With the foes being the same, and the moves also being borderline predictable, it makes for a pretty underwhelming experience, through and through. Again, not a terrible experience on any level, but arguably underwhelming, all things considered.

Dom

Gangs of Sherwood isn’t the worst third-person action game I’ve ever played, that’s for sure. In fact, visually, it’s all rather beautiful—elegant, even. But then, attention to detail and a well-rounded art style don’t necessarily make up for the game’s shortcomings, of which there are plenty to list. For the most part, Gangs of Sherwood falls short in the gameplay department—a section that, in all honesty, should be at the forefront of the experience. To put it bluntly, it’s boring, and not to mention frustratingly repetitive — a fault that, even at the best of times, I often struggled to gloss over and discard altogether.

Don’t get me wrong, the opening chapters of the game show a great deal of promise. However, after trudging through a handful of battles and coming to grips with the core gameplay mechanics, it all begins to fall into a rinse-and-repeat pattern—a routine that carries on for four or more hours with only the odd twist to spice up the formula. To that end, I almost wished I was able to sweep the campaign under the rug in a few hours, and not, realistically speaking, five or more.

Gangs of Sherwood is bound to be a sight for sore eyes for some, and not to mention those who’d swipe their own mother’s pockets for a chance to fill the prestigious boots of Robin Hood. That said, if you’re looking to soak up a hearty third-person shooter that provides all the correct components, then you might be in for a bit of a surprise. When all’s said and done, the question, really, is how much are you willing to lose to be one with the Merry Men? If it’s worth $40, then you’ve hardly anything to worry about.