Hood: Outlaws and Legends is around the corner. You can expect a mix of medieval action and stealth gameplay like in Assassins Creed or the classic Thief. We at MeinMMO asked the boss how the online game plans to captivate you for months, what the PvE and PvP aspects entail, and whether a heist is worth it.
Here’s what to expect in Hood: Do you know Robin Hood? Of course, everyone knows the sharpshooter and master thief. “Hood: Outlaws and Legends” reinterprets the English folktale. The focus is not on a shining hero, but on a band of four shady rogues that you embody for exhilarating heists.
- While sneaking and looting, you will face not only the king’s henchmen but also the nasty sheriff. Oh, and the deadliest opponent of all: real players!
- Hood: Outlaws and Legends is an online multiplayer title. Two competing gangs of thieves, each with 4 players, try to empty a fortress simultaneously.
- You can choose to steer clear of each other, sabotage the other gang, or attack directly – but only one can escape with the loot. These elements are referred to as PvEvP. You will be dealing with real people, but also computer-controlled enemies simultaneously. This can be seen, for example, in For Honor or Hunt: Showdown.
- You rely on weapons, various skills, and stealth mechanics. Depending on the class, your options change drastically.
- Hood releases on May 10 and costs €29.99 for the standard version. Additionally, there is the Year-1 edition, which costs €49.99 and includes the season pass for the entire first year. Many new contents – such as new maps and characters – will also be available for everyone free during the individual seasons. If you pre-order the game, you’ll receive early access on May 7.
The GamePro has already introduced Hood: Outlaws and Legends as part of Find Your Next Game 2021. Here you can find everything about the setting, the individual classes, and the gameplay: Hood: Outlaws and Legends is a brutal co-op mix of Assassin’s Creed and For Honor.
Because you had many questions about the heists in the dark medieval setting, we pestered the developers with inquiries. This way, you can get a better picture of Sumo Digital’s upcoming adventure after this article.
Boss discusses Game of Thrones and gangster movies in interview
Who speaks in the interview? MeinMMO managed to interview Andrew Willans, the Game Director of Hood: Outlaws & Legends, about the new multiplayer title. Willans has been working primarily in Newcastle, England, on Hood for 3 years. He has been developing games since 2007 and was previously involved in Ubisoft’s The Division and Watch Dogs.
Which games were your inspiration for Hood regarding gameplay and setting? What sets Hood apart from these games?
Willans: Thief would be an obvious starting point. It’s a classic medieval stealth crime game and was definitely a reference point in early development. We also looked at all the games that attempted to replicate the tension and excitement of a bank heist, such as Payday, but also titles like Hunt: Showdown, which have notable influences from the PvPvE genre.
Ultimately, however, our main reference points came from heist films, which adhere to a three-act structure:
- The assembling of the crew
- The cracking of the vault
- and then the escape and chase
We always wanted to present a more mature version of the “Robin Hood” legend, so TV series like “Game of Thrones” were another regular touchstone we wanted to capture regarding atmosphere and the degree of violence.
A good impression of the gameplay and the dark atmosphere is conveyed by the 4-minute trailer for Hood:
Where do you see your target audience? What types of gamers should check out Hood?
Willans: It’s a bit evasive to say that it’s a mid-core game [between casual gamers and hardcore gamers]. But honestly, that’s exactly our goal.
We have some fantastic precision shooting mechanics that will appeal to sharpshooters who usually get their kicks from first-person shooters. We also have accessible “hack n’ slash” melee combat that is more forgiving while you’re still finding your way around the world.
That shouldn’t imply that the combat lacks depth – we have a stamina system, blocking, parrying, and a wide range of attacks as well as ultimate abilities, throwable equipment, passive skills, and perks.
I truly believe there’s a playstyle for everyone.
How does co-op gameplay work in Hood? Is it for people who enjoy a community experience, or do I need to be fiercely competitive?
Willans: It is possible to commit a heist as a lone wolf, but it’s definitely not the easiest way to do things. Working as a team to coordinate offensively and defensively definitely increases the chances of victory.
Hood starts with a pure PvE training mode. Training allows you to improve the skills you’ll need for heists in the main game. And we will expand our PvE features post-launch, as PvE is a popular theme in our growing community.
How will Hood lure you into the medieval world for months?
A major issue with many service games is giving players reasons to log in diligently even after the hot release phase. Well-known titles like Anthem have failed in this regard. We wanted to know if Hood can provide variety in the coming months and in each match.
How do you plan to ensure gameplay variety in every match? Each match should feel unique; how will Hood achieve that?
Willans: To create variety and prevent predictability between sessions, many factors change randomly with each heist as the maps load:
- The path of the sheriff
- The routes of the AI patrols
- The locations of the capture points (zones for respawning)
- Even the treasure vault changes its position between buildings and floors
Players will become familiar with playstyles and outlaws that work better on certain maps than others, but heists rarely go according to plan, and two rounds seldom play out the same way.
At launch, Hood will offer you 5 expansive areas. The individual maps are split into different zones. Depending on whether you’re sneaking into an abandoned church in a foggy graveyard, scaling a massive fortress, or moving unseen across a marketplace, your approach will change.
It is in the nature of the PvPvE structure that random actions by players (both friends and foes) can completely alter the course of the game. I believe the core heist mode will keep players actively exploring the best tactics for success for a long time.
You can temporarily stop the sheriff with brute force or finesse, but he’s always on your tail. It’s almost like dealing with the walking terror Mr. X from Resident Evil.
Hood aims to be a continuously evolving service game. How do you plan to keep players motivated long-term?
Willans: We have a ton of content in the pipeline. Over the last few years of development, we’ve had so many cool ideas that we had to put on hold. Operating a live game means we can deliver these ideas in the upcoming seasons.
We are also very interested to see how our community reacts and to understand what is most important to the players: Do they want more hardcore modes, more social features, or something else?
Here you can view the planned roadmap for the first year of Hood:
Could you give us an example of character development and upgrading/progression? So how different will my Hunter be later from another Hunter?
Willans: We have a whole range of cosmetics for outlaw costumes and weapons. There’s also a unique perks progression based on character level (XP) and the coins in your pocket.
The perks are the only feature that directly impacts gameplay, and we wanted to avoid any kind of min/max arms race. In most cases, these perks will allow you to further tailor outlaws to your playstyle. However, you will have to consider trade-offs. For example, if you want increased damage for long-range shots, then your short-range shots will be weaker.
Each outlaw will have 3 perk slots, and players can choose from a selection of unlocked perks to fill these slots.
Are you a good or a bad Robin Hood?
Hood presents players with a moral decision after each round: Should I give the loot to the poor or keep the stolen goods – what was the idea behind this game mechanic?
Willans: We wanted to use the fantasy of Robin Hood as part of our economic system. After each heist, you are confronted with the “scale of justice.” All the gold from the heist is split into 2 pots: one for the populace and one for “the pocket.”
It’s then up to you to further divide the gold between these two pots.
- If you invest more in the people, the hideout level rises, and you can unlock more items for the shops there.
- If you invest in your pocket, you’ll have more coins to spend in the shops.
- We wanted to confront players with the decision of whether to invest in a future goal or in the immediate goal, and that felt like an interesting way to contextualize the fantasy [of Robin Hood].
Teamwork makes the heist twice as fun
How will player matchmaking work in Hood?
Willans: Ahhh, the secret ingredient [laughs]. The matchmaking is skill-based but also takes into account the team’s wins and losses.
We hope it will still be easy to join a lobby and jump straight into a heist. Alternatively, you can invite your friends to join you in the forest hub. Prepare your gang there and then jump into the lobby with your completed team.
What social features would you particularly highlight in Hood?
Willans: We have a pretty solid “input and mark” system that works with just one click – for those who don’t want to use the in-game voice chat or party chat. We also have a command wheel with commands through which you can share tactical information with your team, such as “Go here,” “Defend,” “Attack,” and so on. In the coming seasons, we will also expand the social features.
At this point, a thank you to Andrew Willans in Newcastle, who readily answered our questions.
Rustic bandit action hits my sweet spot
I must confess that I am really looking forward to Hood: Outlaws and Legends. This is partly due to the fact that I am a huge fan of the setting. I devoured For Honor – the rustic sword fighting action perfectly matches my taste.
My favorite part is the battles where I have to compete simultaneously with players and NPCs – if the real players are too strong, I just focus on the AI-controlled henchmen and always have a feeling of accomplishment. Hood seems to take a similar approach. Especially the expansion of the PvE features should be music to the ears of many interested parties.
However, it’s important to approach Hood with care. Despite action-packed sequences and skills, tactics are in focus. An immortal nemesis sheriff and exploring optimal routes and heist strategies provide variety. However, this also somewhat reduces direct action. But when a risky plan pays off, the joy of the well-deserved loot should be high.
Hood is clearly aimed at players who also want to compete with others. These PvEvP aspects should therefore be appreciated. If you don’t have the urge to take others down or ambush them from behind, you may be in for a rude awakening.
Especially the decision to make a large portion of success not dependent on having the strongest gear I find very appealing. Thus, even casual gamers can keep up as long as they play smart and have found their playstyle. The classes available at launch should have something for everyone.
My favorite so far is the Hunter, who masters both close and ranged combat and instantly reminds me of Assassins Creed. I’m looking forward to finding out how strong the individual classes will be in comparison and whether each rogue truly has a reason to exist starting May 10.
Philipp Hansen
Author at MeinMMO
