Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown
Encyclopedia
Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown is a video game made by Cinemaware
and Capcom
. It is loosely based on the legend of Robin Hood
and remake of Cinemaware's previous very successful game, Defender of the Crown
. It is for PlayStation 2
, Xbox
and Microsoft Windows
.
In this time of lawlessness, only an outlaw can lead the people to freedom. One man, the embodiment of true honor, vows to save his people and restore peace to the land. This man is known as Robin Hood. From the small-scale skirmishes with the Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood Forest, Robin finds himself drawn into the larger the battlefields of England, and the hero of the poor must become the savior of an entire nation.
As Robin Hood, the player must:
The game also features:
gave it a 7.1 (Good) rating, stating "With all the elements that come into play, Defender of the Crown is overly enjoyable — especially for fans of strategy titles".
In contrast, JeuxVideo.com (French) gave it 11 out of 20, stating "too much wanting to diversify, you lose a little all the charm and richness of different styles... we are not in the presence of a graphically stunning title". ActionTrip, while praising the graphics and quality of the dialog gave it a 5.5 (okay) review stating "it fails to sufficiently advance the original's simplistic gameplay. The end result is a very short and naive game". Gamespot.com gave the game a 6.0 (fair) rating, and only recommended it for "die hard fans of the original".
Cinemaware
Cinemaware was a computer game developer and publisher that released several popular titles in the 1980s based on various movie themes. The company was resurrected in 2000, before being acquired by eGames in 2005.-Cinemaware Corp...
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. It is loosely based on the legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and remake of Cinemaware's previous very successful game, Defender of the Crown
Defender of the Crown
Defender of the Crown is a strategy computer game designed by Kellyn Beck. It was Cinemaware's first game, and was originally released for the Commodore Amiga in 1986, setting a new standard for graphic quality in home computer games....
. It is for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Plot
It is a time of great unrest in England. With King Richard the Lionheart held for ransom, the evil Prince John, seizes the throne, and declares himself the King of England. The entire nation soon falls into civil war as greedy nobles war amongst themselves and Prince John sends forth armies to shackle the country under his unjust rule.In this time of lawlessness, only an outlaw can lead the people to freedom. One man, the embodiment of true honor, vows to save his people and restore peace to the land. This man is known as Robin Hood. From the small-scale skirmishes with the Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood Forest, Robin finds himself drawn into the larger the battlefields of England, and the hero of the poor must become the savior of an entire nation.
Gameplay
Robin Hood is a blend of role-playing and turn-based strategy combined with action sequences.As Robin Hood, the player must:
- Fund the war effort by lightening the purses of traveling merchants in archery ambushes.
- Lay siege to castles using mighty siege engines and Greek Fire.
- Joust in tournaments for fame, fortune and land.
- Conquer England’s 38 territories by commanding troops on the battlefield and manage Robin’s growing armies.
- Swordfight through battlements, catacombs and towers in search of treasure - or to rescue a damsel-in-distress.
The game also features:
- Special events, multiple goals and non-linear gameplay.
- A story of action, drama, romance and adventure.
- Twenty minutes of rendered cutscenes and a full hour of recorded voice acting.
- 8 different alternate game endings depending on the player's actions through the game.
Reception
The game garnered mixed reception, receiving middling to good reviews. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 7.1 (Good) rating, stating "With all the elements that come into play, Defender of the Crown is overly enjoyable — especially for fans of strategy titles".
In contrast, JeuxVideo.com (French) gave it 11 out of 20, stating "too much wanting to diversify, you lose a little all the charm and richness of different styles... we are not in the presence of a graphically stunning title". ActionTrip, while praising the graphics and quality of the dialog gave it a 5.5 (okay) review stating "it fails to sufficiently advance the original's simplistic gameplay. The end result is a very short and naive game". Gamespot.com gave the game a 6.0 (fair) rating, and only recommended it for "die hard fans of the original".
Cast
- Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
- Greg EllisGreg Ellis (actor)Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith... - Maid MarianMaid MarianMaid Marian is the wife of the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the 16th century.-History:The earliest medieval Robin Hood stories gave him no female companion...
- Edychta Brytcha - Little JohnLittle JohnLittle John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
- John CyganJohn CyganJohn Cygan is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian.-Career:Cygan is notable for his television work and his voice work .-Filmography:*The Commish ...... - Wilfred of Ivanhoe- Peter JessopPeter JessopPeter Jessop is an American film actor and voice actor best known for his video game voice acting.-Television:*The Batman "What Goes Up" – Curator*Avatar: The Last Airbender – Master Fung, "The Puppetmaster" – Merchant...
- Friar TuckFriar TuckFriar Tuck is a companion to Robin Hood in the legends about that character. He is a common character in modern Robin Hood stories, which depict him as a jovial friar and one of Robin's Merry Men. The figure of Tuck was common in the May Games festivals of England and Scotland during the 15th...
- Alan Sherman - Will ScarletWill ScarletWill Scarlet was a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He was present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son....
- Adrian Neil - Prince JohnJohn of EnglandJohn , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
- Grant AlbrechtGrant AlbrechtGrant Albrecht is a Canadian luger who has competed since 1998. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of tenth in the men's doubles event at Turin in 2006.... - Guy of GisbourneGuy of GisbourneSir Guy of Gisbourne is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. In The Ballad of Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne , he hunts Robin for the Sheriff of Nottingham, but Robin kills him and cuts off his head...
- Richard Green - Sheriff of NottinghamSheriff of NottinghamThe Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
- Martin Jarvis - MerchantMerchantA merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
- David LodgeDavid Lodge (voice actor)David Lodge is a voice actor who is not to be confused with the British actor of the same name. He is active in the anime and video game voice acting community, but is also very well known for his voicework in the Power Rangers franchise...