Compared to that of their biggest competitor, LucasFilm/LucasArts, Sierra Entertainment's output of graphic adventure games during the 80's and 90's has always struck me as being all over the map in terms of quality. Now, I'm not saying that every LucasArts game is superior to every game made by Sierra. I would definitely take a Gabriel Knight or Quest for Glory over say, Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (coincidentally the one game from LucasArts that most closely resembles a Sierra title) any day of the week. However, I do maintain that the weaker titles from LucasArts are still on par with an average game from Sierra.
Which brings us to the subject of this review. A game which is not (and I must emphasize) one of Sierra's average games: 1991's Conquests of the Longbow.
This was the second Sierra game that had Christy Marx, remembered mostly today as the creator of Jem and the Holograms, as the lead designer and writer. The First being Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail, released only the year before.
Both games has the player take on the role of a famous character from English legend. In Conquests of the Camelot it was King Arthur and since Conquests of the Longbow's secondary title is The Legend of Robin Hood, no points for guessing who you're supposed to be in this game.
I played Conquests of Camelot for the first time fairly recently. I enjoyed it, but if I have to pick which Conquests game I consider to be the superior, I'd pick Longbow in a heartbeat. It improves on its predecessor in pretty much every way.
To give you an example; my least favorite parts of Camelot were the occasional arcade-sequences, such as when you had to joust against the Black Knight. Conquests of the Longbow does not disperse with these moments, but it does allow the player to bypass them. This does come at the expense of your overall final score (since you won't receive the points you would have gotten if you had conquered these obstacles), but it's nonetheless a welcome feature.
Another huge point in Conquests of the Longbow's favor is that it plays fair. Sure, I died a few times, but the deaths always felt (for lack of a better term) reasonable. Which is more than I can say for any King's Quest game I've played.
Story-wise, the plot of Conquests of the Longbow should be familiar to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Robin Hood myth and includes everything one would expect from a story about the Prince of Thieves and his merry men. In case you're wondering; Yes, there is an archery contest and yes, you have to disguise yourself in order to participate in it.
The Player's main objective is to raise part of an outrageous ransom needed to free King Richard, who is being held hostage by Leopold of Austria (the rest of the money is provided by Queen Eleanor, Richard's mother). Of course, Prince John, who rules in Richard's place, would rather that his brother not return at all, while the money is used instead to enrich himself and his lackeys.
The Game's characterization is overall solid (with the villains being the weakest link). Robin and his merry men are all well-portrayed with distinct personalities and the game does a good job making the bond between them feel genuine.
Perhaps the most interesting character in the game though, is Marian. Depicted here not only as Robin's noblewoman love-interest, but as an agent of Eleanor's (acting as a go-between between the unseen Queen and the outlaws of Sherwood Forest) as well as a Druidic priestess and while you do end up having to rescue her from the Sheriff at the end, for the most part, this Marian comes across as strong-willed and accomplished. Exactly the kind of woman you'd believe Robin Hood would fall in love with.
Conquests of the Longbow also contains multiple endings. At the end of the game, you're put on trial and depending on your actions, you might find yourself either handsomely rewarded, or swinging from a rope.
So far, I've been singing this game's praises, was there any part of it I didn't like? Actually, yes. At one point in the game, you have to capture a pixie by throwing a net in front of him, something that quickly became an exercise in frustration. Earlier in the game, you are required to play Nine Men's Morris (an actual medieval board game) against an old soldier, so that you can win a magical jewel from him and while not as annoying as the pixie-catching, the time I spent on it, made me breathe a sign of relief when I finally beat my opponent and could progress with the actual game.
Oh, and if you've played this game and were able to memorize the Druidic sign-language without consulting the manual, than my hat's off to you.
These are minor complaints though. As a whole, Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood, is a terrific adventure game, one of the best to come out of Sierra's stable. Highly recommended.
