BETS AND DREAMS - Hood: Outlaws and Legends Is A Strong Elevator Pitch
You’ve definitely not failed this city.
By Jay Tee
10/03/21
We’ve seen time and again publishers attempt to navigate the challenges of live service titles, and on occasion forgetting basic elements in pursuit of more potent monetisation. There’s definitely a place in the market for a polished, budget price, multiplayer only title, that is supported through additional content without needing to be constantly updated.
For all intents and purposes, Hood fits the bill; a 4v4 competitive action stealth title, with medieval tropes, class based squads, and randomised elements to keep things fresh. A solid gameplay foundation is what has kept me coming back to The Last of Remastered Factions multiplayer after all these years, so it’s encouraging to see Sumo Newcastle leaning in to the things that typically make folks like myself more inclined to dip back in. Specifically, by providing an array of tactical approaches, opportunities to double down on your chosen playstyle, and a core game mode that emphasises experimentation over brute force.
There’s a lot of unknowns still at play; the balance between different classes, the quality of open combat when stealth goes out the window, and how quickly repetition may or may not affect the end product. But Hood: Outlaws and Legends is nonetheless an enticing prospect, with a few bits and pieces that we expect to see, and also ideas we’d love to see included.
BETS
FOR HONOR - It’s smart for Sumo to launch the game with an emphasis on its primary advertised mode. But if the combat holds up to scrutiny, and the fan demand is there, I could see them adding an arena style combat mode for smaller teams. Perhaps even a one on one deathmatch option, where players are forced to sneak and outthink their opponent whilst manipulating the AI.
RESPECT MY THREADS - Although I can imagine there will be a fair amount of customisation, I don’t believe there will be too many garish skins or wacky tie ins. Despite the more mystical abilities of some characters, so far the game world has been pitched as something a little more grounded. I reckon we’re more likely to see stuff that remains true to the overall established aesthetic.
BRING THE RANDOM - A lot has been made of the randomised nature of each round, with the locations of the Sheriff, treasure, and exits continually being rotated. I can imagine that future updates beyond launch will throw different modifiers into the mix, which could affect weather, enemy damage, and other aspects.
DREAMS
INVITE THE HORDE - I would love to see a good old fashioned, objective driven horde mode, that sees your team of rogues defending a location or better yet competing for high scores against a rival team. Anything that adds value to an already well priced title is a win in my books, and this could be a fairly uncomplicated way to enhance replayability.
SHADES OF GREY - It would be great if additional character classes explored shades of grey, and didn’t necessarily gravitate towards established archetypes. Perhaps a disgraced nobleman, exiled from the Kingdom and looking to enact his revenge, or the town elder, unable to fight but possesses certain strategic advantages owing to his wisdom and age. The more they can differentiate from the expected close range / hunter / mystical / heavy formula, the more distinct and memorable the characters will become.
PERSISTENT ACTION - Helldivers and For Honor both did a wonderful job layering in a meta campaign influenced passively by the playerbase. A push and pull style tug of war, between different factions, could be an interesting way to add another slice of complexity to proceedings, and give players something else to level up / invest their time in outside of traditional skirmishes.
I am so ready for this. Sneak and stab, baby!