Conquests of the Longbow

Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood is an adventure game created by Sierra On-Line and released in 1991 for MS-DOS and Amiga. The game was designed by Christy Marx, who crafted an engaging retelling of the Robin Hood legend that goes beyond simple action and theft to explore the moral complexities of medieval England.

Set in Sherwood Forest during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, you play as Robin Hood himself, leading your band of Merry Men against the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham. What sets Conquests of the Longbow apart from typical Sierra adventures is its ambitious scope and the meaningful choices it presents. The game features multiple endings based on your actions throughout the story - how you treat enemies, whether you show mercy or cruelty, and the methods you use to achieve your goals all impact the final outcome. This branching narrative was quite progressive for 1991 and adds significant replay value.

The graphics are simply beautiful, showcasing some of Sierra's finest artistic work from this era. The VGA graphics on PC are clearly the best, with richly detailed backgrounds depicting Sherwood Forest, Nottingham Castle, and various medieval locations with atmospheric depth and color. The character sprites are well-animated and expressive, bringing the cast of outlaws, nobles, and commoners to life with personality and charm.

What's particularly remarkable is the Amiga conversion. It's one of the few games that take advantage of the Extra Half-Brite, with 64 colors instead of the usual 32. Despite the limitation, compared to the 256-color VGA palette, the Amiga version is incredibly good - arguably the best Sierra adventure conversion the platform ever received. The artists managed to create stunning scenes that lose surprisingly little of the original's atmosphere despite the significant color limitation. The dithering and color choices are masterful, proving that technical constraints can be overcome with skill and dedication. If you're playing Sierra adventures on the Amiga, Conquests of the Longbow stands as the pinnacle of what the system could achieve with these games.

The gameplay blends traditional Sierra point-and-click adventuring with some unique mechanics. You must manage your band's morale and provisions, practice archery in contests that test your skill, and navigate both stealth and combat situations. The archery sequences are particularly well-implemented, requiring actual player skill rather than simple inventory puzzle solutions. You'll also engage in activities such as disguising yourself, participating in medieval games, and even dealing with the legend's mystical aspects, including encounters with Maid Marian and the mysterious forest spirits.

However, as typical for Sierra adventures of this period, some puzzles are frustratingly difficult. The game expects you to think like a medieval outlaw, which sometimes means solutions that feel arbitrary or require specific timing that isn't always clearly telegraphed. There are also the dreaded dead-end situations where you can proceed without a crucial item, only to discover hours later that the game is unwinnable. Save often becomes the necessary mantra.

The historical research evident in the game deserves mention - Christy Marx clearly invested time in making the world feel authentic, from the customs and clothing to the political tensions of the era. The writing is sharp and engaging, with dialogue that captures the spirit of the legend without feeling overly theatrical.

Compared to other Sierra adventures like King's Quest V or Quest for Glory, Conquests of the Longbow offers a more focused narrative with greater player agency. It shares some DNA with Conquests of Camelot, Marx's previous game, but improves on that title's interface and pacing.

Conquests of the Longbow stands as one of Sierra's most ambitious and successful adventures, combining gorgeous visuals with meaningful choices and engaging storytelling. Despite occasional puzzle frustrations, it remains a highlight of early 90s adventure gaming and a must-play for fans of the genre.