Conquests of the Longbow – Final Rating

Written by Alex

Conquests of the Longbow was a thoroughly enjoyable game to play. In fact, I wish that it were longer (there were so many people I didn’t shoot . . .). I have a feeling that the game will do quite well on the PISSED scale, as it seems to be one of the better games we have played on this blog in a while. Will it reach Secret of Monkey Island and Quest for Glory I and II heights? Read and find out.

Conquests of the Longbow – Won! (Plus a Surprise)

Written by Alex

Well, I did it. I have conquered Conquests of the Longbow. And for the first time in a while since I started blogging here, I enjoyed every minute of this game. My only gripe is that I wish it were longer: There were three more game days since my last post, but they came and went quickly. But at least they were consequential and chockablock with action. I’ll go through each day in a similarly swift manner.

But before I do, I want to underscore again how much this game does right. I don’t think we’ve such a game so well-constructed since The Secret of Monkey Island, although one could make a strong case for Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire. In any event, we’ll get to all of that in the forthcoming final rating post, although given the tenor of my posts it’s not surprising that Longbow will likely land near the top of the PISSED scale.

And finally, please read this post to the end because, in the grand tradition of the Adventure Gamer blog, I have a cool surprise for everybody.

Conquests of the Longbow – Burn the Witch

Written by Alex

Conquests of the Longbow does so much right, it’s difficult to pick out only one thing to discuss for each post. But one global thing I appreciate about this game is the attention to detail. Everything—each puzzle, character, inventory object, and potential player action—seems as though it has been thought through and extensively tested. Nearly every character has something unique to say about each situation, inventory object, or even disguise Robin is wearing, and these responses change as the game progresses. Further, although there really is a “best” solution for each puzzle, I appreciate the element of choice and alternate solutions, even though some are illusory. This detail creates a rich world that seems alive instead of a static backdrop for the player’s pointless clicking and brute-force puzzle “solutions.” The more I play Longbow, the more I believe it will rank rather high on the PISSED scale. Adventure game designers could learn many things from Ms. Marx and company.

Conquests of the Longbow – All’s Fair in Love and Archery

Written by Alex

I’ve discussed previously how the designers of Conquests of the Longbow do a great job in creating conflict in every scene. Another thing that they do is foreshadowing events to come. Every scene and just about every line of dialogue serves some purpose, whether it’s general plot-related information, introducing new game mechanics to the player, nudging Robin off in the right direction, or just setting up future events. And amazingly, so far it’s felt completely natural and not hackneyed: I haven’t found any puzzles in this game to be totally oblique, but I don’t feel like I’m being spoon-fed the solutions either. The impression I get is that, as long as you pay attention, you won’t be totally lost. This is not to say that there isn’t some silliness. There is, and while a lot of it helps reveal the different characters’ personalities (think the Merry Men’s banter), a lot of it is just there to make you smile, but it doesn’t feel out of place.

Conquests of the Longbow – What the Fulk?

Written by Alex

Ho-hum. Another day, another rescue. Much like day five’s jailbreak of the Widow’s three sons, day six finds Robin springing another unfortunate soul free from the brutal clutches of Prince John’s lackeys. But his day didn’t start with the intention to free anybody, oh, no. Robin Hood awoke with one thing on his mind: Maid Marian’s ladyparts. And in order to get to them, he needs to recover her hand scroll from the monks in the fens.

Conquests of the Longbow – Bring the Boys Back Home

Written by Alex

In screenwriting there is an axiom that every scene needs conflict. In other words, the writer should never make things easy for the protagonist. Steven Spielberg was the master of this. Jurassic Park, the Back to the Future trilogy and the Indiana Jones movies keep viewers on the edge of their seats by ratcheting up the tension: Right when you think the heroes are going to get away with their latest adventure, another obstacle gets thrown in their way. It can get ridiculous, but it makes for one hell of an entertaining thrill ride.

These movies also dispensed with elaborate backstories, which are more appropriate in books than on-screen. Think about the opening text crawls of the Star Wars movies: Everything you need to know is in there, and no time gets wasted getting to the action in medias res.

These same general rules can go for any type of fiction, including computer games. And it sure seems like Christy Marx and her colleagues know what they’re doing. Not only does Conquests of the Longbow drop the player into the thick of things sans overlong flashbacks, something I praised in my first gameplay post. Robin’s missions follow suit: He wakes up, and right away there’s a conflict. And solving it is anything but a cakewalk.

Conquests of the Longbow – The Hunchback of Sherwood Forest

Written by Alex

Wonder Twin powers, activate!

Conquests of the Longbow is broken up into separate days, but unlike the Quest for Glory series, the player has no control over when to end the days, nor is there any indication that time is passing. I generally have no issue with this, and Longbow moves at a brisk pace. This also makes it easier to write these posts. The only downsides of this episodic structure are narrative, in that it seems silly to do only one thing and then call it a night, and personal, in that I can’t escape the feeling that I triggered the end of the day without completing all that there is to do. I’m quite confident that Christy Marx and company have not created a game full of Sierra Walking Dead Scenarios™, so I won’t be too obsessive about saving and reloading. However, I just want to experience all that this game has to offer.

Conquests of the Longbow – Dreams of Maid Marian

Written by Alex

As I booted up Conquests of the Longbow, I knew I was in for a treat. Not only due to the pretty graphics and excellent music, but because of the game’s writing and presentation. Right away, Longbow frames the background story in a clear, efficient, and creative way.

Game 64: Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood – Introduction (1991)

Written by Alex

Maid Marian. Little John. Friar Tuck. The wicked Sheriff of Nottingham. King Richard the Lionheart. The Merry Men. Even in the 21st century, we all know the characters and the stories. And of course, there’s the man himself: Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw, swordsman, archer, and ladies’ man. He wields a pretty mean quarterstaff, too, and really loves the color green.

Robin Hood memorial in Nottingham. Photo by Olaf1541. He looks kind of like Link, doesn’t he?