I really like what Riot Games is doing with their Riot Forge imprint. The world and characters of LoL are too interesting to be trapped inside a MOBA and through these games developed by smaller companies we can learn more about its striking history. We already saw the potential of this idea in Ruined King and in this review it is the turn of The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story.
This adventure takes us to Demacia to embody what we have always considered the greatest enemy of the city: Sylas the unchained. But perhaps the story we know is not entirely correct. Maybe this man is more than just a big city fall obsessed fan.
League of Legends fans are well acquainted with the stories of Demacia, a kingdom with a strong fear of magic that used its fearsome Mage Hunters to imprison all those capable of using it and who refused to join them. Sylas was one of them, he was recruited from a young age for his ability to sense magic until he got out of control. Since then he spent his days in prison, with a growing hatred that finally broke out with great violence.
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a ‘hack n’ slash’ action game in the style of the first God of War and with retro-style pixel graphics. It was developed by Digital Sun, the independent Spanish studio responsible for Moonlighter. What initially seemed like a traditional and somewhat repetitive action game ended up surprising me with its RPG-inspired combat systems and a great story that not only makes the most of LoL’s lore, but improves on it.
Can The Mageseeker be liked by those who don’t play League of Legends?
I’m glad to answer with a yes. I don’t play LoL and my knowledge of its lore was limited to what I learned by watching the excellent Netflix series Arcane. At first I was a bit confused by not knowing the concepts and characters they mention in this game, but that was quickly fixed and I even started to warm towards them.
In fact, this title encouraged me to learn more about the world of Runeterra. I didn’t become a LoL player and have no interest in going back to that MOBA, but I’m definitely more interested in all of its mythology.
Fans are going to find a lot to enjoy. A handful of League of Legends champions are an important part of the story or bosses we face. Most of the characters are original, but their designs and personalities are right up there with the champions and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of them on The Rift in the future. There are also mentions of other Champions in dialogues and collectible documents.
It’s also great to see how Sylas’s attacks in LoL translated into this playstyle and pixelated graphics, as well as the other Champions featured, especially their ‘Ultimates’.
There is no peaceful revolution
Although the levels have a few detours that lead to secret documents, chests, or collectible silverwing chicks, this is not a game of exploration. The stages are completely linear and that’s okay because the star of The Mageseeker’s gameplay is the combat.
We can win out of matchups with Mage Hunters with Sylas’ powerful chain attacks and the occasional spell, but that would be wasting the options he offers. When we steal an enemy magic and return to the revolution hideout we can buy that spell and equip it. We can also recruit some magicians specialized in each element that accompany us on missions to give us special combos.
The items work on the familiar and well-tested system of opposites where one deals more damage to enemies using the other. We have Fire – Ice, Earth – Air, and Light – Dark. We must choose well which spells and companions we take to each mission according to the enemies we are going to find. So far everything is normal, but The genius of the combat is in the different formations of rivals that we find in each confrontation.
Spells spend mana and we won’t always be able to use them, but at any time we can steal an enemy’s magic and use it. This makes us keep our full attention on the battlefield, thinking about which enemies to prioritize and what type of attack to use against them. The ice mage can be very dangerous, but if we eliminate it we will not be able to steal the attack that is so useful against the fire toads that surround it. We have to make decisions like that all the time.
To finish seasoning the action we are learning new ‘Ultimate’ skills as we progress through the story. We can also improve the effects of each element and find enemies with new spells to steal. The difficulty curve is very well adjusted and the fights against the main bosses are simply excellent.
The cry of the oppressed
The game’s heavy focus on combat makes it feel repetitive to some, but overall it’s entertaining and trying out different spell builds and companions kept it fresh. However, it was the narrative that really kept me interested in the game.
The core of the plot is the transformation of an oppressed man seeking revenge into a revolutionary leader capable of overcoming his selfishness for the good of his people. He’s an obnoxious character at first, but the story arc of him is excellent. His transformation does not happen from one moment to the next and we see how he changes little by little to be a better person.
The story of the revolution against the Mage Hunters is also extremely satisfying and has a political charge that I did not expect. The suffering of the oppressed wizards is presented bluntly. The manipulation of the masses by the powerful of Demacia is painfully realistic and the indolence of the regents is shown as complicit. The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is a clear anti-fascist story. He warns us that a revolution may not be easy, but it is always necessary..
Through this story, many plot details that LoL has developed in supplementary material such as novels, videos and comics are also “fixed”. What I read while playing this title showed Sylas as a threat or even a monster.
It is the typical “deep down he is right but he is using the wrong methods” narrative that is also used in real life against groups that are forced to defend themselves with violence or to express that “both sides are bad”. The Mageseeker understands that violence is sometimes necessary to claim rights. Even at the end, when the Mage Hunters are disbanded, it shows that the revolution continues. It doesn’t matter that there is now a “good king” because the monarchy is a corrupt institution that has no place in a world where everyone can be equal.
The Dark Side of The Mageseeker Revolution
But not everything in this game is as good as its story and combat system. The Mageseeker’s most notable flaw is its repetitive settings. Even with some differences, It seems that we are always walking through the same forests, laboratories and streets. We also found a fair amount of bugs: enemies getting stuck, menus getting stuck, and actions not responding. We were surprised to find so many errors in the texts in Spanish, taking into account the origin of the developer studio.
The most serious problem is in control because aiming at enemies with the right stick is inaccurate. There were many times when I ended up attacking the air when the enemies were behind me. This is a problem against the more difficult bosses that require you to move very carefully around the battle arena.
I loved this game and Sylas is now one of my favorite characters. The story, combat system, and boss fights dictate that I give The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story a much higher rating in this review. But the problems with the control, ‘bugs’ and repetitive scenarios do not let me do it. Still, the game succeeded in getting me interested in the world of League even more than Arcane had. Something tells me that’s Riot Games’ main goal with these games. Mission accomplished and come convergence.
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story In Summary
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never touched anything related to LoL, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story offers a fantastic story about the revolution of the downtrodden and an entertaining gameplay that should please both fans of these characters and those who are new to them to know. It treats its themes with the importance they deserve while delving into Runeterra’s lore. It’s a shame that some problems, especially the lack of precision in the controls, prevent it from shining as brightly as it should. Despite this, it is still worth playing.
Review made using a digital copy of The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story for PS5 provided by Riot Games.
