Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story

When you reached the mountaintop in 2018's God of War and concluded the epic journey with Kratos and Atreus, did you ever wish there was a version of this story that you can put in the hands of a child to entertain them for hours? Probably not, right? Well, if you did, Riot Forge and Tequila Works has the perfect solution. I'm not going to tell you that Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a copy of Sony Santa Monica's acclaimed adventure, but there are some clear similarities.

First of all, this spinoff of Riot Games' enormously popular MOBA takes players to the Freljord region of Runeterra, which is a location famed for its frosty, Nordic-like aesthetics. Secondly, the story revolves around a dual-protagonist combination, with this being the young boy Nunu and the loveable yeti, Willump, and within two minutes you start to see the similarities with how these two work in operation and how Kratos and Atreus did in the 2018 game. The main catch is that Nunu is the main character in this game, meaning it's almost a reverse set-up to God of War, with Willump (the equivalent of Kratos) being the secondary character who steps in and protects Nunu for the majority of the story.

Third of all are the cameos, which remind of the encounters Kratos and Atreus have with rival gods. In Song of Nunu, you'll meet other League of Legends Champions, some of which are friendly and will help you on your journey, like Ornn and Braum, and others that turn out to be more of a problem, for example the encounter with Volibear. To add to this you have a story that literally revolves around travelling to a mountain for answers, collectibles that come in the form of painted murals, and a gameplay system that has a combination of platforming, exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. It's not a shameless copy by any margin, but there are clear inspirations with what Tequila Works has created here, even if every part of this game is much more straightforward and rudimentary, as it is clearly built to accommodate a younger generation of players.

The familiarity doesn't affect the charm of this game, however. Nunu and Willump are fantastic protagonists that bounce off one another and are painted and crafted narratively in a way that allows them to express a multitude of emotions. The additional cameos and characters feel like they belong to the tale too, and contribute to it effectively. The level design, while a little too basic at times, works and introduces enough new mechanics and systems to keep things fresh. While this game, simply put, works... it's nothing we haven't seen before, even if the flute and puzzling systems do attempt to have the title punching above its weight.

The key area that Song of Nunu looks to set itself apart from other games is how it utilises the abilities of both Nunu and Willump. Nunu can use his flute (Svellsongur) to play musical notes that are performed by pressing triggers and bumpers on the Switch (or a controller) together or alone. With the right combination in tune, Nunu can task Willump with interacting with the environment, and can even affect creatures found around the Freljord to lead and control them. Willump can use his frosty magical abilities to interact and create True Ice that can be used to solve puzzles and reach otherwise inaccessible areas. With these two unique mechanics at your disposal, Song of Nunu tasks you with solving environmental puzzles and even acquiring some collectibles found in hidden locations around the world.

It may seem like there is a lot of depth on offer here, but in reality it's surface depth. Song of Nunu never really goes any deeper with its mechanics than when it first presents them to you, but considering it's evidently clear that this is an adventure game for younger folk, I think this more rudimentary style works. Between this and the fact that the game does add character to many of the iconic individuals that we've come to know and love from League of Legends, Song of Nunu is a fun way to expand your understanding of this fantasy world beyond simply sinking hours into the MOBA itself.

The main enemy with Song of Nunu is the stiff feeling of the game. Platforming doesn't really leave the player any wiggle room, and the combat is sluggish and steady. Some of the puzzles are also overly complex and will lead even more versed players to struggle and flounder in search of a clue or answer that the game never provides. Song of Nunu, simply, often gets in its own way.

But this doesn't detract from the fact that Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is the next interesting step forward by Riot in expanding and continuing to tell stories in the League of Legends universe beyond the MOBA. For anyone interested in the fantasy realm, this is a fun way to learn more about several key Champions, without needing to learn the ropes of the popular competitive title. And for younger players, there's a huge amount to enjoy here too. It's simple to pick up and understand, has interesting mechanics and systems, and a vibrant and colourful world. Just don't expect to be blown away by what Tequila Works has built here, because it's, all in all, a very predictable and familiar title buffed with a League of Legends polish.