The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story

After years of playing League of Legends, it's clear to me that the game's universe and expansive character lore are its most fascinating aspects. Although MOBA might not be the best genre to explore the story in depth (aside releasing temporary events or skin lines), Riot has thankfully started to create new content through various mediums including comics, the popular Netflix show Arcane and some attempts to master other genres with titles like Legends of Runeterra. Their latest addition are the A League of Legends Story games, a collection of titles of varying genres released by different developers that allow us to explore new possibilities through the backstories of our favourite characters. And buckle up, because Riot Forge has prepared a few more adventures to be released this 2023.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is an action-RPG developed by Digital Sun, creators of Moonlighter. Like the well-known indie title, The Mageseeker stands out for its gorgeous 2D pixel art with picturesque environments that will leave you in awe as you explore the map. Even though it's a highly enjoyable and even addictive experience, it does have a few shortcomings.

The story begins in Demacia, a kingdom that strictly forbids the use of magic. I play as Sylas of Dregbourne, a mage who was imprisoned for 15 years because of an incident that exposed his inability to control his powers. At the start of the game, a cinematic introduces the beginning of my journey: Sylas has managed to escape by stealing the powers of his friend, Lux. He sets the city on fire and flees, ready to start a revolution against the tyrannical monarchy and the Mageseekers.

The gameplay starts with simpler sequences that serve as an introduction to the controls and the more basic mechanics. League of Legends fans will be pleased to learn that Sylas' gameplay and skills have been seamlessly adapted to the RPG genre. As a rogue mage with a bruiser playstyle, he wields petricite chains, a weapon that can absorb magic from his surroundings. Exactly as in the main game, he has a basic and a charged attack and he can latch his chains onto enemies or elements of the environment, pulling himself towards them. His most defining characteristics are all maintained, so much so that he can also steal the enemies' abilities and use them against others.

Even on the normal difficulty mode, these mechanics are fairly straightforward and easy to master. For someone who is new to the genre, the fights can feel a little bit tricky at first while adjusting to the different skill combos and the chain movement, but it can be surprisingly simple for more experienced players. If you're looking for a challenge, it'd be better to go straight to the higher difficulty mode. However, don't let your guard down: sometimes the scenes switch from a pretty empty environment to a swift succession of powerful enemy waves.

At a first glance, it might sound like the fights end up feeling pretty boring once you get the hang of them, which could be very early on. However, there's a unique twist: the magic system revolves around elemental abilities. Just like it sounds: fire, ice, thunder... Each of the elements counters another, so you will have to put Sylas' stealing skill to good use and choose which abilities to take. Additionally, magic depends on mana, which can be replenished after hitting physical attacks. The gameplay loop takes a highly interesting turn thanks to that: stealing, attacking, dashing and hitting, over and over again. Players must focus on different enemies to slay them with a specific element, which creates a pretty fun experience when there are too many things happening on the screen.

Besides, after a few waves of simpler enemies, the game also pits you against your fair share of more challenging bosses on each mission, so you can spend some time getting used to new attack patterns and abilities.

That being said, choosing which enemy to latch onto can be challenging when they're too close together, and there are some odd bugs that slow down the action. For example, some mages stop attacking altogether when you get too close to them. The enemies can also feel a little repetitive once you encounter some of them one too many times, particularly during side quests. However, the game keeps things fresh eventually by letting you fight some well-known League of Legends champions and steal their definitive abilities.

Once each mission is over, it's time to go back to the rebellion's Hideout. As you keep meeting new people and convincing them to join the rebellion, they arrive at this camp and start their own stores and workshops, offering essential upgrades to purchase with the resources you obtain from enemies and chests. That way, you can permanently learn the abilities that you've stolen, upgrade your stats, increase your mana storage and add all the improvements that you need before setting out on a new mission. In addition, Sylas will meet Outlaws to join his cause who provide elemental bonuses during the missions. Maybe this is a single-player adventure, but the Outlaws are your team, and improving their level is crucial to increasing your overall power.

The Hideout is where you will experience the more story-driven and character-oriented aspects of the game. While it's true that most of your gameplay will consist of hitting and punching, the lore is masterfully crafted and allows you to delve into Sylas' past and understand why he's so thirsty for vengeance. This story shows that he's not just a villain or a savior, but a much more nuanced character. You can also interact with different secondary characters and engage in conversations that allow you to explore their backstories and potentially develop friendships.

As I mentioned before, the retro style and pixel art of this game are completely stunning, with great attention to detail in both interior and exterior designs. In each new environment I couldn't help but to take a few seconds to look around. The animations of the main League of Legends characters were also insane: the first time that Garen used his ultimate I was completely dumbfounded.

However, beyond the aesthetic, the map itself felt too simple, such as many other aspects of the game. It was too linear and uneventful. I tried to interact with it, smashing things, trying to enter new areas by getting close to doors, stairs, sectors that seemed like they might lead somewhere else... None of that worked. Though chests with resources were easy to find, the game would have benefitted from a puzzle or two, or a few more chances to explore the areas beyond simply reading lost notes.

All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining title, suitable for both League of Legends fans and newcomers. The Mageseeker stands out perfectly as its own unique game. In fact, it can even be a great entryway to the League of Legends world, since its great storytelling and charming setting will surely attract some RPG enjoyers to the well-known MOBA. Despite its few shortcomings, I highly recommend this experience that will roughly take about 12 hours to complete.