The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story Review – A Successful Spin-Off

The Mageseeker – A League of Legends Story Review

Over the past few years, Riot Games have given fans new ways to engage with A League of Legends. From the critically acclaimed Netflix series, Arcane, to the wonderful RPG epic, Ruined King, each release offers a new perspective on the world. With the view to venture further afield, the talented developers behind Moonlighter, aim to deliver an unforgettable action RPG about the fan-favorite Sylas. Will The Mageseeker manage to capture the same magic of Riot Forge’s previous titles?

Mages in Demacia are considered a threat to civilization. Due to this, The Mageseekers track and incarcerate them. You take on the role of Sylas, a mage with a tragic past. Your unique ability to sense magical powers is used by the government to find others with mythical powers. Going against your kind meant that you could stay safe. However, one event changed this. An accident claims the life of a youth, and as a result, you are imprisoned. As hatred festers within, you become angry at the system and vow to revolt. After a fortunate escape, you begin to build a team to free Demacia from tyranny.

Ready for Revenge

Due to the nature of the narrative, you will quickly pledge allegiance to the rebels and want to tackle the injustice that takes place. Interestingly, Sylas deviates from the noble hero that you may come to expect in such a story. He is hellbent on revenge and wants to kill those in charge. Digital Sun manages to add depth to his character and you will experience his growth throughout the tale. His thirst for vengeance is tamed through conversations with the colorful supporting cast. The characters give further insight into the world which allows Sylas to evolve.

As you venture through beautiful worlds, you’ll encounter an array of strange and unique enemies that require you to constantly consider your method of attack. You can combine strong and weak strikes to pummel enemies and evade attacks with a dash. Foes have particular elemental abilities and you can use your chain to copy these for a one-off attack. Working out which element to use against another is addictive and adds a lovely tactical layer to battles. You will need to identify strengths and weaknesses, then use these to get an advantage. 

Bosses are large and intimidating. Their attacks vary with some that spiral across the environment. You will need to use a range of skills learned previously to overcome the enemy. Magic becomes vital at these points, which means that you will need to monitor your mana. If this depletes, you will no longer be able to summon a spell. You will need to juggle melee attacks, which build your mana, and magic to defeat the array of characters you will face on your journey. This adds an addictive loop to combat and will keep you enthralled with the adventure.

Adventure Ahead

The missions are quite linear with minor deviations that reward exploration. Paths house a variety of enemies which continue to evolve throughout. At certain points, you will encounter an ally that will replenish your health and allow you to alter your loadout, however, upgrades must be done between missions in the hub area. Here, you can also send your party on missions to gain more experience and take part in bespoke side missions. While these do offer the resources to gain upgrades, the missions themselves are not of the same quality as the main missions.

Similar to Moonlighter, the game adopts a pixel art style which is absolutely stunning. There’s a wonderful layer of polish that permeates the entirety of the game. Each level is full of detail that gives hints about the world and smaller stories that take place. The animation is also fantastic. Maneuvers are smooth which adds precision to the, at times, difficult combat. Although it can get tough, Digital Sun includes several ways for you to alter the level of challenge which allows anyone to pick up and play.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story successfully delves further into the lore of the franchise while offering a new experience that will appeal to newcomers. The high-tempo combat and engaging narrative, make this an enthralling action RPG that will keep you hooked throughout. Although the side missions and some of the hub world extras feel a little unnecessary, the slick gameplay will keep you coming back for more.

*** A PlayStation 5 code provided by the publisher for review ***