The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story review | Digital Trends

Over the course of the story, Sylas learns to open up to those around him and learns that while feelings of rage and vengeance can start a rebellion, hope is what sustains it. The lore can be a little overwhelming at first, but as the writing hones in on certain characters and the allegorical disdain for real-world bigotry, The Mageseeker’s narrative only gets more engaging.

As this is a linear, story-based action game, a lot of pressure is placed on the writing and characters so that the adventure maintains meaningful stakes. Fortunately, Digital Sun Games succeeded and had great material to work with to do so. Arcane succeeded in humanizing Jinx, one of League of Legends’ wackier characters, and now The Mageseeker affirms that many more champions could benefit from an in-depth treatment through avenues like Riot Forge.

Getting exponentially better

The Mageseeker isn’t a roguelike, though: It’s a linear level-based action adventure that draws on classic The Legend of Zelda games. Sylas explores colorful locales around Demacia, using his chains to clear large gaps, find hidden collectibles strewn about, and eventually use them in combat to steal spells from enemies.

At first, The Mageseeker can feel a little basic to a fault. Fighting enemies with light and heavy attacks while exploring fairly linear levels feels generic at first. Coupled with the start-of-the-game lore drop, it might not immediately grab players — especially those unfamiliar with the world of Runeterra. But give it a few hours and its mechanics will exponentially compound into something approachable as Sylas’ rebellion grows.

My personal skills naturally sharpened over time, but the magic system deepens alongside that curve. At a base level, Sylas can use his chains to copy the abilities of any magical enemy he encounters. The magic he obtains falls into one of six elemental types, each of which is strong against an opposing kind of magic and weak against itself. For example, fire is strong against ice, and ice is strong against fire. Embracing this system is a vital part of what makes The Mageseeker’s fights dynamic, whether fighting a group of basic enemies or one of the game’s many spectacular boss fights against a recognizable Demacian League of Legends character.

The more varied the enemy encounter, the more types of elemental magic Sylas will ultimately have at his disposal. Once he copies a magical ability, he can learn it permanently at the rebellion’s Hideout and eventually bring four spells into battle after some upgrades. Sylas will also meet Outlaws tied to each element during his journey and can bring two of them into a level with him for extra combos of their element type. Eventually, Sylas also gains access to powerful Unchained attacks that he can use once after a long charge for a powerful attack.

Anytime I successfully created an advantageous magic loadout based on enemy outlook, I felt powerful and clever. It adds a level of replay value to the experience too and pairs well with that rewarding narrative arc that comes with watching Leilani and Sylas’ rebellion grow.

The Rebellion grows

Sylas’ efforts to grow the rebellion not only become more narratively engaging over time, but also create satisfying gameplay progression in a way that feels like it’s tied to the player’s actions. The Hideout becomes more bustling, and more shops open up. In turn, players can purchase new spells to add to their loadout, increase the power and number of healing potions at their disposal, and increase Sylas’ stats. In levels and assignments that Outlaws can be sent on, players will occasionally come across Mages who want to join the rebellion.

When this happens, they join an Outlaw’s set of forces. As each Outlaw is assigned more and more mages, there are worthwhile rewards, like visual and stock upgrades to Vendors as well as power boosts to the Outlaw’s corresponding element and the special combos they give Sylas when tagging along on a mission. That means there are both visual and gameplay-changing rewards for successfully progressing through The Mageseeker, so the game can capture that feeling of being in a rebellion that’s only getting stronger as more people believe in its message and fight for the cause.

The Mageseeker doesn’t radically reinvent the action game genre, but it shines thanks to satisfying progression. That’s why including a Perk system in a couple of side missions, where Sylas can find a level-specific spell with an exclusive buff, feels a bit out of place and confusing. In general, the side missions didn’t feel worth completing unless I wanted to gain more supplies to spend at vendors.