By contrast, the written lore stored around the world tends to be a little more adventurous. Braum can toss a little poro beast down a small corridor once in a while, or Illaoi can read her people’s language on items, but anytime I talk to a quest giver I’ll get the same polite - and limited - dialogue trees. This isn’t helped by the fact that the overworld dialogue largely remains the same no matter which party member I inhabit. Some cast members get a satisfying story, and others remain in stasis for huge chunks of the game. Sure, it’s fun to watch the gang banter and get to know one another, but if you’re looking for the character choices and deep, philosophical conversation trees that you might get from a Divinity: Original Sin 2 or Baldur’s Gate 3, Ruined King never dives that deep. But while a couple of the characters have solid stories, many of them do little more than offer color commentary on proceedings. Each League champion is introduced with a quick biography, so League newbies can get caught up, while veterans don’t have to watch cutscenes about revelations they already know. While the overworld is vibrant and inviting, Ruined King plays it too safely on the narrative side. These islands hardly show up in League of Legends proper, but Ruined King succeeds in making them feel like actual places with their own histories. Airship Syndicate creates the illusion of a cutthroat, thriving port incredibly well. It’s typical RPG fare, where exploring the overworld is half the pleasure, and I pore over every inch of both worlds in search of secrets. I talk to inhabitants, collect lore documents, solve puzzles, and explore lushly detailed environments. Ruined King is set in two regions: the pirate city of Bilgewater, and the mysterious spectral Shadow Isles. I spend a good chunk of my time in Ruined King in combat, but much more time in the overworld. All of this makes combat a delicate dance. Some enemies are vulnerable to certain attacks a Speed attack might disarm a bomb, for example. A power attack might hit hard and feel good, but it could also leave my character in a dead zone of poison mist. The labels are pretty self-explanatory, but what’s interesting is how they affect the character’s position on the “initiative” grid. Once I’ve chosen my lane ability, I can choose between three options: a Speed, Balance, or Power attack. I can snap off an instant ability, like a taunt, a shield, or a standard attack, or I can choose a more powerful “lane ability.” Combat quickly falls into a comfortable yet cerebral rhythm of back and forth. Image: Airship Syndicate/Riot Forgeīuilding a party and experimenting with different combos are pillars of longform, turn-based RPGs, and Ruined King doesn’t disappoint. Meanwhile, offensive characters like Miss Fortune - a pirate captain with a pair of pistols - focus on dishing out damage from the back line. Braum, a friendly fellow with a massive shield and bigger biceps, serves as my team’s tank. Illaoi, a Kraken Priestess, ramps up power over time as she summons more spectral tentacles, which she can then use to heal her friends or crush her enemies. In Ruined King, I take control of a squad of champions from League lore who borrow some of their tools from the original MOBA design. But developer Airship Syndicate keeps a firm hand on the wheel throughout, guiding the player through a fantasy RPG bursting with character. That’s no easy feat, and it would be easy for Ruined King to oversteer too hard in one direction or another. As a standalone RPG set firmly in the world of League of Legends, it has to appeal to both hardcore League fans and players who have never touched the game. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story had the cards stacked against it.
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