The Mageseeker review: A Riot Forge masterpiece
Title: The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story
Developer: Digital Sun
Publisher: Riot Forge
Platforms: PC (reviewed on), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: April 18, 2023
Despite speaking three languages, I find myself unable to find words to describe the sheer brilliance that is The Mageseeker. Developed by Digital Sun under the Riot Forge publishing banner, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is the latest spin-off tale set in the same universe as League of Legends, taking players on an epic journey through the world of Runeterra.
It’s a single-player adventure that takes place in the region of Demacia, where magic is strictly forbidden. You play as a young mage named Sylas, who has a complicated and sad past. A mage himself, he was forced to snuff out mages for the Mageseekers, an organization tasked with hunting down and capturing rogue mages, until he took pity on a young mage and was imprisoned himself. Sylas eventually breaks out of prison, about 15 years later, and a rebellion starts to brew. Your goal is to save and gather as many rogue mages as you can and rain hell down on the Mageseekers once and for all.
Back in March, I got the exclusive chance to sit down with Digital Sun Games at PAX East and talk about The Mageseeker, as well as play a demo of it. I immediately fell in love with it.
Not only is the story well written and not overly complicated, the characters have a depth that we crave but don’t get out of the MOBA League of Legends. It’s very comparable to how Arcane took the lore we all love and ran with it, expanding it and making us feel like a part of it. In The Mageseeker, you see Sylas in a different light and for who he is – ultimately a victim.
Mechanics-wise, it does take a second to get a grasp of the controls, but once you get it down it, flows naturally. I do recommend a controller if you’re playing it on the PC. I found it was easier to play.
Sylas steals the powers of other mages and can use that magic once without spending mana. The spells you learn yourself during your journey do use up mana, and you have to time physical attacks to replenish your mana meter. Sylas can use his chains to hook onto things and people, pulling himself right up to them.
The battles can range from super easy to extremely chaotic in no specific order. They are all, however, ridiculously fun. You can make so many different combos with your spells and chain attacks, both light ones and heavy ones, and you learn new combos from the rogue mages who join your base.
Seriously…… what the hell is there not to like??
The story is exciting and immersive and keeps you hooked right from the start. The RPG element of the game – the war table, the spell tree and boosts, the very interactive and very limited semi-open world, making a base and recruiting mages – was everything I wanted with League of Legends champions. I have begged the Universe for years for a story-driven game where we can play as a champ and get to know them a bit better. I’m so happy we got an excellent one for Sylas!
Perhaps the best thing The Mageseeker does is show how Riot can continue to pull off other types of games based on the beloved lore of League of Legends. We saw it with Ruined King, and now with The Mageseeker.
Overall, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is an exciting, immersive, creative, fun, and challenging game that is sure to please fans of the League of Legends universe and RPGs alike.