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I had the privilege of attending an event off the PAX East show show floor to see The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story and it may well be the game of the show for me. Developed by Digital Sun in partnership with Riot Forge, the game is an action RPG that takes place in the League of Legends universe and was incredibly fun to experience.
Taking the role of Sylas, a spell-stealing mage who has just broken free of his captivity at the Mageseekers’ hands, I was able to explore the beautiful world of Demacia. The first thing I was struck with was the sheer beauty and personality of the universe created by Digital Sun.
The opening cutscene is effective, the characters dynamic and intriguing and the audio is mirrored so closely with the gorgeous visuals I was instantly hooked. Then the gameplay kicked in and I was sucked in the systems created for this game.
I was (and am) a huge fan of Moonlighter, Digital Sun’s previous game, and while some of the DNA is here the Mageseeker is a radically different experience. At its core the game is an action RPG with the main character Sylas able to steal his enemies’ magic and use it to attack back.
Armed with chains from his captivity, not only was I able to lash out and steal magic, I could use them for traversal, melee attacks and as a way to close distance to enemies quickly. The system works in a similar fashion to a dual stick shooter: Aim with one stick, move with the other, draining and shooting spells as you go.
It is a game that is quite easy to pick up, but has a complexity that becomes somewhat addicting especially as there are different element types that can be used against each other. Combat became almost a dance as I stole spells from fire mages and shot them back at ice ones, then quickly dodged a strike getting in range to lash out with my chains.
The combat and traversal systems alone were enough to make me love what I saw of the game, but the depth of the lore, the story progression and the immersiveness of the world truly hooked me. After the initial escape I encountered my first partner as I joined a rebellion to overthrow the Mageseekers and it was done in such a compelling way that I grinned as the dialog unfolded.
When I spoke to the development team they let me know that in the full game a roster of companions, enemies and big bad guys will be encountered as Sylas strives to liberate his homeland from tyranny. A neat hook they explained was a system that will allow us to form and upgrade a base and unlock unique abilities as allies are discovered.
It is an understatement to say I was wowed by The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story. The gorgeous graphics, compelling storyline and amazing gameplay left me wanting more the moment the demo ended.
Thankfully the game will be out April 18 for PC via Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store as well as PlayStation, Xbox and Switch platforms. If the full game is as good as the demo it will be a must-play.
