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League of Legends Review for PC

League of Legends Review for PC

We Are the Champions, My Friend

League of Legends combines various related genres such as RTS, RPG, and MMORPG to bring forth a fast-paced, streamlined, action-oriented online game that is accessible to a wide range of players. It’s fashioned after Warcraft III and Defense of the Ancients, but it manages to blaze its own path and arrive at a unique identity. It combines some of the best action elements from these genres and eliminates micromanagement as well as the online persistence that requires a huge time commitment. It won’t take you long to get up and running.

League of Legends screenshot

League of Legends: Clash of Fate can be played by one or 12 players that will engage in bite-sized battles that last from 20 to 40 minutes. It’s loaded with features and characters, and best of all, it’s free. Yes you heard me, or read me, rather. League of Legends can be downloaded online for free. And since this is a review, and you’re awaiting my verdict as to whether this is worth your time to play, yes it is but for crying out loud read this review so you don’t go in blind. There are players online awaiting your arrival and you don’t want to be making your entrance like an ignorant hillbilly who is using the internet at the local library.

In the war-ravaged world of Valoran, inhabitants of different races and affiliations have been feuding for millennia. As these factions, and societies in general, evolved, a decision was reached to contain and control these ongoing wars. Each faction would elect their best warriors in the form of Champions to do battle with each other, thus eliminating the need for massive armies. Matters that cannot be reached through diplomatic means are decided in battle. These battles let the population live in relative peace by eliminating collateral damage, and allow for more community services since the governments don’t have to spend a fortune to construct and maintain an army.

To keep your hillbilly persona at bay, there’s a great single-player tutorial that will teach you the basics. Don’t pass this up because it’s not just for you, it’s for the other people on your team a well. Trust me you don’t want to play with anyone that hasn’t been through the tutorial, as they will be nothing more than a determent to your team, asking questions the tutorial would have easily answered. In the tutorial, you’ll learn the ropes as well as some tips and techniques that will get you thinking in the right mindset. Getting started is fairly easy, the developers have done a great job in straightening out the learning curve by adding more elements to the gameplay incrementally. You’ll unlock things such as new champions and challenges as you progress, giving you time to digest and put into practice things that you’ve previously discovered or been awarded.

League of Legends screenshot

Employing different, numerous, and unique strategies is what defines LoL:CoF. Despite the lack of micromanagement, there is no shortage of depth to the gameplay. Considering that the average match lasts half-an-hour, there’s plenty of things to keep your mind occupied. You don’t even have to worry about leveling-up your character, as your various skills will be upgraded almost automatically depending on your preferences as dictated by your runebook. If you’re not sure what attributes to upgrade, there is a suggested list for your convenience. The better you do in battle, the more powerful your character will become. You can also fight NPC monsters to increase your abilities. But the leveling is not persistent, as it only lasts for the duration of the match. The cap is set at 18, and you can reach that fairly quickly.

At the outset, each player must create an avatar called a Summoner. The Summoner is the embodiment of the player’s assets and abilities. It can never be used directly in battle, but its influence cannot be overstated, as it can be used to draw special powers from on occasion, especially spells. It’s like the equivalent of a rich backer for your poker exploits.

League of Legends screenshot

Targeting the enemy’s Nexus is your ticket to success. The Nexus is located deep within the enemy base and is guarded not only by enemy characters but by incredibly devastating turrets. The turrets closest to the Nexus are the most powerful ones and should never be tackled alone. The in-game tutorial will give you various hints as to the best way to progress in the game, and one of the best tidbits of advice I received is to choose an ability that sustains your health for as long as possible. You can increase your other powers later once you get the hang of the gameplay.

League of Legends screenshot

Sure the game is free, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spend some money. Fortunately, these acquisitions are purely cosmetic. You can’t purchase upgrades for skills or anything that would affect the gameplay, so you can’t buy yourself a win. Matchmaking software makes it easy to find players with the same skill level so that you don’t have to worry about getting bullied for experience points by those losers that hang around the spawning grounds awaiting the arrival of new, ignorant hillbillies. Dying isn’t a huge deal in any case, since you’ll respawn almost immediately. This allows you to act really aggressively if the strategy calls for it, typically when you’re being outplayed. But the game isn’t necessarily trying to promote run-and-gun, balls-to-the-wall action, there are many different strategies to adopt including stealth. The environment has rivers, hills, trees, and bushes where you can hide from your enemy – as long as you don’t attack you won’t be seen. It’s a great way to flank your enemy, but it can also be a great place to hide if you’re retreating.

Champions are diverse and range from all-the-rage to the ridiculous, but in a good way. The game is presented in a fun, cartoon style with just enough of a degree of seriousness to belie the depth of the gameplay. Some characters are better suited for ranged combat, as they are vulnerable to melee attacks. Others are equipped like tanks and can mix it up in the middle of the maelstrom but can be easy targets due to their size and slowness. Such is the case with Alistar the Minotaur. He’s got some powerful attacks such as the headbutt and a pulverize move that will almost clear the screen, but the lithe and deadly, blade-wielding Master Yi can get in and out quickly while performing some invasive surgery on the behemoth. Another interesting character is Annie. She’s only eight-years old and carries around a teddy bear. She’s as vicious as she is cute, and that bear can also become a monster. I suspect there will be some balance issues among these characters but it’s too early to tell – this is a community-based game you play for months or years. My limited time reviewing it just scratched the surface, but so far it appears that any weaknesses are a result of lack of skill on the part of the player, something I’m not always comfortable to admit.

League of Legends is a good looking game with stylized graphics and huge, detailed environments. Unlike Defense of the Ancients, there are three maps instead of one. The sound effects, music, and voiceovers are surprisingly good, with convincing dialogue and a variety of sound effects. Commands are simple to execute thanks to a streamlined interface void of the layers of windows required with excessive micromanagements. Technically, the game runs smoothly. Getting hooked up with players in the lobby is about as easy as it gets. The matches are short enough and challenging enough to suit virtually all skill levels. The time I spent with this game has been fun, and with a good community base, it can only get better with time.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
Stylized graphics with cartoon flair. Huge maps. 4.4 Control
Less micromanagement makes for more streamlined control scheme. 4.3 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Good assortment of sound effects. Convincing voiceovers. 4.6 Play Value
Engaging battles, short and sweet. Lots of gameplay variety. 4.5 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Diverse Lineup of Champions to choose from – Play as dozens of unique characters with diverse skills and abilities while engaging in fast-paced team-oriented combat.
  • Hand Crafted Battle Arenas – Compete in a variety of highly stylized and unique handcrafted battle scenarios.
  • Customizable Summoner Avatar System – Create your own persistent Summoner avatar and customize your appearance through achievements that you earn in game.
  • Persistent Summoner Ranking and Skill Accumulation – Advance your Summoner in rank and power to gain skills and abilities to assist the Champions you summon as they do battle.
  • Engaging Practice Modes – Practice new strategies and learn how to play by engaging intelligent single player Bot-AI and by playing Practice Games online.
  • Persistent Unlockable Content – Unlock new content through persistent gameplay and mastering the game.
  • Integrated Leaverbuster technology – Ensure people stay for the whole game! Robust community support and feedback- Web-enabled game technology allows for close interaction between the in-game and out of game community.

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