By Karoline Castillo-Troncoso
Think back to fond memories – and regrets. Woe to the words we never meant to leave – and an ode to the moments we often find ourselves reminiscing about. These thoughts beg the question: have you ever wanted to possess the power of rewinding time? Convergence: A League of Legends Story, developed by Double Stallion and published by Riot Forge, introduces lead protagonist: Ekko, a young inventor with a device that allows for the manipulation of time. Throughout the complex story, Ekko embarks on a myriad of adventures to fulfill different missions – all with the help of the time winder. In this single player game inspired by the ever-popular League of Legends MOBA, the player can unlock distinctive abilities, collect parts, and with them, craft gadgets. The player is in for a thrilling ride as they traverse through the meandering city of Zaun.
The 2D platformer offers its audience levels of difficulty ranging between Balanced, Heroic, and Legendary. The balanced difficulty provides a milder experience in terms of the number of enemies (as well as their health), traversal challenges, etc. “Heroic” is the standard difficulty. In “Legendary” enemies are harder to beat and greater in number. Not only that, Ekko has less health.
Additionally, players can customize different aspects of their gameplay beyond the base already provided – including enemy aggressiveness, traversal layouts, Ekko’s initial/starting health, etc. Such freedoms leave audiences wanting to explore the game’s plot through different levels of difficulty and you’re provided with a map of all routes one can take – enhancing the journey.
Before playing this game, I lacked knowledge about 2D platformer games other than the fact that their concepts are simple, yet addicting – and they go back farther in history than I’ve been alive. But Convergence expanded my horizons on the platform genre and increased my fascination for action and adventure. I especially enjoyed the aspect of a free map and how one is able to explore it while completing missions.
As one travels through Zaun, it may be easy to forget about the battles that lie ahead…literally. Convergence: A League of Legends Story begins with a rather calm gameplay, that is until the player is met with a variety of different enemies and the intensity of their attacks. Such baddies include chemlobbers: creatures that throw chembombs at their enemies which explode a few seconds upon impact – and cankers: deadly armadillo-like creatures with spikes in their shells prepared to impale any interloper that comes their way.
Thankfully, Ekko has technology that can aid him in defeating his enemies by rewinding time. I appreciated this concept because whenever it came time to face Ekko’s adversaries, let’s just say I found myself using it often. Whenever one experiences defeat – they have the option to rewind time a few seconds, regaining the life they’ve lost and granting the opportunity to make different moves which will hopefully result in a victory. (The number of rewind charges that a player starts with can be determined when selecting/customizing a difficulty.) Another capability that aids the player in battle is the chronobreak – which becomes available to the player only when Ekko’s afterimage is present. The chronobreak charges at the damage of Ekko’s adversaries and it eliminates any enemies surrounding his most recent afterimage. The codex in the game allows one to view their achievements like characters, locations, defeated enemies and new technology one has unlocked. An inventory can is also displayed – listing all the parts that one finds hidden in chests around different locations on the map.
Convergence possesses music and sound effects to embody every circumstance deftly. There’s thrilling compositions as the player battles against Ekko’s enemies and even the simple sound of breaking chests open are carefully considered by the makers. When it comes to graphics, the dark hues accompanied by neon accents portray a sci-fi essence that goes hand-in-hand with the game’s overall concept of time travel. The characters act as useful supplements to the storyline. The voice acting was phenomenal and enhanced the plot’s fluidity.
Ultimately, I would recommend Convergence: A League of Legends Story to anyone familiar with the League of Legends universe, but also to those who wish to experiment with 2D platformer games. I would also recommend the experience to audiences who have yet to explore the platform genre or often find themselves uninterested overall. The graphics are exceptional and the attention to detail is evident. Many have heard the saying “Time is of the essence,” but Ekko says “It’s not about how much time you have, it’s how you use it.” I’d say this game is worth spending (or rewinding) time on.
Karoline Castillo-Troncoso hails from the TapCo school in the Bronx.
