The Mageseeker is a fantastic addition to the ever-expanding list of League of Legends spinoffs. Developed by Digital Sun, this pixel-art action RPG allows players to experience the world of League of Legends in a new and exciting way. With its faithful depiction of the game’s lore, the game offers fans an opportunity to explore even more of the spell-stealing rebel Sylas The Unshackled.
Set in the kingdom of Demacia, where mages are hunted, The Mageseeker follows Sylas as he leads a rebellion against the tyrannical regime that locked him away since childhood. The game offers players an opportunity to explore the nuances of the story and even parallels moments of real-world history where groups of people have been persecuted for being different.
As a fan of League of Legends, I was excited to play The Mageseeker, and it did not disappoint. It took me around 18 hours to finish the game on the hard difficulty and complete everything necessary for the platinum trophy on PlayStation 5. This included all the sidequests, replaying a handful of missions to gather any collectibles I missed on my first playthrough, and a handful of restarts against a few bosses who gave me a bit of trouble.
One of the highlights of The Mageseeker is its depiction of fan-favorite characters from League of Legends. Players get to control Sylas, Morgana, Garen, Lux, Jarvan IV, Shyvana, and other surprises that I won’t spoil here. The game allows players to experience just how powerful these champions can be when not constrained by the need to be balanced in a competitive landscape. Morgana’s Dark Bindings last longer, Lux’s lasers are larger than life, and Shyvana gets to show her true scale when transforming into her dragon form. The game also includes plenty of Easter eggs and other fun nods throughout the story that are sure to please fans of League of Legends.
Apart from the familiar faces, The Mageseeker features some entertaining original characters who take on different supporting roles throughout the story of vengeance, growth, and rebellion. Leilani, for instance, forms a strong bond with Sylas early on and serves as the guiding light of the rebellion while Sylas does what must be done on their journey in the hope of freeing themselves from the persecution of the Mageseekers who are out to imprison or eliminate them. These characters add depth and complexity to the game’s story, making it even more enjoyable to play.
While I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Mageseeker, there is room for improvement. The game’s story could have taken a few different paths along the way to make the journey even more exciting. Additionally, the game’s visuals, while charming, could have been more polished to make it stand out even more.
The Mageseeker is an action role-playing game that invites players to step into the shoes of Sylas The Unshackled, one of the most prominent characters from the League of Legends universe. The game starts with a thrilling sequence in which Sylas breaks out of prison, and subsequently, players are tasked with leading the rebellion against the oppressive Demacian government.
One of the most impressive aspects of The Mageseeker is its ability to authentically replicate the feeling of playing Sylas. Sylas has the ability to borrow and use the magical abilities of others, including powerful ultimate abilities that temporarily boost his power. The game features a wide variety of spells, nearly all of which play a useful role in various moments as the game progresses. In addition to elemental projectiles, there are spells for healing, shielding, and imbuing melee strikes with elemental buffs.
Combat starts out simple but gradually becomes more challenging as players face larger groups of enemies and their numerous projectiles. The game encourages players to stay mobile and use Sylas’ dash and chains to avoid attacks while taking advantage of spells that recover health or grant shields. The ability to swap out spells at any checkpoint adds flexibility and allows players to tailor their approach to each combat encounter.
The game features diverse enemies, including elemental mages employed by the Mageseekers and creature-based enemies like fiery frogs and gorilla-lizard hybrids. The levels mix up the arrangements of enemies, adding a nice level of depth that keeps players on their toes when deciding which enemies to prioritize.
While the stages are generally straightforward, the game could benefit from additional elements such as light puzzles or optional platforming challenges. These elements could make players earn rewards placed throughout the map, rather than simply being given them as a reward for exploring. The game features numerous unlit braziers and objects in the background that could have been used for triggering something magical like a hidden passage or revealing a chest. The missed opportunity to encourage replayability and creative use of spells is disappointing.
The bosses in The Mageseeker stand out as one of the game’s biggest highlights. The game’s combat mechanics allow players to use a wide variety of spells borrowed from enemies, which can be swapped out to give them an elemental advantage or boost their survivability. This flexibility comes in handy during boss battles, as some require a specific strategy or spell loadout to defeat. On the hard difficulty level, bosses could wipe out players in just a few hits, making it imperative to make strategic use of spells to mitigate damage or recover health.
As the game progresses, players can upgrade their health and defense, making battles a bit more forgiving. However, the final hours of the campaign see an increased volume of more powerful enemies, presenting a steep challenge that requires players to decide how best to use their mana. Should they focus on recovering health or dishing out more damage with flashy spells? This dynamic creates an engaging gameplay experience that keeps players on their toes.
Aside from the main missions, The Mageseeker features two chains of side quests. One has players assaulting Mageseeker bases using uniquely empowered versions of their spells, offering a roguelike feel to the levels. The other chain of missions is a series of basic arenas that end with some of the more exciting bosses that fans of League of Legends will want to see. Levels are also filled with various collectibles, such as silverwings, mages to recruit, and notes that offer more background information on the state of the world or its characters.
The game’s musical score complements the fast tempo of chaotic battles, paired with relaxing rhythms during downtime between levels. Each location has its own style, with the music evolving as players progress further and culminates in an exhilarating melody during boss battles. The game remains faithful to its source material by using various voice lines and sound effects from League of Legends as characters cast their abilities.
While The Mageseeker is an overall solid game, there are some bugs that players may encounter. Enemies and bosses may become unkillable, the ability to use chains to grapple or borrow abilities may be lost, and peculiar bugs like falling rocks that follow the player can occur. However, these bugs can be resolved by quitting and reloading or rebooting the game.
Virtuality Bytes 
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