Ruined King: A League of Legends Story

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story blends wonderful characters and a fascinating world with some of the finest turn-based gameplay I’ve ever experienced. Despite a few stumbles, this is a package that anyone who loves this genre should check out. While I still have to give it some more thought, this game is most likely going to end up being my game of the year.

Given how massive League of Legends is, it was surprising to see Riot not capitalizing on the game's global success and popularity. It was only in 2020 that the developer revealed its Riot Forge initiative, a new publishing label that would release a variety of different titles based on the League of Legends universe.

Save for a few yet annoying bugs and glitches, it is hard not to see Ruined King: A League of Legends Story as a bonafide breakout hit for Riot Forge and Airship Syndicate.

Ruined King is an imaginative and comfortable RPG, even for players unfamiliar with League of Legends, but a lack of polish drags down the experience.

The League of Legends RPG stays in its lane.

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is not one to miss. This game will surprise you with its exciting dungeons, dynamic boss battles, one-of-a-kind combat mechanics, and charming characters.

From a MOBA, to a card game, to an auto-battler, and even an exceptional Netflix television show – the League of Legends (LOL) universe of Runeterra continues to expand and pique interest. Now, with the launch of Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, the world of Runeterra once again grows into new territory. Riot has been excelling with the publishing and development of new multimedia projects, so how does this turn-based RPG stack up?

Even twelve years after its initial release, League of Legends stands atop the esports pantheon as one of the most popular competitive games in the world. Ruined King: A League of Legends Story takes several of the beloved MOBA’s notable characters and drops them into an entertaining, albeit overlong, role-playing experience. Skill-based progression, explorable hubs, and turn-based combat might immediately excite fans of developer Airship Syndicate’s debut project, Battle Chasers: Nightwar. However, Ruined King’s implementation of these features is often mediocre. Nevertheless, the total packa...

Still, before this review, the closest I'd come to playing LoL was through watching the moments shown by YouTubers when they review different laptops, and developer Airship Syndicate has done well to bridge that gap with an enjoyable solo game for those of us who'll never get any closer to playing the MOBA. The gameplay isn't overly complicated, and the story is dreamy enough without being overly stuffy, making it an alluring option even for people allergic to fantasy altogether. Put me down as a successful LoL convert - or at least a willing entrant to its world, if not the main game itself.