League of Legends - Game Review

            There are hundreds and thousands of Free-to-Play games for PC, ranging from the simple games, like Farmville, to MMORPG’s, such as Runescape. Riot Games seem to have done the impossible and created something unique, which is entirely free, but is a very good game in its own right. That game is League of Legends.

            League of Legends is classed as a MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, which is a fairly accurate representation of the game. Games are usually 5v5, lasting around 30-45 minutes, which allows for teamwork and strategy. Each player picks a ‘champion’, each having unique stat balances and abilities, and they fight for territory and eventually to destroy the enemy ‘nexus’. It is very complex and takes a while to get used to, so newcomers may be put off.

            The main thing that makes League of Legends so good is that every game feels different and fresh. There is a huge collection of champions, which rotate every week (though you can buy characters with in game currency and use them in every game), which means you will have to face different threats and playstyles, and adapt accordingly.

            Each character is extremely well designed aesthetically, especially considering the amount of characters and the extra ‘skins’ you can buy for each character. The game as a whole is very bright, colourful and detailed, even running on a low-end computer. There is very little frame-rate drop and very rarely lag, especially considering there are 10 people in each game.

            The game does have a steep learning curve, as many PC games do, due to the strategy and skill of players involved. This may turn people away, but in my experience, the community are usually nice with ‘noobs’. However, Riot Games did fail to account for ‘rage-quitters’ – you know who you are – so if someone quits the team is a man down. They have tried to stop people with the threat of temporary bans, but I feel this is not enough. Maybe they could implement a system where the AI takes over, as this could balance the game a bit more. They can be the most frustrating thing about the game.

            League of Legends is not a simple pick-up-and-play game. The shortest games are around half an hour, and they are intense. It is difficult to just play really casually; it makes you think, but every kill feels rewarding, like you earned it. The games can drag on however, and can become boring if they last longer than 50 minutes.

            If you enjoy the game, it will last for ages. As each game feels fresh and different, there is a lot of lifespan, especially as new content will be added fairly soon, such as new maps. At the current moment, though, there are only 2 maps, one for the main game mode, and the other for a sort of spin-off game mode. Riot Games also tweak and add to their game constantly, which is nice to see, especially as it is essentially a free game.

            Overall, I feel that for the small price of absolutely nothing, League of Legends is a fantastic, tactical and engaging game, which has more depth than meets the eye. It can be difficult for newcomers, but it is very fun and definitely worth a download.

Graphics: 80%

Gameplay: 89%

Lifespan: 94%

Innovation: 81%

Accessibility: 73%

My Overall Rating – 88%