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Review evidence
Stylish art and a faithful Ekko with a fun rewind mechanic are undermined by a motion-sickness camera, weak predictable story, and overpriced content.
Stylish art and graphics: The art style and character design are highly praised, with beautiful visuals and a spectacular graphical presentation for the genre. The visual choices are seen as cool and incredible.
Faithful Ekko representation: Ekko's abilities and character are well reproduced from League of Legends, making him feel authentic and fun to use. His kit is appropriate for the gameplay.
Fun time-rewind mechanic: The time-rewind mechanic is a highlight, allowing players to correct mistakes during combat and encouraging experimentation. It provides a unique and clever gameplay experience.
Satisfying platforming challenges: Platforming sections are tight, satisfying, and force players to think, with fluid movement and responsive controls. The parkour elements are well thought out and enjoyable.
Great voice acting: The voiceover work is frequently highlighted as good or great, adding to the overall polish and immersion. Players appreciate the quality of the audio performances.
Camera causes motion sickness: Jarring camera movements, including jerky transitions and strange angles, cause nausea and dizziness for many players. This makes the game unplayable for some.
Overpriced for content: Many reviewers feel the game is too expensive relative to the amount of content and playtime it offers. The price tag of around $30 is frequently criticized as not worth it.
Weak and predictable story: The story is considered weak, boring, and predictable, with underdeveloped characters and stakes that fizzle out. It fails to engage players emotionally.
Not a true Metroidvania: Despite being tagged as a Metroidvania, the game is highly linear with minimal backtracking and linear ability progression. Fans of the genre find it lacking in core Metroidvania elements.
No fast travel system: The absence of fast travel makes traversing the map tedious, especially when backtracking to collect missed items or after acquiring new abilities. This is a common frustration among players.
Time rewind core mechanic: Players frequently mention a time rewind mechanic that lets them correct mistakes, with limited charges and roughly a 4-second window. It is described as usable in any situation, even at death, and is central to both platforming and combat.
Platformer with metroidvania elements: Reviewers consistently describe the game as a 2D action-platformer with exploration, platforming puzzles, and metroidvania influences. Some note it leans more toward platformer than full metroidvania.
Engaging combat with abilities: Combat is a major element, featuring boss fights, multiple enemies, and various abilities. Players find it quick, frenetic, and functional, with parry and dodge mechanics adding depth.
Multiple difficulty settings available: Players note the presence of multiple difficulty options, including a legendary difficulty and adjustable sliders for platforming that alter layouts. Some settings allow individual aspect tuning.
Challenging precision platforming: The game includes challenging platforming sections with precise and responsive controls, often combined with enemies. Platforming is a core part of the experience.
Runs on low-end hardware: The game is highly optimized and can run on basic PCs, even being described as running on a calculator. It has no fps limitation, making it accessible to a wide range of systems.
Performance issues on some PCs: Some players experience lag on their systems, though the severity varies. There are also reports of two soft crashes, indicating occasional stability problems.
Background scrolling jitter at high fps: Even at 144fps with variable refresh rate enabled, the background exhibits scrolling jitter when the camera moves. This visual artifact detracts from otherwise smooth performance.
Best purchased on sale: Many reviewers recommend waiting for a discount before buying, with several explicitly stating it is not worth full price. This is the most frequent and consistent piece of advice across multiple clusters.
Recommended for League fans: A significant portion of positive recommendations come from players who are already invested in the League of Legends universe. The game is praised specifically for its lore and characters, making it a strong pick for fans.
Appeals to Metroidvania fans: Several reviewers highlight the game's strength as a Metroidvania, recommending it to genre enthusiasts even if they are not familiar with League of Legends. However, some metroidvania fans may still prefer to pass.
Generally worth playing: Despite mixed feelings on price, many reviewers agree the game is worth playing and recommend it overall. This reflects a positive reception among those who have tried it.
Controller enhances experience: Using a controller is strongly recommended by some reviewers for a much better experience. This suggests that keyboard and mouse controls may be suboptimal for the game's design.
Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00.
Game completion: 9.0h.
Story completion: 7.0h.
Early combat can feel boring and traversal is slowed by late unlocks and backtracking, but enjoyment tends to arrive with more abilities; reports conflict, with some players enjoying it immediately and others saying it never clicks or later becomes frustrating.
Friction: Combat feels boring at first; Cluttered combat reliant on tanking hits and rewinds; Dash upgrade takes a long time to obtain; Hub world and backtracking are a slog; Long ability cooldowns hinder agility platforming; Repetitive enemy design and cheap moves force frequent rewinds.
Unlock drivers: Unlocking more abilities improves initially boring combat; Growing arsenal makes later encounters more complex and demanding; Natural learning curve and experimentation make challenging fights fair and exhilarating; Progression encourages returning with new abilities to reach previously inaccessible areas; Rewind mechanic lets players undo mistakes and acts as a heal.
League Lore Devotee: Story-focused playthrough that tolerates uneven mechanics because of attachment to the IP. Motivation: Experience Ekko and Zaun's story and see League of Legends characters adapted into a single-player action-platformer. Stance: sale.
Metroidvania Action-Platformer Enthusiast: Explores zones, collects upgrades, and seeks satisfying platforming and boss fights; compares the game to genre classics. Motivation: Enjoy tight 2D platforming, combat, boss fights, and Metroidvania-style exploration and upgrades. Stance: buy.
Hardcore Challenge Completionist: Replays at highest difficulty, chases achievements, speed and no-death runs, and seeks post-game goals. Motivation: Test mastery through hard difficulty, boss fights, and achievement completion. Stance: sale.
League of Legends Universe Setting: The game takes place in the League of Legends universe of Runeterra, specifically the city of Zaun. It is a spin-off featuring Ekko and other characters from the franchise.
Short Game Length: Many players find the game to be short, with a playthrough taking around 6.5 to 15 hours. It is criticized for having no post-game content or replay value.
Lore Connections for Fans: The game offers background story and features known champions, making it a treat for fans of League of Legends lore. It includes many easter eggs and cameos.
Canon Status Disputed: The game's story is not considered canon to the League of Legends universe, especially after the Arcane show. Some find this disappointing.
Comparisons to Other Games: The game is compared to Prince of Persia for its vibes and is inspired by Ori and Hollow Knight.