Surely an unexpected surprise the first animated series of Riot Games, Arcane, available on the streaming platform Netflix and of which we talk happily in this review. Who, among video game lovers, does not know League of Legends, the most famous and popular MOBA in the world? In its twelve years of life this masterpiece has over time become an institution of the videogame industry, collecting awards and an exorbitant number of players, so much so that it has become the leading competitive Esports game on the planet.
Most would be surprised to discover that the world created by Alex Yee and Christian Linke (respectively the creative designer and the creative director of League of Legends) is surprisingly rich and deep in terms of character development and lore. It is indeed a complex weaving of relationships between samples (this is the name of the playable characters), a large and rich universe that is the background to the game, made up of numerous factions and cultures apparently linked by alliance or antagonism relationships. From the noble kingdom of Demacia to the brutal and warmongering empire of Noxus, from oriental Ionia to the icy expanses of Frelijord: these are just some of the distinct regions that make up the universe of Runeterra.
It was time…
It was then time to really explore the game’s narrative potential, an operation that took Yee and Linke nearly six years of work between patches. What is certain is that the project can be captivating, but a secret rule of cinema and TV requires that often films and series based on a video game fail to reach an adequate level of quality.
It is also true, however, that Netflix before Arcane has already once broken the curse that seems to follow video game adaptations for the small screen thanks to a quality product such as Castelvania (here the review), the series taken from a best reviewed videogame in recent years. In the wake of this success, we dare to argue that Arcane is one of the best video game adaptations of all time.
An unexpected surprise
The story jumps up and down between the very rich and advanced city of Piltover and its slums plagiarized by violence and poverty of Zaun. Arcane explores the relationship between different characters (mostly playable champions) with a focus on the difficult relationship between sisters Vi and Jinx, raised between death and violence and tragically separated at a young age only to find themselves as part of opposing factions. While the duo of scientists Jayce and Viktor are at the pinnacle of research that can change the world, the difficult balance between Piltover and Zaun will be severely tested by the carelessness of the former and the desire for redemption of the latter.
First of all Arcane meets expectations with regards to animation: in fact, over the years of its development, Riot Games has delighted players and non-players with beautiful trailers at the highest quality to introduce new champions, seasons, events and skin (bonus aspects for characters). What, however, it was not obvious to find in Arcane and what you may have guessed by reading the review, it is a complex story, well written, enriched by a remarkable work on the characters and the rich presence of easter eggs between one episode and another. The cast of voice actors is also impressive (just think that it has two Oscar nominees like Haileen Stenfield and Shoreh Agdashaloo), but the real and central strength of this series is the fact that it can be appreciated by all.
Sure, fans of League of Legends they will have more reasons to enjoy this little gem, starting with the genesis of some of their favorite champions, but the “laymen” will still be able to appreciate an amazingly animated compelling story and with a enviable pace from many animated and non-animated action series.
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