This is a great time to be a fan of League of Legends. Not only is the MOBA still as popular as it has been in the last 10 years, but Riot Games has finally taken it upon themselves to expand this universe with various multimedia projects. Arcane He showed us a new facet of this world and its characters, something that has connected with millions of people thanks to its availability on Netflix. However, on the video game frontier, things have not been so flashy. Although at the moment we already have two titles of this property available on various platforms, neither has managed to cause a real sensation in this medium, which is a surprise for more than one.
Although League of Legends It is the property of Riot Games, this company is not in charge of expanding the MOBA universe. To make this task less complicated, the company created Riot Forge, a division focused on publishing some projects developed by other studios. This is the case of Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story, a little rhythm game from Choice Provisions, the independent team behind the Bit Trip series.
Although from a distance this title can be seen as just one more Bit Trip adventure with a different coat of paint, this title could be considered the evolution of this series. Perhaps Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story Will the fans of this property like it? Does the rhythm game present us with something new? Discover the answers to these and more questions in our Atomix.
The duo of Ziggs and Heimerdinger
If recent productions of this series have shown something, it is that the universe of League of Legends is capable of telling stories that are moving, interesting, and with the potential to substantially expand the creation of Riot Games. Nevertheless, Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story, does not fall into this description, and this is not a bad thing. The rhythm game has as its protagonists Ziggs and Heimerdinger, two characters who have always been characterized as buffoons and madmen who care more about without inventions, than about anything else. This time we only control the first of these.
Is so Hextech Mayhem takes these personalities and makes them the stars of the game. However, don’t expect something that will substantially expand the story of these two characters, or reveal how each one became a genius for destruction. The focus is on providing a fun adventure that doesn’t have some kind of impact on the grand narrative that League of Legends has been commissioned to create in the last decade. Those who already know Ziggs and Heimerdinger from additional material will be happy with the performances given to them on this occasion.
While this may sound like a disappointment to more than one, especially considering the recent success of Arcane, as well as the launch of Ruined king, this was never the focus of Choice Provisions. Hextech Mayhem is a rhythm game, and very few have any kind of endearing story. Most are more focused on presenting compelling ways for you to find the perfect rhythm and get ahead, and on this matter, this title offers a couple of pretty cool ideas.
An invisible movement
Those who have enjoyed any of Bit Trip’s installments will feel comfortable with the way in which Hextech Mayhem it’s played. The objective, as in many titles of this genre, is to advance through a stage that moves automatically, and avoid any obstacle that is in front of us. For this, Ziggs has three options: jump, drop bombs, and fall suddenly once he is in the air. This is the basic way to play. Along with this, each level is full of prompts that tell exactly when to perform a certain action. This is very, very basic, but where the title shines is in the freedom it gives the player to move forward.
While it is true that the easiest way to reach the end of a level is to comply with the instructions at the exact moment, the game does not penalize those who decide to go outside the established. Failing a grade simply means that your score will not be as high, however there is no substantial penalty. Sure, there are sections where if you do not comply with the established you will fail, but in general, the title is flexible when advancing in the way that you like the most. For this, a mechanic is included that rewards all those who pay attention to the music and the scenarios.
Along with all the main notes you can find on stage, Hextech Mayhem It has a series of hidden prompts for the player. These are not necessary to reach the goal, but they will provide additional rewards. Each action has a specific sound and element within the stage. For example, jumping is always represented with a box, falling suddenly with a sewer, and using the bomb with pipes. If you manage to pay enough attention, you can find paths that take you through different parts of a level, providing you with a higher score or some of the special nuts that are necessary to advance through the main campaign, or buy cosmetic items.
Although this may sound quite complicated at first, and it is, since the title asks you to pay much more attention than one would think to comply with the hidden notes, once you manage to find the rhythm, it will be very easy for you to continue. the hidden path that is in front of you. This results in endless moments where the connection between the player and the game reaches levels that very few rhythmic experiences manage to create.
While the hidden notes represent the biggest challenge this game offers, the experience is still very, very easy. By failing an indication and hitting some problematic element on the stage, you will not be punished and forced to restart this entire process. Instead, Hextech Mayhem You will only skip a section of the level and that’s it. You can finish each of the scenarios without even pressing a button thanks to this help. However, this also has its repercussions. Abusing this additional hand prevents you from collecting the nuts you need to unlock future scenarios, so it is not recommended to use this option a lot.
After the main campaign, which lasts no more than three hours, two additional modes will be unlocked. One of these causes all the hidden notes to be presented with their respective markings on one level, which makes it a bit more complicated than normal. Finally, you will also have access to the main adventure once again, but not a single indication will be visible, so you need to pay a lot, but a lot of attention to each of the scenarios and memorize all the songs that are available.
Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story it’s a pretty basic rhythm game in that sense. There is not much to do, and in an afternoon you can get to the credits without problems. Sure, the additional modes and meeting the invisible notes in the main campaign can be challenging, but nothing is necessary to finish Ziggs’ adventure against Heimerdinger. Fans of the genre may find this experience quite simple compared to other titles, but those who are just looking for something related to League of LegendsThey will find a fun and accessible experience with an interesting idea.
Repetition
The gameplay is only half of a rhythm game, and the most fundamental part is the music. Nevertheless, Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story it does not have a great strength in this section. It’s not bad, or anything like that, nothing else is very repetitive. While there is a good list of compositions, most use a series of very, very similar rhythms. This means that a song that you heard in the first stages will be repeated at the end of the game in a more complicated way.
This is a serious problem. There are several moments where there is not much that makes a difference at one level from the other. However, where the music meets, it is when offering the player a series of indications. As I already mentioned, each action is also related to a particular instrument. That is, the pump is always accompanied by a drum cymbal, for example. This is one of the options you have at your disposal to get all the invisible notes right.
Without a doubt, it is disappointing that a rhythm game does not have a sound section that stands out. Not only is it repetitive, but it doesn’t even feel like something that is part of the universe of League of Legends. The entire game feels like it belongs to another property, but for some reason it has a coat of paint related to this property, which makes some sense once you take into consideration that the developers have only worked on one series previously.
Along with this, the visual section does not shine either. As in music, many of the backgrounds are constantly being refused, which detracts from the feeling of a journey across this world. Everything is summarized in ports and cities, with the usual forest. There’s no more. However, this does not mean that the artistic direction is bad, quite the opposite. Throughout all the scenarios, although similar, it is possible to transmit the essence of Runeterra, the world of League of Legends, with a sunset that reveals the beauty of a city in the distance, being the most striking postcard in this whole experience. It’s just that there’s always room for more, and this time the experience falls short.
Nothing more, nothing less
Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story It can be perfectly described as a “good game”. It’s just that. An entertaining experience that will be liked by all fans of this property and rhythm titles. Nothing more, nothing less. The gameplay certainly presents a freedom that no other experience of this genre offers, but its ease makes many levels go tribal at the end of the day.
The story will be liked by all fans of League of Legends, this thanks to the fact that it is possible to capture the essence and personalities of Ziggs and Heimerdinger. Even those who are new to the series will easily understand what the relationship is between these two characters. However, there is nothing substantial that contributes something to this universe, and it is not a fundamental piece to understand the roles of the protagonists in the world of MOBA.
The biggest disappointment is in its presentation. Despite being a rhythm game, the soundtrack is very weak, repetitive, and only manages to function as a companion to the gameplay. Visually, the game delivers by offering a unique representation of Runeterra, but the lack of variety ends up ruining this adventure and making it more drab than it already is. At the end of the day, fans of League of Legends and rhythm games will be happy with Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story, and for the rest of the public, well, there are worse ways to spend money.