Ruined King: A League of Legends Story

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a deep turn-based RPG that lets us experience Runeterra from a whole new perspective and gives its characters room to grow.

This new take on the well-established League of Legends universe serves as a high bar for further explorations into the lore.

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.

Ruined King's innovative battle system is the highlight of an attractive but unexciting RPG.

Ruined King is a fun romp through gorgeous environments with a team of likable misfits. Airship Syndicate doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it didn’t need to — Ruined King still manages to serve as a great on-ramp to both League of Legends lore and RPGs in general.

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story might impress fans with its nuanced combat systems, but beyond that, Riot Games’ latest RPG is a mediocre experience at best.

A turn-based RPG like “Ruined King” is the exact type of game I’d want to try out. Despite all of the headaches, I have a better understanding of Runeterra and the champions in it thanks to “Ruined King.” I like Braum’s buoyant optimism and Pyke’s deadpan demeanor. The next time I’m scrolling through the roster of champions on “League of Legends” or “Wild Rift,” I’ll give them a try.

If you don’t want to dive deep into the competitive League part, you can play the autobattler, or the rhythm-runner, or look ahead to the fighting game. Or simply settle in with what’s a pretty enjoyable RPG in Ruined King. If anything, it’s a testament to how well even more side games could work in this universe.

Even if you don't want anything to do with League, we would highly recommend that you give Ruined King a shot; this is a spectacular JRPG that consistently demonstrates mastery of all the ingredients needed to make a great entry in the genre. The core campaign is just long enough to feel satisfying, there are dizzying amounts of character customization, and the combat system is one of the finest we've encountered in a turn-based RPG in a long time. If you're a fan of RPGs, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice to pass on Ruined King. Even if you're a newcomer to the genre we'd still absolutely encourage you to give this a punt; it's an excellent effort.

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.