Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story
MSRP $30.00
“Song of Nunu is Riot Forge’s best game yet, emphasizing gameplay variety and an emotional narrative about processing grief.”
Pros
Excellent, emotional story
Filled with gameplay selection
A child-friendly introduction to Runeterra
Cons
Instant-fail stealth sections
Occasional efficiency issues
From Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons to Astral Chain to Soulstice, single-player video games the place gamers technically management two characters concurrently have at all times enticed me. That’s why I used to be excited to search out out that Riot Forge — which creates single-player, narrative-driven League of Legends spinoffs — was working with the builders of RiME to create Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story. The cinematic 3D puzzle-platformer stars two considerably lesser-known League of Legends champions: the Yotai named Nunu and his Yeti pal, Willump.
The journey appeared much more promising as soon as it was clear that it was a successor to a few of Tequila Works’ greatest titles, RiME and Gylt. The result’s the very best Riot Forge title but. While Song of Nunu’s fixed set piece selection meant that I sometimes got here throughout a component I didn’t take pleasure in as a lot, the journey’s brisk tempo, creativity, partaking story, and accessible look into the world of Runeterra make it a strong all-ages introduction to and growth of the world of League of Legends.
Riot Forge continues to make its case
Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story follows Nunu and Willump on their quest to search out Nunu’s mother, whom he was separated from when his Yotai caravan was attacked, and to study extra a few magical artifact referred to as the Heart of the Blue. The pair discover Runeterra’s icy Freljord area, encountering different League of Legends champions like Braum, Orrn, and Lissandra in an journey that prioritizes its narrative because it tells a narrative about discovered household and the way individuals of all ages course of grief. Having misplaced a pet earlier this yr, these themes struck a chord with me.
Riot Forge
I’ve beforehand praised Riot Forge for providing distinctive seems into particular characters and elements of League of Legends’ world which might be unattainable to discover within the in style MOBA. The publishing label continues to bear fruit with Song of Nunu because it fleshes out a definite and fewer well-trodden nook of Runeterra through a compelling journey. This may additionally be probably the most approachable and all-ages League of Legends sport but. The story actually has darker, emotional moments that tackle loss of life and grief. It balances these heavy themes with family-friendly lightness, creating an entertaining fantasy journey within the vein of Disney movies like Brother Bear or Onward.
If you’re a mum or dad who loves League of Legends, however don’t need to expose your child to the poisonous vitriol that may include that on-line sport, Song of Nunu supplies a kid-friendly technique to share your love of Runeterra with them. And in the event that they present curiosity on the planet, Song of Nunu options an approachable written glossary that fills out all through the journey and can make gamers an skilled on this a part of Runeterra. I knew little about Nunu and Willump going into Song of Nunu, however now they’re up there with the likes of Jinx and Sylas as a few of my favourite League of Legends champions.
Keeping issues contemporary
Tequila Works has created a linear journey and puzzle-driven 3D platformer within the vein of story-focused video games within the style, like its personal RiME. It’s not an journey targeted on intricate motion like Super Mario Odyssey, as Nunu and Willump management fairly closely and lose momentum after touchdown a leap. Instead, it leaps from thought to thought to no matter seamlessly bolsters the tone or story of that sport part probably the most.
Riot Forge
One second, I used to be climbing alongside ledges Uncharted-style, and the subsequent, I could possibly be taking part in a music with Nunu’s Svellsongur flute to maneuver a big creature, or freezing water with Willump’s powers to create a path, or sliding down an icy path on Willump’s again, or getting in a snowball combat between Nunu and Willump. Song of Nunu emphasizes selection, conserving the journey concise and persistently contemporary. It solely took about six hours for me to beat Song of Nunu, however each second of that felt handcrafted.
This method additionally signifies that if a specific gameplay model doesn’t click on with a participant, parts of the sport will really feel like a lull. This occurred to me with a late-game stealth part that immediately reset me to a checkpoint if Nunu bought caught. Thankfully, as this was solely a tiny chunk of the journey, I used to be in a position to rapidly transfer on to one thing else that I loved as the sport dynamically flowed from thought to thought.
2-for 1 gameplay soars
Song of Nunu technically options two playable characters, however Nunu serves as the first character and instructions Willump in some puzzles and the occasional combo-based fight encounter. In some circumstances, Nunu will get off Willump’s again and need to climb round and remedy puzzles in particular segments independently. In these conditions, Willump retains all the talents the participant would have whereas controlling him, like freezing water or climbing up specific partitions.
Tequila Works has mastered the delicate design selections that may improve a story …
This makes Willump really feel like a residing companion character and permits Tequila Works to introduce mechanics by having him do them first or having him direct gamers in the suitable path throughout a puzzle. Moments when the 2 characters are separated turn into all of the extra tense in consequence. It’s a refreshingly easy method for Song of Nunu to deal with having two most important characters in a single-player journey, and it reinforces the brotherly bond between Nunu and Willump on the narrative’s core.
Tequila Works has mastered the delicate design selections that may improve a story, like fastidiously framing the digital camera in particular gameplay sections for emotional impression or guaranteeing there may be little lifeless air between set items until it’s emotionally crucial for the story. This, together with how gameplay dynamically flows between Nunu on his personal and Nunu using Willump, makes Song of Nunu really feel like a naturalistic journey, which additional immerses me in its world. The PC model of the sport at all times appeared crisp and emboldened its vibrant visible design, though the body charge would sometimes stutter and take me out of sure moments.
Riot Forge
As the story wraps up, Nunu goes from grief-stricken to a hero worthy of being referred to as a League of Legends champion. The completion of that emotional arc hit my coronary heart. Song of Nunu will not be probably the most complicated puzzle platformer round and has its occasional frustrations. Still, all the pieces it does is in service of a compelling narrative that’s solely enhanced by its distinctive two-for-one gameplay. Riot Forge’s video games have solely improved with time, so I like to recommend making an attempt out Song of Nunu and keeping track of its future video games like Bandle Tale, even should you aren’t interested by League of Legends.
Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story was reviewed on PC.
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