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GAME 332 RS Game Narrative Review

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Your name: Giselle Marquez

Your school: George Mason University

Your email: mmarque!masonlive"gmu"e#u

Month$Year you su%mitte# this review: $2

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Game&itle: 'eague o( 'egen#s

)lat(orm: PC

Genre: MOBA

Release*ate: +,$2-$2,+,

*evelo.er: Riot Games)u%lisher: Riot Games, Tencent Holdings, Limited, Garena

Game /riter0reative*irectorNarrative*esigner: &om 0a#well

1verview

League o! Legends "as an ongoing stor#line in $"ic" c"aracters li%e in a $orld called

Runeterra and are located in t"e su&ercontinent 'aloran( T"is su&ercontinent is di%ided in

se%eral )ingdoms and cities and it is &o&ulated *# all )inds o! creatures t"at range !romintelligent *east to "umans, sorcerers and mac"ines(

+n Runeterra, &olitical di!!erences "a%e *een al$a#s sol%ed t"oug" $ar( Ho$e%er, duet"is $ars t"e $orld "as e&erienced se%ere &"enomena-s li)e magic storms t"at "a%e

damaged t"e en%ironment, ma)ing li%ing conditions "ard !or e%er#one( T"us, 'aloran-s

most &o$er!ul magicians decided to settle an organization called .T"e League o!Legends/ as an entit# to sol%e an# &olitical con!lict(

0haracters

T"e League o! Legends $ould &"#sicall# eist as *attle arenas called .0ields o! 1ustice/,

s&read across 'aloran( T"ose $"o $ould !ig"t in t"em, gained t"e name o! c"am&ions as

t"e# $ould *e summoned *# a s&eci!ic &olitical !orce to re&resent t"em and !ig"t !or%ictor#(

T"ese c"am&ions are League o! Legends c"aracters and t"ere are 234 to date( 5ac" o!t"em "as its o$n moti%ations, *ac)grounds and allegiances( But t"e most rele%ant

dis&utes in t"e stor# run *et$een c"aracters t"at su&&ort eit"er o! t$o most &o$er!ul

nations: 6emacia and 7ous(

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8ATAR+7A 9sinister *lade ; 6aug"ter o! a &rominent general o! t"e 7ous( 5 9t"e rogue mague A sorcerer !rom Runeterra $"o $ants to learn all "e

can o! t"e magic matter( He carries an indestructi*le scroll t"at "e !ound and no

one *ut "im )no$s its content( He @oined t"e league to learn !rom all t"e di!!erent

creatures in it(

rea#own

T"e con!lict in t"e $orld o! t"e League o! Legends resides in man# &olitical and social

dis&utes( T"ere are some small *attles *et$een tri*es and s&eci!ic c"aracters( But t"e

greatest o! t"em all, is t"e dis&ute *et$een t"e cit#;states, 6emacia and 7ous(

Pla#ers are e&osed to t"e stor# o! t"e *attle *et$een t"e good and e%il( And since t"egame is not narrati%e;dri%en, t"ere is not a t"ree act structure in it, causing a *loom o!

c"aracters t"at ma# or ma# not "a%e a resol%ed arc stor#(

0or t"is reason, c"aracters "a%e all unique *ac)grounds, moti%ations and a&&earances(And alt"oug" t"e# are all e%o)ing some )ind o! arc"et#&e, t"ere are c"aracters t"at stand

out !or "a%ing a ma@or role in t"e *attle among 6emacia and 7ous(

Strongest Element+n League o! Legends &la#ers &ic) a c"am&ion and !ig"t ot"er &la#er-s c"am&ions( T"ese

c"am&ions are e&osed t"roug" %ideos called c"am&ion s&otlig"t and sometimes

cinematics( T"ese e&ose t"e a&&earance, *ac)ground stor#, alliance and attac)s o! t"e

c"am&ion( 6ue t"is reason and !or t"e $ide %ariet# o! c"aracters, t"e game "as t"e&otential o! ma)ing a &la#er !eel identi!ied $it" a c"am&ion-s as&ect, $ea&ons, attac)s or

stor#(

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Unsuccess(ul Element

T"e stor# lac)s a main %illain and "ero t"at ma)e t"e $"ole stor# o! Runeterra mo%e!or$ard $it" t"e main con!lict( +nstead o! t"at, $e "a%e some c"aracters $"ose

indi%idual stories "a%e no im&act on it( T"is lea%es t"e stor# $it" some lose ends, ma)ing

it $ide and sometimes !rustrating *ecause $e don-t see t"e c"aracters !ul!illing an#im&ortant role(

Ho$e%er, t"e *iggest issue a*out t"e narrati%e o! t"e game is t"e $a# it is deli%ered to

&la#ers( T"e stor# is not e&licit on t"e game&la# and &la#ers $ill "a%e to di%e into t"e$e* to !ind out t"e stor# *e"ind t"e game and c"aracters &la#ers "a%e to read and $atc"

cinematics in di!!erent $e*sites(

4ighlight

annic) Le1acq, a $riter and editor graduated !rom ?esle#and ni%ersit#, e&lains t"at

in t"e earl# da#s o! League o! Legends t"ere used to *e a reason !or c"aracters to a&&ear

in t"e game( But as its &o&ularit# quic)l# gre$ Riot !ell into t"e &ressure o! )ee&ing agood game;&la# and *egan to introduce c"am&ions t"at $ould gi%e &la#ers a ne$

e&erience *ut didn-t add an#t"ing to t"e game-s stor# gestalt(

On t"e ot"er "and, t"e lac) o! narrati%e didn-t a!!ect at all t"e game&la# and itse!!ecti%eness to ma)e &la#ers en@o# t"e game, and re%ie$ers to &raise it( Lea" B(

1ac)son, an e&erienced $riter graduated !rom t"e ni%ersit# o! 0lorida, e&ressed great

ent"usiasm $"ile re%ie$ing t"e game mec"anics, assets and "azards on an article !or+G7 entertainment(

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Lessons F: Ma)e cinematics e%er# no$ and t"en to rein!orce c"aracters

&ersonalities and circumstances(

Summation

League o! Legends "olds a stor# $ort" to mine( +t started o!! $it" an interesting con!lict*ut due t"e &ressure o! )ee&ing t"e game&la# interesting, it "as !allen onto t"e cli!! and

no$ $e "a%e a reall# ric" $orld t"at is not $ired(

Anot"er *ig issue is t"e $a# Riot &retends to narrate t"e stor#(