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While you don’t need to be a League of Legends fan to dive into Convergence and find your bearings, this story-driven, action platformer does feature plenty of familiar characters for those who are. More specifically, Convergence: A League of Legends Story focuses on Ekko, a mohawk-sporting swordsman exploring his homeworld of Zaun.
Ekko is a young tinkerer who has the ability to rewind time whenever he pleases, as long as he has enough time juice. That’s the scientific term, of course, and we spoke more about Ekko’s abilities, and more, in an interview with the Convergence devs. Ekko runs, slides, jumps, spins – think of a movement and he probably does it – through various colourful environments, unlocking new skills and defeating enemies along the way. Ekko’s future self is also guiding him and coming to his aid when he most needs it.
What helps Convergence to stand out from the crowd is that it’s fully voice acted – something you don’t see all too often in 2D platformers – and how it helps to develop the deep lore of League of Legends. Ekko doesn’t like the dark sewers that populate much of his homeworld and acts a lot like a teenager, who despite also being a hero, feels quite relatable. Along with these cutscenes, there are also little paper notes scattered around that you can collect, giving you more story to dive deeper into.
Ekko already comes with the ability to rewind time, which gives you the option to undo damage taken or jumps that may not have landed perfectly. This does mean Convergence isn’t competing with games such as Celeste from the difficulty angle, instead opting for much more forgiving gameplay as you can undo any mistake you make. However, this ability is limited, so you will need to balance the amount of juice you have for your rewind device.
In the short demo we played, we also saw some of the dynamics that can affect the rewind ability, such as items to change the effect. One such item deals damage whenever you rewind time, which can give you a small boost if you find yourself rewinding during fights. These play a huge role in changing your experience with Convergence, as you can choose items to fit your playstyle.
Ekko also has a ranged attack that can be used to activate electric switches, along with his iconic sword for close up attacks. As you progress, more abilities are unlocked, such as a teleport that deals damage when you zap to an enemy. Unleashing a flurry of attacks creates a combo, with a fun and stylistic animation. You will also collect information about the different enemies you fight, which is logged in a thematic journal. Perfect for those who want to discover more about the universe that is the setting for such a successful MOBA.
There’s plenty of customisation in Convergence when it comes to gameplay, making it quite accessible for everyone. There are three difficulty settings, or you can tweak the fighting or platforming individually. This makes the game feel like it’s made for you, as you can morph it into the best possible platformer for the playstyle you want to take on.
Convergence is clearly a game that was lovingly made, from the characters that you can meet, to the hand crafted levels, to the progression system. Everything feels polished, with levels that slowly introduce new mechanics, keeping things interesting. One moment you are jumping from area to area, the next you are following light-moths, spinning on ropes, and wall jumping your way forward.
Convergence: A League of Legends Story may not break ground for innovation in gaming, but it isn’t just any old 2D platformer either. Ekko is extremely relatable and offers a certain charm, while the added draw is there for League of Legends players who are keen to discover more of the surrounding universe. The abilities are smooth and flow into one another, and it won’t be long before we see the rewind mechanic here start cropping up in other games, as it really is executed phenomenally. Not to mention the captivating story surrounding Ekko as he tries to keep his city safe – this is an indie game with a lot of promise.
