All You Need To Know About Convergence: A League of Legends Story Gameplay

The variety of content emerging from Riot Forge has been intriguing, as the publisher has invested significant effort in developing standalone games that draw inspiration from the expansive lore of their immensely popular League of Legends MOBA.

Along their creative journey, they have introduced diverse genres such as a rhythm game, a JRPG, and a top-down action brawler. Their latest release, in May 2023, Convergence: A League of Legends story, represents their foray into the Metroidvania genre. While this game may not bring forth groundbreaking ideas, it compensates for its lack of originality with a heartfelt approach and exceptional gameplay.

In this article, Gurugamer.com will share with you all about Convergence: A League of Legends story gameplay. Let’s check.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story: Story

Convergence takes place within the steampunk metropolis of Zaun and follows the exciting exploits of Ekko, a brilliant and witty teenage inventor. Armed with a fragment of a mystical artifact, Ekko ingeniously develops a portable device called the Zero Drive. This extraordinary invention enables him to manipulate time by briefly rewinding it and altering its course. Typically, Ekko spends his days in the company of his gang, utilizing the Z-Drive to protect the locals from the harassment of nearby factions.

However, the story takes a captivating turn when Ekko unexpectedly encounters an older version of himself. This future incarnation shares a melancholy tale of dark events that unfolded in his timeline, culminating in tragedy. Motivated to prevent the impending calamity, Future Ekko seeks to travel back in time and avert disaster. The duo allies, joining forces to fight for a brighter future, while Young Ekko eagerly learns from the wisdom of his older counterpart.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story storyline is unexpectedly strong, albeit somewhat predictable. Convergence thrives on a charismatic protagonist and strong camaraderie among friends. Its self-contained narrative appeals to both League of Legends fans and newcomers. While the presence of iconic League of Legends champions like Jinx adds depth for fans familiar with the lore, the story remains accessible and does not pose significant obstacles for newcomers.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story: Gameplay

About Convergence: A League of Legends Story gameplay, the game adheres to the traditional design principles of Metroidvania games, presenting players with an expansive map to traverse, filled with platforming obstacles, enticing collectibles, and challenging enemy encounters. While Convergence leans more towards a linear approach compared to other Metroidvania titles, it compensates for this lack of player freedom by delivering an exceptional plot and well-paced gameplay.

Throughout the approximately eight-hour playthrough, there is a constant sense of thrilling progress, never letting up. Each section of the map strikes a balance by offering additional missions without the risk of getting lost or overly distracted from the main objective. This ensures a focused and enjoyable experience, where players can engage with the game's content without feeling overwhelmed or directionless.

The primary feature of Convergence revolves around Ekko's time manipulation abilities, which serve as the core mechanic of his gameplay. These powers offer intriguing and advantageous ways to enhance the overall experience. For example, if you miss a challenging jump in a platforming section or misinterpret an enemy's attack, you can simply activate Ekko's rewind ability to turn back time a few seconds and give yourself another opportunity for success. Alternatively, when faced with a swarm of enemies and in need of breathing room, you can use a localized time field to slow down their movements, granting you a tactical advantage in dealing with them.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story manages its upgrades effectively, ensuring that none of them feel excessively overpowered, particularly considering Ekko's vulnerability in combat. Nonetheless, each significant upgrade still brings about significant changes to both combat and exploration mechanics. Take the Timewinder, for instance, a boomerang-like tool acquired early on. It serves various purposes, allowing you to target and defeat elusive aerial enemies and activate switches in challenging platforming sections. This demonstrates how upgrades offer valuable enhancements to combat effectiveness and expand exploration possibilities without disrupting the game's balance.

Players can customize Ekko's abilities through an RPG-lite system by collecting items and defeating enemies. Crafting gadgets at workbenches offers advantages like more rewind charges or faster loot collection. Permanent upgrades obtained from Ekko's companions provide useful moves such as a parry or ground slam attack. While these upgrades don't drastically change the Convergence: A League of Legends Story gameplay, they encourage experimentation and exploration to uncover secrets in each zone.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story: Other aspects

While there are numerous activities to engage in within Zaun, the linear nature of the game becomes evident in its design. The map is divided into distinct zones, each housing simple puzzles, hidden rooms, and freerunning challenges that guard collectibles. However, it's important to note that backtracking is minimal in this game. We discovered that we were able to complete or almost complete every zone during our initial visit. While some players may not perceive this as a drawback, those who appreciate the immersive experience of exploring expansive Metroidvania maps and getting lost in their vastness may find that Convergence offers a more confined sandbox experience than an expansive playground.

Consequently, the game can be completed in a relatively short duration of around five to six hours if you prioritize the main objectives and minimize involvement in side activities. For full completion, you can approximately double that playtime. While the accessible runtime may not deter everyone, it's worth noting that Convergence doesn't offer the extensive amount of content found in games like Hollow Knight, where discoveries can be made even after dozens of hours of play. However, it's important to emphasize that Convergence maximizes its limited duration by consistently introducing new upgrades and advancing the plot frequently, providing a sense of constant progression and excitement.

Convergence boasts a hyper-stylized, comic book-inspired art style that perfectly complements the personality of its main character. This choice aligns with the developers' intention to present Zaun through Ekko's eyes. The visuals feature heavily saturated colors that remain true to Zaun's distinct "slummy" appearance, contributing to its steampunk ambiance. The attention to detail is noteworthy, as the developers have taken the time to create a lived-in atmosphere for Zaun. From clothes hanging on grind rails to random NPCs loitering in doorways and alleys, these small yet significant details contribute to the sense of Zaun being a genuine home for our quirky protagonist.

Unfortunately, Convergence suffers from poor performance, particularly on the Switch platform. The frame pacing is inconsistent, resulting in frequent frame rate drops and disruptions to gameplay. This can lead to frustrating situations such as missed jumps and taking damage. While the rewind ability helps alleviate some of the frustrations, the overall performance remains subpar. If possible, playing Convergence on a more powerful platform is recommended to avoid these performance issues.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story gameplay: Conclusion

In conclusion, Convergence: A League of Legends Story gameplay combines an attractive visual style with compelling time-bending gameplay, making it a Metroidvania worth exploring. Despite its shorter duration, the game leverages this to create an exciting and well-paced adventure that will likely captivate you until the end. However, it's important to acknowledge the noticeable performance issues in the Switch port, although the rewind mechanic helps mitigate the impact of frame drops. Still, our experience with Convergence was enjoyable, and we recommend it to those looking to expand their Metroidvania collection. In spite of the genre's saturation, this game proves there is always room for another outstanding entry.

>>> Read more: Top 10 Best Metroidvania Games Ever Made, Ranked