Convergence is a solid platformer in the League of Legends universe

The newest Riot Forge game is another tale set in the League of Legends universe, stepping outside of the confines of the Summoner’s Rift to explore a smaller slice of the world. Ruined King focused on Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles, The Mageseeker was all about Demacia, and now we have a way to explore Zaun for ourselves. Convergence: A League of Legends Story (stylized as CONV/RGENCE) is the latest Riot Forge game, developed by Double Stallion.

Convergence is an action-platformer in the vein of Castlevania or Metroid, and it centers on plucky protagonist Ekko. It’s a solid game that can be beaten in a few sittings, packed with likable characters and tense boss fights. Some of the platforming can be a bit finicky, but luckily, I have a suite of gizmos on hand to get around the most difficult bits.

Ekko is an inventor who creates gadgets like localized time-travel devices and wall-running shoes, but his real power is his heart of gold. He was born in Zaun, a steampunk city built in the shadows and crevices beneath the seemingly shiny tech utopia Piltover. The two cities have a symbiotic relationship, with Piltover taking advantage of its position over Zaun to oppress its people.

Image: Double Stallion/Riot Forge

I take control of Ekko in the aftermath of a massive explosion in a Zaunite spire, sending a mysterious orange substance everywhere and drawing the attention of ruthless chem-barons and Piltover elite. Also, an older and ominous Future Ekko has shown up to warn me of some great calamity. All of this suggests there’s a crisis on the horizon, and Ekko isn’t the type of kid to sit back and let it happen.

Ekko has helpful gadgets to aid his journey, like his Z-Drive, which allows him to turn back the clock by a few seconds. This obviously is a handy tool; every time I get hit by a few too many sniper shots or I plummet into an abyss, I simply reverse the clock and get back into the action. Ekko’s abilities from League of Legends all show up in some form as well, allowing me to leap through walls, freeze platforms midair, and in a pinch I can pop my ultimate to jump back in time and do massive damage to everyone around me.

Ekko also has some new abilities that he lacks in League but are crucial in Convergence. It takes special shoes and sweet moves to navigate around Zaun. The platforming feels great, but it basically requires a controller — using keyboard and mouse is a good way to fall down infinite pits and miss the timing on grabs. I grind on rails, run along walls, and flip around using poles and clotheslines.

Sometimes, I run into a dead end that requires a new gadget to navigate. Convergence has a map on hand that I can access at any time, and the corners of Zaun are packed with collectibles, races, and challenges. I wish certain parts of the map weren’t quite so locked behind platforming — it feels a little silly to have to vault, leap, spin, and bypass hurdles just to get back to my apartment. I guess that’s just Zaun for you!

Image: Double Stallion/Riot Forge

And in fairness, Zaun is a weird city — but that also makes it fun to explore. The city is a dark place by nature, built from iron and glass, but its citizens have festooned the place with neon lights and bright graffiti. Zaun and its inhabitants are packed with personality, and Double Stallion’s sprites are cartoonishly exaggerated, with heavy black lines and bold colors. The voice acting in the game is also solid; I’ve never been a big Ekko fan, but he grew on me significantly over the course of the adventure.

The other Riot Forge games have focused on parts of Runeterra that are largely unexplored, but we’ve seen a lot of Zaun — particularly in the Netflix animated series Arcane. If you’re expecting Convergence to follow up on Arcane, you might be confused, because they are separate continuities. Ekko has parents here instead of being a tragic orphan, and he rolls with a different group of pals in a different HQ.

But if you go in without the expectations of Arcane, Convergence is a great adventure. Ekko faces off against some great boss fights against champions like Camille, Warwick, and Jinx. These boss fights force you to play differently; Camille uses the high ground and hextech tools to control the battlefield, while Warwick is more of a raw force of nature that is best dodged and controlled. Seeing these champions outside of League is a reminder of the promise of Riot Forge games. As it turns out, many of these characters do best outside the confines of a competitive game. Convergence offers another chance for them to shine in their element.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story was released on May 23 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Riot Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.