Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story review embargoes dropped overnight. Riot Forge’s last hurrah is being described as an adorable alternative take on the League of Legends universe, if not a bit bogged down by “busywork.” Reviews are still rolling in ahead of the game’s 21 February release date, but the crafting RPG seems to have divided critics into two camps: those who love the granularity of the expansive skill trees and those who found the crafting to be too much of a grind.
In our review of Bandle Tale, we said that the title “manages to bring all the best bits of crafting games and RPGs together in a cozy, brightly coloured package. The story itself is heartfelt and enjoyable and ties into the gameplay in a way that didn’t make me feel like I was crafting for crafting’s sake – everything had a purpose.” While we did find the game to be an enjoyable entryway into the League of Legends universe for newbies (and a recognisable return for fans), there were a number of smaller issues that did detract from its overall enjoyment. Sometimes unclear crafting processes and finicky WASD navigation were two of the main drawbacks, but overall we found it to be a delightful change of pace from Riot’s usual fare. You can read our full review here.
On Metacritic, Bandle Tale sits at a Generally Favourable 75 with fourteen critic reviews, while OpenCritic scores sit at a close 76. These scores are likely to change as more reviews come through, although which way new entries will tip the scale is anyone’s guess currently given the mixed response.
Let’s take a look at what the critics thought of Bandle Tale from around the world. As there’s currently no other Australian reviews beyond ours published just yet, we’ll be rolling all the reviews into one category rather than separating by local and global for this roundup.
Global Bandle Tale reviews
IGN Spain gave it a 9, saying, “The world of Runeterra is a universe that is often defined by war and conflict. Bandle Tale moves away from this and what has been done in other Riot Forge games so that we can relax with the Yordles and plan parties that help us re-establish the bonds of community with the power of friendship. A little music, some food and all problems are solved.” (Translated via MetaCritic)
ScreenRant gave it 3 stars out of 5, saying, “Despite its lulls and occasional overcomplications, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is an adorable, imaginative take on an established universe that has a lot to offer.”
Rock, Paper, Shotgun published an unscored review, saying, “Unfortunately, good vibes simply aren’t enough to save Bandle Tale from its overwhelming busywork. It too often gatekeeps the fun behind skill tiers and layers of crafting that never felt totally satisfying to me, but at least the constant repetition etched the beautiful pixels onto my eyeballs. That’s good. I think?”
TechRaptor awarded the game an 8, saying “Bandle Tale offers a unique cozy experience that anyone can enjoy, League of Legends fan or not. It’s got a great story and fun dialogue that breathes life into Bandle City, and it’s easy to pick up and play for anyone.”
App Trigger gave it a lofty 9.5 out of 10, saying, “Bandle Tale is the video game version of a warm, freshly baked cookie. With 40 to 60 hours of gameplay, it’s not just a quick visit to Bandle City – it’s a long, joy-filled vacation. Think of it as your favourite series – you won’t want it to end.”
Dual Shockers scored the game 9/10, saying, “Bandle Tale is the full package — a fully realised world with a brain-tickling gameplay loop and fantastic visual design. It’s one of the best ‘cosy’ games out there,” although added that one drawback was a sometimes “clunky” quest system.
Polygon’s Cass Marshall didn’t give it a score, but said, “Bandle Tale is one of the biggest departures in the League of Legends franchise yet, but it’s a hugely welcome respite from the more serious games in my backlog. It does take a bit of a time investment — somewhere between 40 and 60 hours — but it’s enjoyable to amble from objective to objective, taking breaks to host epic parties. It’s a shame that with the end of Riot Forge, we won’t be seeing these experimental titles anymore. While League can be an intimidating prospect, I found myself wholly welcomed by the comfy, silly nature of Bandle Tale.”
RPG Site provided a much more lukewarm score of 5/10, saying, “At first, my time with Bandle Tale felt like a slow drudge, especially as I got blockaded by skill requirements and hit many “I can’t do anything with this yet” spots. Once I could zoom through the Bandle City centre and knew how to best unlock skills, I enjoyed my time a bit more but I’m not entirely sure if that’s just because I knew I was reaching the end, or if progression was actually enjoyable. Bandle Tale: A League of Legends [Story] gameplay and story can feel pretty mediocre, reminding me of childhood favourites but never as entertaining.”
CGMagazine awarded the game a 6.5, and said, “Although seemingly marketed towards the casual gamer, behind the cozy pixel art style and soothing soundtrack of Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story lies a complicated and grindy crafting RPG best enjoyed only by the most devout fans of the genre and/or the parent title.”
COGConnected scored it 70, saying, “Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is a much more ambitious game than most crafting RPGs. It’s accessible to most patient gamers, too, whether they’ve played League or not. The crafting elements are good, if occasionally opaque. Unfortunately, the game’s unvaried tone and extended length padded out by some dull quests takes away some of the fun.”
GGRecon gave it 3.5 stars, and said, “Bandle Tale feels like a game some people will thoroughly enjoy, but others might grow tired of when the systems start piling on top of each other. It’s surprisingly complex, and about as long as the average big-budget RPG, but whether players will have the same patience for it remains to be seen. A lot of heart has gone into this game, and I really wanted to love it. As it stands, it’s a solid crafting RPG with a cute aesthetic that doesn’t really match the menu-heavy gameplay. It would be a lot more fun without systems like the auras restricting you from doing what you need to do.”
Noisy Pixel awarded it a score of 7.5, saying, “Bandle Tale offers a refreshing, exploration-focused departure from the traditional League of Legends gameplay, emphasising crafting, community building, and personalization with your own Yordle hero. Its unique approach, combining a serene gameplay experience with strategic elements like base placement and emotional well-being progression, makes it stand out. Despite some repetitiveness in quests, the game’s charm, engaging narrative, and vibrant world-building ensure a captivating experience.”
So there you have it, folks. It looks like Bandle Tale has done it for the cozy and crafting game crowd, but a lot of critics weren’t as keen on some of the more repetitive or grindy elements of gameplay. One thing most reviewers could agree on was how good the graphics looked, and many praised the overall story and vibe. As more reviews pile in, we’re likely to see the more divided opinions based on the sample group so far.
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story releases tomorrow (21 February) on PC and Nintendo Switch. Whatever your opinion on the title once it drops, the sundowning of Riot Forge amid the mass layoffs is a huge loss to the industry, and this last hurrah has shown just what the project was capable of doing in expanding beyond League’s fast-paced, stressful gameplay and into altogether different territory.
Image: Riot Forge / Lazy Bear Games
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