A great idea implemented with too many execution errors to forgive. MOBAs can and should be right at home on mobile. I spent some time as a Vainglory diehard, and Wild Rift is a natural successor to that legacy. The core concept is really great--take a compelling game, eliminate some of the bloated elements for a widely-used platform, and profit. I find Wild Rift to be more appealing to play than PC League for countless reasons. The shorter, 15-25 min games are the sweet spot and best feature of this version. Everything is pared down to accompany the shorter game time--fewer champs, less complexity to builds and runes, streamlined objectives, etc. Much of the metagame and mechanical adjustments are surprisingly good, too. I'd wager the controls are more intuitive than PC for new players, so the barrier to entry is pretty low. Games are fast-paced, exciting, and more fun to play than PC (though I find watching PC, and thus probably the game overall, is probably "better" fwiw). Plus, you can play in bed! What's not to love?
Uh... everything else. First and foremost, the game is slipping further and further into F2P mobile monetization hell, with more and more cosmetics hiding behind gacha bullshit and/or unreasonable pricing schemes. Riot's trademark selective hearing is in full force and getting worse for WR. Efforts to promote the game outside of China are tanking, with non-Asian pro leagues getting axed and special events focused entirely on China. I'm all for the effort put into China and east Asia, and only wish it would be extended to other regions. Riot is happy to copy and paste the Lunar New Year event into the US to profit from it, but can't be bothered to support content creators or pros in the region. American WR players feel like cash cow afterthoughts, rather than valued players.
That selective hearing extends to player QoL concerns. Inexplicable game changes are frequently paired with inexplicable balancing decisions. Why the devs thought removing all-chat was a pressing matter, but substantively nerfing Aatrox after release could wait, is beyond me. Champ balancing issues aside, much of the game's strategic vision seems to revolve around introducing as many PC features as possible, as fast as possible. (Of course, cutting all-chat speaks to the China-centric bend of this vision.) There's a big gap between that tone and the half-assed content releases on the aesthetic side. It's frustrating because this game doesn't need to be PC. It should be different, less complex, and less bloated. It wants to be something it shouldn't, and makes the Vainglory idealist in me sad.
Beyond that, the standard MOBA problems exist. It's naturally a competition trap, purposefully addictive to keep the micro transactions flowing and server numbers up. It provides zero enjoyment in wins and terrible emotional response to losses. The community is endearingly, grossly toxic. My mental health declined substantially while playing this game regularly. Massive investment of time is required to know the champs and keep up with the insane volume of items and variables present in every game. At a certain point, I realized my time was worth more than spending it on this game. I enjoy being knowledgeable enough to watch people with reliably available, often competent teammates play on occasion (pro play), but I don't need to play it myself any more. The game at the core of WR is good, but everything on top of it sucks.
Uh... everything else. First and foremost, the game is slipping further and further into F2P mobile monetization hell, with more and more cosmetics hiding behind gacha bullshit and/or unreasonable pricing schemes. Riot's trademark selective hearing is in full force and getting worse for WR. Efforts to promote the game outside of China are tanking, with non-Asian pro leagues getting axed and special events focused entirely on China. I'm all for the effort put into China and east Asia, and only wish it would be extended to other regions. Riot is happy to copy and paste the Lunar New Year event into the US to profit from it, but can't be bothered to support content creators or pros in the region. American WR players feel like cash cow afterthoughts, rather than valued players.
That selective hearing extends to player QoL concerns. Inexplicable game changes are frequently paired with inexplicable balancing decisions. Why the devs thought removing all-chat was a pressing matter, but substantively nerfing Aatrox after release could wait, is beyond me. Champ balancing issues aside, much of the game's strategic vision seems to revolve around introducing as many PC features as possible, as fast as possible. (Of course, cutting all-chat speaks to the China-centric bend of this vision.) There's a big gap between that tone and the half-assed content releases on the aesthetic side. It's frustrating because this game doesn't need to be PC. It should be different, less complex, and less bloated. It wants to be something it shouldn't, and makes the Vainglory idealist in me sad.
Beyond that, the standard MOBA problems exist. It's naturally a competition trap, purposefully addictive to keep the micro transactions flowing and server numbers up. It provides zero enjoyment in wins and terrible emotional response to losses. The community is endearingly, grossly toxic. My mental health declined substantially while playing this game regularly. Massive investment of time is required to know the champs and keep up with the insane volume of items and variables present in every game. At a certain point, I realized my time was worth more than spending it on this game. I enjoy being knowledgeable enough to watch people with reliably available, often competent teammates play on occasion (pro play), but I don't need to play it myself any more. The game at the core of WR is good, but everything on top of it sucks.
Reviewed on Jan 30, 2023