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Evercore Heroes applies League of Legends’ formula to a cooperative game

By Tomas Franzese October 11, 2022

Vela Games, an Irish game studio founded by former Riot Games developers in 2018, unveiled its first game at a digital prebrief event attended by Digital Trends. Titled Evercore Heroes, this game modifies themultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) formula that League of Legends helped popularize into a competitive PvE dungeon-crawling experience.

While the basics of gameplay and isometric view of Evercore Heroes are very similar to a game like League of Legends, players aren’t directly fighting each other. Instead, four teams of four compete against each other in a cooperative dungeon-crawling experience where players slowly level up their characters, charge the titular Evercore, and eventually win by taking down a large boss. MOBAs, both in terms of gameplay and their community, can be intimidating to get into, so co-founderounder Travis George hopes that the cooperative aspects of Evercore Heroes and other efforts by Vela Games will make this an approachable and friendly game to which platers return.

“We all know that games aren’t always known as the friendliest places in the world — and we’re not going to change human behavior on the internet — but what we can do is be really deliberate about the gameplay, the community, and even the technology choices we make to hopefully orient players to have a more positive experience online,” George says. “Hopefully, that keeps them coming back.”

Four heroes travel to an objective in Evercore Heroes. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

So far, Vela Games has revealed eight playable heroes: Shade the assassin, the shield-wielding Fyn, Zari the archer, the creature with a community-voted design named Beko, the melee-focused boxer Blink, fire mage Cynder, tech medic Remy, and short-range healer Lotus. They each have distinct abilities, and most of them look like they could be League of Legends champions or Valorant agents, so Riot Games’ influence can really be felt in the design. Definitely keep an eye on this one if you’re a fan of Riot Games.

Evercore Heroes is currently in development for PC, and interested players can sign up for a player test that will run from October 13 until October 16.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is a bittersweet eulogy for Riot Forge

A variant key art for Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story.

Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is a new game about getting out of your comfort zone and connecting with others. In many ways, that's also the story of Riot Forge. The publishing label pushed its corporate parent Riot Games out of its AAA design instincts to expand the world of Runterra. There's only so much narrative you can weave into something like League of Legends, and all of Riot Forge’s games offered unique perspectives that enriched this world. I found fulfillment in that strategy too, as someone who enjoys the world of Runeterra, but didn't want to play League of Legends itself. It’s a treatment that few well-known franchises get outside comic book universes, Warhammer, and Star Wars.

Unfortunately, Bandle Tale is the last of its kind for now as Riot Forge has been shuttered as part of recent Riot Games layoffs. That’s a shame, not just for League of Legends, but the video game industry at large. If nothing else, Bandle Tale is worth checking out as a bold move from a major studio, which is something that's becoming increasingly rare.
A solid sendoff
Developer Lazy Bear Games’ Bandle Tale takes place in Bandle City, home to many of the cute, furry Yordle creatures that League of Legends players are likely familiar with. This gives us our first look into their society, which is fractured when a portal network is destroyed during a party toward the start of the game. After that, it’s up to the player, who had isolated themselves for over 100 years, to reunite the portal network and find their lost friends. Like most Riot Forge titles, Bandle Tale is narrative-focused and has more of a humorous edge than the label’s other games.

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Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s biggest villain is its own legacy

Harley Quinn lays down while speaking to Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's reveal trailer

Frank Miller set the standards for most modern Batman stories with The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One in the 1980s. That same legendary creator thoroughly disappointed with All-Star Batman & Robin in the 2000s due to subpar writing and odd character moments. The latter might have been less infamous if the Batman stories that came before from Miller weren't so influential, but that's not the universe we're living in. Modern comic book universes like DC and Marvel have a problem dealing with their own legacy. With so many decades of iconic characters and stories, it can be tough not to introduce new people to the universe but to live up to the high mark of older books. That makes it harder for great new stories to stand out and exacerbates criticism of newer works.

With Rocksteady Studios' Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, that problem has finally hit comic book video games. I've spent over eight hours with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League so far in both single-player and multiplayer after receiving code the day after its early access launch. My time with the game has yielded mixed results. It's not an absolute disaster like Redfall of The Day Before, but it's disappointing in the context of Rocksteady's legacy.

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Which character should you pick in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?

Deadshot, Harley Quinn, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Each playable member in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is its own distinct character. Beyond the obvious visual differences, there's a good amount of mechanical differences that make playing as Harley a unique experience compared to King Shark, for example. If you're playing alone or with friends, you probably will want to focus on just one member of the team to learn and go through the story with first. Since these "heroes" aren't all that common, especially in the world of video games, it isn't immediately obvious what type of character each one will play like. Between unique traversal methods and skill trees to ultimate attacks, here's a breakdown of which character you should pick.
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No one member of the squad is objectively the best, but rather, each one excels in different methods of combat. While you can switch between characters easily, it is best to know what role each one is best suited for and what to expect jumping into their shoes.
Harley Quinn
Harley is the easiest to understand if you're coming from the past Rocksteady Arkham games. She uses a grappling hook to traverse, which can be a little awkward to get a feel for at first, but she is your most well-rounded character. She uses pistols and SMGs in conjunction with melee attacks and explosives. If you want to play an aggressive, slightly spongy character, Harley is all about getting into the thick of combat. Her ability to regen health for kills pushes you to constantly be on the offensive.
Captain Boomerang
Using his teleporting boomerang to control the flow of battle, Captain Boomerang is perfect for flanking. You will want to play a mix of long and short-range with him, thanks to his use of both a sniper and shotgun. You will be rewarded for hit-and-run tactics here, making ample use of your boomerang's ability to get you out of danger before enemies know you were there. Once you get into the flow with him, you will turn the battlefield into your personal playground.
King Shark
King Shark is the most obvious when it comes to understanding his style. The big, bulky shark-man simply charges up massive jumps to get around, and his fishy skin can take a ton of abuse. You will be tanking hits as you either rush in to deal powerful melee attacks or shrugging off shots as you shred enemies with your heavy weapons and assault rifles. If you're not too confident about being able to dodge and zip around during a fight, go with the king.
Deadshot
Also, to be expected, Deadshot is a very easy character for people who cut their teeth on third-person shooters. He can use pistols, assault rifles, and snipers, so you are always prepared, and none of his abilities are terribly confusing or require a lot of thought to use. His jetpack makes him a perfect support character who can pelt enemies from above or afar without getting into danger. Just remember to watch that fuel gauge.