Summary
- 2XKO has impressed players with its translation of LoL Champions into a 2D fighting game.
- The addition of Braum showcases 2XKO's ability to adapt tanks into unique fighters, offering hope for other LoL archetypes.
- Still, Enchanters will pose a challenge for 2XKO, as the game has to navigate adapting projectile-focused Champions like Sona and Lulu.
The Alpha Lab for the upcoming League of Legends fighting game has come and gone, but hopes for 2XKO remain high. This closed beta test impressed many players, but also was helpful in informing Riot Games and developer Radiant Entertainment of some things that could be improved before 2XKO’s proper launch. Simple inputs may permeate every part of this LoL 2v2 fighter, but it's just as fast and frenetic as its genre implies, and carefully managing the casual accessibility and competitive appeal of 2XKO will only be the first of many challenges this title will have to face.
Fortunately, 2XKO has proven capable of meeting those challenges so far. At least in terms of casual interest, 2XKO has done a stellar job of translating League of Legends’ diverse Champions into a 2D fighting game form. Of the six confirmed characters so far, as well as glimpses of Jinx in trailers, everyone looks to be in peak form, with alternate skins promising to add even more flair in the future. Everyone's iconic kits have also been translated from League of Legends in smart and faithful ways, but one of the best examples of this also calls into question how certain other Champions could be realized in 2XKO.
How Braum is 2XKO’s Greatest Success Yet
Hailing from the frigid north of the Freljord, the shield-bearing folk hero Braum has a smile as big as his muscles, and just as many fans in the universe of Runeterra as out of it. Shield characters are a fairly common archetype in competitive games, ranging from Overwatch's Reinhardt to the classic Big Shield Gardna in the original run of Yu-Gi-Oh, but they are a lot rarer in fighting games. Characters with Braum’s physique are typically pigeonholed into being grapplers, like Street Fighter’s Zangief, but 2XKO wasn't content with sticking to the norm.
Braum’s Jump From League of Legends To 2XKO Builds Hope
Braum is a fully realized tank converted into fighting game form, boasting the ability to block for his partner while also deploying his own game plan and mechanics. In this way, he's like a supercharged version of his original tank support role from League of Legends, and this can only mean good things for 2XKO's future. There are plenty of support or tanking-focused big-body Champions like Thresh, Alistar, or Blitzcrank that have varied kits, but an unclear way of translating into a fighting game. 2XKO has proven that it has a place for atypical fighters like these, but there’s still another major LoL archetype with an unclear fate.
What 2XKO’s Handling of Tanks Means For Other Classes
Tanks and other up-close support Champions may translate to 2XKO in natural ways that work in a new genre while retaining their original identities, but it's too soon to say if the same applies to enchanters. Marksmen and other long-ranged fighters are already a big question mark hanging over 2XKO’s head, seeing as Ahri and the presumed Jinx could fill 2XKO's launch with enough zoning tools to fill a roster. There's a lot of League of Legends Champions with guns, traps, or magic, and while there is enough variety among them to cherry-pick the best fits for 2XKO, the same can't necessarily be said for enchanters.
LoL’s Enchanters Risk Being Homogenous In 2XKO
As a major role in League of Legends, and also host to several iconic characters, including some better-known Champions like Sona, Soraka, and Lulu, enchanters can't be left out of 2XKO. However, Radiant Entertainment will need to think hard about how to adapt these folks, as there are few more obvious roles that this group can fill than projectile or trap-based zoners that also have one or two partner-buffing abilities. Adapting Champions like Braum, Illaoi, and Ekko have been some of 2XKO’s greatest successes so far, but the biggest challenges in doing League of Legends justice may still lie ahead.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- October 27, 2009
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Riot Games
- Publisher(s)
- Riot Games
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- League of Legends
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- MOBA
