Starring Kayle, some sorta balanced thoughts on reworks in general
Hello there, thanks for stopping by.
I know by this moment anything said here is probably just thrown to the air, since the teaser is out, which means everything is already done and due but, for whatever it’s worth, I really needed to word my opinion on this... Having a look at recent reworks, results and success rate have been varied to say the least. I'm no expert and my opinion is more heartfelt than fact checked, and I also know this sort of criticizing texts tend to be controversial in the best case scenario, but please bear with me for a while and read all that this player has to write.
By the way, and just before anyone jumps on my neck for what’s said here, I’m aware my opinions are probably different from the vast majority, please let’s agree on disagreeing. Thought I’ll gladly read your comments (please leave some, I really wanna read you guys), I’ll try to avoid conflict; please, by all means, don’t take it personal, I totally respect your right to your own opinion and, abiding to those lines, this is my opinion:
When looking at a rework, I think we as players check at least two out of three specific aspects: The kit, the visuals and (last but not least for me) lore.
Kit wise, we've seen the must success recently; as an example there's Akali, her kit's the most ninja there is in League, imho; and really feels like a natural progression from the original one, it really feels as we're dealing with the same assassin we love, but adds a layer of depth to the character by giving the impression of experience, as is she was truly alive and learning as years go by; no, I’m not talking about numbers here, yes, I acknowledge she’s broken as she can be, but I’m speaking conceptually here and, even when her shroud under tower is a pain balance wise, there’s no denying she nailed it conceptually. I think Irelia's one's also worth a look; thought her new kit feels more like a reboot than a natural progression for the character, and has clear differences in style with the old one, I'm also convinced that it totally nailed the spirit, core and personality of her (it really does feel Irelia), which makes it another success... On the other hand, we also have Aatrox. No, I'm not gonna start with the Red Riven meme, I know you're all probably tired of it (or still rueing it, idk); I just wanna say that it doesn't feel even a bit like Aatrox, at all... That's why, even when it is fun to play (I’m guessing based on gameplays I’ve seen) and is quite more balanced than the original (guessing again), I can't really say it was a success, but rather the opposite.
I must say, though, kit wasn’t really what worried me on Kayle; she and I, we've been playing together for quite a while and I know that she really needs a new one; I know some mains and OTPs won't agree with me on this, but it's something we can't deny, no matter how much we actually love her, or her kit; she was born when League was a different game, and was built on that foundation, which no longer corresponds to reality... In a way, Aatrox's taunt while killing her, when he mocks her never reaching full potential, is painfully real... Even when fed, she rarely gets to her "divine" state, for games no longer last enough... Besides, when looking at the other champs August has done, I was certain my loved champ's in good hands, and that she won't suffer the Aatrox syndrome… Looking at the teaser, I’ve already found one thing I’m sure I’ll be missing, but she still looks quite good.
Concerning visuals: Irelia is a big success case, once again, she's not really the same, but nails on every important aspect of her, the difference being she's now nimbler and faster, less sturdy than the old one, and that really feels more in tune with who she is, so it was actually an improvement over the original.
For this particular part, I don't really think Aatrox was such a big disaster as with his kit. Sure, it wasn't also a success, but it wasn't a sinking ship either... Big problem was he's supposed to look big and imposing and dangerous... But he looks as someone who WILL become big and imposing in a few years; he's supposed to look dangerous, but he looks inexperienced... Not really a disaster, but not actually a big success either.
On the other hand, there's Akali, and this time I can't really speak nicely about her; The new kit's awesome, complex, fun and completely in tune with who she is (or was) but her new visuals don't. They look cool, sure... But that's about all; even though those are some good visuals, her new model has nothing to do with who she used to be and, opposite to her kit, doesn't feel like a progression, neither does it feel natural for her, but I'll talk more about that later.
As for Kayle, I didn't really feel she needed something completely new; sure, she could use some tuning here and there (AA animation top on the list), but nothing really major overall; I felt she was in a similar spot as her sister on this behalf... I'm not a fan of old Pentakill looking more punk than metal though, but maybe this specific on the skin is just me and, even if not, it would require a whole analysis by itself, which is not the topic of this chat... Once again, I really thought since the beginning she was in good cosmetic hands… But after the teaser, I’m not sure anymore; sorry, I know statements like that one are quite bold and rather unappreciated, but there are several red flags on her new visuals. First being the helmet’s removal; that helmet was an important part of her character definition (hence the unmasked skin) and there was no need to remove it, since an awesome look could be achieved without the need for removal; her armor’s another bad point here, the anime-esque style was totally unfitted for her… I most clarify I don’t mean it’s badly done, but rather that it’s not right for her; there’s loads of female warriors in tight combat suits, but Kayle had a real armor that looked functional and stylish, and it totally suited her; I get the idea of stylizing her armor, making it more elegant and regal, and I’ll recognise the idea was good and had good intention, but execution wasn’t correct. Also her new hair feels just as generic as the original, but the original one at least seemed fit for who she was and, last but not least, the overall looks of her feels in tune with a mobile game, but a little out of place in LoL, as if the one used for the teaser was a warring kingdoms skin rather than base model… although, not everything’s wrong: her new seraph concept is just astonishing, the way the wing size fits with her size is a big improvement over the last model… I might find myself missing the flaming sword, true, but her new dual wielding looks pretty bad ass (please, forgive me the rude expression) and how the whole concept of progression was visually translated is also a big win, I think… Still, I think those should’ve been added on the original, rather than chopping what was correctly executed.
That leaves us with one last review: the lore, which really wraps visuals and kit together and, though usually overlooked by many players, is IMO the most important part, the base and foundation over which a champ's built... I think lore should be split into two categories: what we usually know as lore, concerning history and stories of our champion, and the character per se, their personalities and attitudes.
Once again, Irelia goes top. Her new lore, though different from the old one, is respectful about her core and motifs, while keeping her motivations intact, it managed to be a nice retelling, and a worth retcon of her... Irelia's lost isn't in her lore, but rather on her character. Irelia used to be a really strong woman, the kind of strong that's determined to make her partners' misery more bearable, even when she's herself tearing apart (in my experience and opinion, the stronger kind of character there is), which I think should've been emphasized; but the new one's resentful. Both of them carry over their shoulders some responsibilities they didn't want to, but one was determined to do what had to be done, and actually fought for the sake of her people while the other fights more out of revenge and resentment rather than the actual good of others (similar to Jet, from Legend of Aang); Don't misunderstand me, she's still a strong woman, a good leader, and someone who can be admired... But her old iteration was stronger, a better leader, and even worthier of respect. That's why, though definitely not a fail by any means, I still find myself missing the old one every once in a while; missing the Irelia we could love and respect, rather than just respect.
Aatrox requires a more complex analysis, for his case is quite different; his lore is quite good, and the Darkin's general story is plainly nice; the drama, the rising, the falling, the glory, the pain, pride and madness... They all dance together in a well balanced and written rhythm. Their tales are awesome; their share in world history is undeniably important and shattering. As for the character himself, he's coherent, solid and well written... Problem is: He's not him. Just as with the kit, new Aatrox lore doesn't feel Aatrox at all, and even the Darkin as a race suffered losses; who they used to be, their motifs, the reasons for their actions... And all that is now lost. Them being now ascended beings fallen from grace is surely dramatic, but it's a loss for them in that their original fantasy is now literally lost in the void, which could've been minor, if it wasn't for its coupling with all the other things we've already talked about. As for Aatrox himself, his whole character has been destroyed and built anew; he's pretty well done for sure, but he lost himself and is no longer Aatrox.
Akali's case is also somewhat complex... Her rework was intended to feel like a natural aging progression from the original, a great idea if you ask me; but the actual execution feels more like a juvenile high schooler rebel trainee who wants to feel edgy and be recognized as badass just because she pierced her belly button. I'm by no means saying that's a bad character, neither am I saying she'd have no place in League, no... What I'm saying is that was never her. Akali was a cold blooded assassin, cool, elegant, ruthless but not cruel, a shadow dancer who would do everything out of premeditation and with one or two backup plans, just in case, and all that was reflected in her gameplay; she did what had to be done and then moved on to the next task, no emotional attachment that could hinder her; last but not least, she knew she fought for a higher cause, bigger than her, or everyone else. Just as with Aatrox, she's no longer herself, but her case is quite worse since the Darkin was supposed to be a retconing rework, while Akali's was supposed to be the character gaining life experience and reflecting that; instead of feeling like an older and wiser version of herself, she feels like a younger one... This new Akali is awesomely coherent with her new visuals, but not the character, neither the visuals are coherent with who she was.
We all know by now the Ionian wars were BIG for all of them (probably an euphemism) but we've already had enough characters marked by the war's resentment, for not even Karma and her followers were unscratched; there was no need for it to arrive at Kinkou, specially since they've always kept themselves out of radar on purpose, not because they neglected their homeland, not by any means; but rather out of a conviction that what they were doing was necessary and important in a scale even bigger than the sense of home... And that would have been an awesome drama to develop, not only for Akali, but for all of them; the sorrow and sadness that comes from knowing you can't do anything about it because you have bigger responsibilities; that gives depth and complexity, as well as a fresh take on the conflict and the characters themselves, while the path taken actually kinda flattened Akali as a character and made her forcefully fit with the others.
For Kayle's rw, this is the part that worried me the most since the official announcement for the dual update was made. Seeing how every other character who had been recently reworked has lost, in the best case, a part little but important of who they were and, in the worst case, has been completely substituted with a new character entirely, my concerns for this angel's fate were big.
At this point I want to clarify, as to avoid misunderstandings, that I'm not saying the job done is bad; as I said there's positive points (many) in almost every aspect evaluated for every champ, and I’ve made sure to point them out, since I’m TRYING to be as unbiased and fair as I can; what I mean is that there seems to be a worrying tendency to negate a champ's character and substitute it. No matter how good the new one is, the farther it strays from the original, the worse and more painful it is for everyone.
I got really reassured when the reveal came that neither Kayle, nor Morgana were Shuriman, and I bet I wasn’t the only one; but the fact that it became such a wide spread theory, and generated dissatisfaction to a degree that it required public clarification serves to further prove my point: it may not seem like it, but we care about it... We care about Kayle's fantasy of being a justice angel, carrying both blessing and doom to the battlefield; we care about who she is as a character, and we love her enough as to worry about losing her... And, on a more personal note, I care about her, for she helped me throughout some hard times.
This is gonna turn now a little personal, and I hope you don't mind. Back in the early 2000's I was going through a bad situation, especially in the emotional aspect; I spent my little free time on different games and that's how I stumbled upon a nice one called "Clash of Fates"; my only prior experience with MOBAs (which was a kinda new genre atm) was a single game of DOTA, back in the days when it was only a Warcraft III mod; nonetheless, a game with ninjas, yetis, werewolves, and a cute little girl who could burn you to cinders was too good a premise not to try it. When the game was finally ready on my laptop, I got captivated by the level of immersion achieved with just one simple act: making the players a part of the actual game lore via the "summoner" fantasy... That was awesome, and provided for me the brief scape I needed; when I had a look at the full character roster, I couldn't help but get hyped when I realized I could unlock and use an armored angel... Since that moment, my goal was to acquire her.
I played until amassing enough Influence Points to unlock her, and since then Kayle became my League Partner. She was as awesome as I thought, and I mean: She was a justice angel with a flaming sword! It goes on the way to epicness and beyond... The more I played her, the more I loved her; if the way her fantasy came true in game wasn't enough, she was versatile to the point where she could build or do whatever was needed, and she'd so it nicely.... When I got her Judgemental skin, that made my day; and Silver Kayle made me want to spend money on the game (unfortunately Mexican pesos are worth little compared to dollars so it was kinda expensive for me AND, since I live in a different country, buying a physical copy was complicated)... But I was not only catched by her kit, or gameplay, or even the great way in which her character fantasy was delivered... No, it was her who made it all fit together.
Looking at her lore back in the day, even though it was vague and obviously parallel to Michael's story in Paradise Lost, it gave a good parting point to understanding her. Then, looking at her taunts and gameplay, and looking at it all as a whole and not just separate parts, I fell for her... For I felt identified.
She's (or more precisely speaking: was) someone who has lost everything she once held close to her heart; she even had to mark a line between herself and her loved sister, and even couldn't help but feel betrayed by her (yet still loved her deep inside); she has a responsibility to fulfill, and she knows no one else'll be able to take her place and do the job, and so she dutifully gets the job done, though she rues it every time. She's one for second, third, any number-erd chances, thought she knows people just can't be saved when they don't want to, she'll try and save them by any means, even if that requires intimidation.
Her passive showed that, instead of charging full power against her opponent, she handicaps herself in order to give the other a chance to reconsider. She knows her place is to punish the one in front of her, but she'll go easy first, so they have time to repent and come back to their senses... She'll taunt aggressively to try and make the others change directions, even if just out of fear.... I always admired her in that she kept that sort of hope alive, even when she had suffered a lot... We could also see her protective instincts in both her defensive abilities, where one grants immunity to damage, and the other not only heals, but provides means for scape. Her Q had a casting time, as if she was unsure about dealing such a big punch and preventing her victim from scaping judgement… I mean, even how well her kit synergized with Morgana's shows a lot about them both... She was a warrior, she was a retributor, but above all, she was a person, one who has suffered and wants others not to.
I could really identify with her, I was in a bad emocional situation, I felt as alone as her, I had marked a line between myself and some of my family (most), I had been betrayed by my friends (which I already had few to begin with) and had built an emotional wall around me, just like Kayle did (as shown symbolically by her always wearing a helmet… And that added an emotional layer to unmasked skin)... Yet, I aspired to be like her in that she still had affection for the ones around her and deeply wished for their salvation... That little part I had lost.
She became the role model I needed, and helped me get through... I could even identify with her pick rate, she's always been kind of an unpopular champ, and I'm myself on the non popular side of society; even after I had to stop playing for years ('cause life sometimes get in the way), even after having to leave the game forgotten in my laptop, she was still an inspiration for me, and every once in a while I'd check the internet to see how was the game doing and, more importantly, my loved Kayle.
Time passed, I finally came back to the League, and there she was; now there was an official server region for my country, so I migrated to play with some new friends who had just started playing, and Kayle helped me explain the game to them... Though I no longer was in such a deep hole as when I first met her, the attachment was still there, even more since she played a role in my emotional recovery; as I said, I'm no longer in such a deep pit, but I do sometimes still get to feel lonely, and in those moments Kayle's there... I've been playing regularly since (until a few weeks before Lion vs Wolf even, when my computer died and then no more League for me) and she's always been a big part in my game history; my first M7 champ... I don't think there's a need to go on.
When I came back to League, I decided I wanted to help Kayle somehow, since I obviously can't give her back what she gave me, and there's no way I can be there for her like she was for me (Since, well… She’s just a vgame character), I can only give her appreciation and care, 'course she'll never miss me like I did back in the day, but I can still give some love to her ingame; I've been slowly but surely getting her skins and now I'm only missing two, Aether (buy delayed until after I manage to get a new PC on an unspecified date) and Silver (not much to do on this, sadly); since we’re all allowed to have crazy and totally unreal dreams I made the purpose of getting her to worlds one day, but since speaking realistically I'm an awfully bad player, I know that won’t happen... So the only real thing I can do for her is try and protect who she is or, since the rework is already finished, pay my respects to the one she used to be.
Going back to our analysis, and ending the personal justification portion, the new teaser shows a whole new character… This new angel looks awesome, and I won’t deny she has some resemblance with the original Kayle… But she doesn’t seem to be the same person. Of course, this was just a teaser, of course there’s little intel yet so as to know for sure… But what was shown seems like she got flattened and substituted like Aatrox and Akali.
I’m by no means saying she’ll suck… I’m even sure I’ll still enjoy playing her when I get the chance… But it’ll be as if my best friend died and asked me to take care of her daughter… There’s that family air to them, but they’re not the same person. My loved Kayle seems to have died unaccepted and misunderstood, and now there’s her baby to care for.
If you've actually read this far, I really thank you; not everyone would take the time to actually do it… I’m even sure many will just read a portion of it and comment, since internet is full of those people… Please, if you’ve made it this far, I’d really like to read you. In order to recognise you as someone who speaks after reading all, I’ll ask you to add the quote “Phoenix Kayle” on your comment (so lame it’s a perfect code)... as stated above, since I want to avoid conflict and also since I need to borrow a computer in order to be around, I might not be able to answer comments, but I’ll really try and at least thank those who add the code on their comment.
There's little more for me to say, I'll just do a quick recap and bid my farewell.
Recent reworks (big ones) have a varied amount of acceptance due to some very specific details; Irelia's a good one, even though she lost a little bit of herself in the process, her new iteration's a worthy heir to who she was; Aatrox was an awesome rework and a cool new champ, the only problem with him (and it's a problem big enough for him to be as criticized as he was) is that new Aatrox is not Aatrox at all, not even close... He's not a bad job, he just kinda feels like an imposter. As for Akali, though I'm probably alone on this, I really feel she's a loss, not because she's poorly done, but rather because she's not coherent with who she was; this new one feels like a younger rebel version, rather than an experienced, older one.
Seeing how this champs all got flattened or simply lost themselves to some extent in the rework process, choppe or killed in order to make them fit; and how Kayle seemingly had the same cruel fate, I can only pay my respects to the one she was, give my thanks for knowing her and take care of her metaphorical daughter, trying to give the new angel some love to honor the memory of the one lost.. That, and sincerely ask Riot to stop this worrying rework tendency; this epidemic has already taken enough victims, I believe.
Sincerely
Arckanda, LAN Silver Player (former NA) aka MiniArck, NA Unranked Player
Ps.- I know leaving Nunu and Willump out of the text seems biased. There’s one reason for that, though: There’s little to comment on them; I do miss the yeti looking like an actual yeti rather than Appa from Avatar, but even with that, he looks just fine for all intents and purposes and the concept was totally nailed to what it needed to be, being true to character. Nunu and Willump’s remake is the best one so far, even if it didn’t got the attention they deserved so, with as little to say as that, I thought it’d be better to leave them aside, just paying my respects humble on the awesome job done to them.
