#Heroes of might and magic 7 vs 6 series#

It walks a tightrope between introducing us to a complex new world while maintaining an intimate focus on the people who make that world worth caring about.

#Heroes of might and magic 7 vs 6 series#

Arcane's first act manages to pull off what so many fantasy and sci-fi series fail to do. It's a minor gripe, though, especially when there's still six more episodes left in this series and plenty more time to explore these characters and the conflict they're wrapped in. My biggest complaint is that I wish the relationship between Piltover and the Undercity was more explicitly detailed, as it wasn't always clear why the two cities had so much bad blood between them. It's also a precursor to much more intense, high-stakes bouts.Д«etween these fights, quiet moments of Vi and Powder bonding, and the boiling tension in the wake of their ill-fated heist, there's just not a lot I don't like about Arcane. It's a chaotic brawl filled with slow-mo closeups of fists breaking noses and faces contorting comically as knees and elbows slam into them. In one early fight scene, Vi, Powder, and two friends are dragged into a vicious scrap with some rival street kids. Story aside, Arcane is an astounding work of 3D animation. Every scene is lavish, each character design distinct. Just as importantly, the 3D modelling of characters is really expressive, which helps sell moments of tragedy. The hand-painted art is sumptuous and evocative and there's a masterful use of lighting to create striking bits of contrast-especially in the neon greens of the Undercity. Riot's partnership with French animation studio Fortiche has delivered some amazing trailers, but Arcane is at a level that I've never seen outside of big-budget movies made by Dreamworks or Pixar. So even when I could sometimes guess what tragedies lay in wait, it didn't rob those scenes of their emotional gravity.Д®ven if Arcane's emotional core doesn't connect at the same level with you, I'd encourage anyone to watch it just for the animation alone. But because Arcane takes such care to explore Vander's motivations and backstory, it's hard not to care about him. He's a character type you've likely seen before: a brooding father figure beginning to buckle under the weight of the responsibility he feels not only to his city, but Vi, Powder, and the other orphans he's adopted. You'd think League champs like Vi and Powder would steal every scene (they definitely try), but I was surprised at how attached I got to Arcane's other cast of characters, specifically Vander. I won't say much about the third episode at the risk of spoiling it, but what makes it work is largely thanks to how well Arcane fleshes out its characters.

And it all builds toward a climax that is as intense as it is horrifying. It's a multidimensional story that dances effortlessly between an intimate character portrait of Vi and Powder, a sprawling high-fantasy political drama, and a seedy cops-and-robbers crime thriller. It's a dangerous endeavour that initially draws the ire of Piltover's governing body, lead by the lovable and quirky Heimerdinger, a tiny, ewok-esque creature sporting a monocle.ДЄs the scope continues to widen, it soon becomes clear that Arcane isn't just about two street rats trying to survive in a cruel world. Blinded by idealism and ambition, these two Piltover academics are working to harness the power of magic through science. By episode 2, Arcane's scope is blown wide open with the introduction of Jayce, Viktor, and several other notable League champs.