The Legend of Korra

The Legend of Korra is a 2014 action beat 'em up video game based on the Nickelodeon animated series of the same name. Developed by mh:awesomegames:PlatinumGames and published by Activision, it was released for mh:awesomegames:Microsoft Windows, mh:awesomegames:PlayStation 3 and mh:awesomegames:PlayStation 4 on October 21, 2014, with mh:awesomegames:Xbox 360 and mh:awesomegames:Xbox One versions released one day later. In December 2017, the game was removed from sale on digital stores. As of 2022, this was the last Avatar: The Last Airbender game until the announcement of Avatar Generations for mobile devices and four other untitled games by different companies.

Why It Can't Save the World

 * 1) For a licensed game based on a cartoon, the title of this games is forgettable as it's the same exact name as the original, with no additional title. In comparison, the 3DS game which is unrelated to this also published by Activision, The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins has the additional title added in to avoid confusion. While same can be said for Marvel's Spider-Man and even Marvel's Avengers, they are completely different from the movie counterparts.
 * 2) The game was supposed to be based on a sidestory that takes place between books 2 and 3 (seasons 2 and 3 of the show), but it shoehorns gameplay over story and cutscenes, causing a lot of plot and exposition to be ignored, resulting in a disjointed plot that has no continuity whatsoever. The game's pacing feels like the levels justify the story and not the other way around.
 * 3) * Korra is basically the only character who has any prominence in the game; any other characters from the show either show up for a few seconds and then never appear again, or are demoted to small roles. Mako and Bolin appear in the pro-bending match in the beginning, but are then put on a bus afterward as they are never to be seen again.
 * 4) * The main supposed villain, Hundun gets zero character development at all and has no real motivation. Allegedly he had some backstory in the original concept but it was cut. It should be noted that he doesn't appear in the show either.
 * 5) * The continuity is all over the place. For example, at the end of Chapter 3, you fight against the Triads, but the animated cutscene after that shows Korra attacking a chi blocker (they are known as Equalist units in the show, but are called chi blockers in the game and the Equalists aren't mentioned at all), with no mention of the Triads in the cutscene whatsoever. Another scene where the cutscenes are inconsistent is where Hundun gathers everyone at the end of Chapter 6, but in Chapter 7, it's just Korra and Hundun.
 * 6) * The only reason for Korra heading to Air Temple Island was just to get waterbending back via spirit water, as she returns to the city in the following chapter, and after that Jinora basically gives the rest of Korra's bending back by doing tasks for her. If Jinora can give Korra her bending back, then she should've just given her all of her bending from the start.
 * 7) For an action game, the combat is very unforgiving. To start off, Chapters 2 and 3 are extremely frustrating, as you start off with no bending and are easily surrounded by enemies that could kill you in seconds. Combat is difficult to focus on the enemies especially in groups. That is until, you figure out how to use the guard button to cast a counter, which does a massive amount of damage compared to your regular attacks.
 * 8) * Unlike other Platinum games or games similar to this genre, the game emphasizes on mobbing instead of taking on a few enemies at once. The problem with that type of combat is that when enemies outnumber you, it gives you very little room to fight and plan out your abilities, especially when they can clobber you around most of the time, especially during Chapter 2 when you have no bending and where you must fight against chi blockers in cramped spaces.
 * 9) Carelessly designed arenas and levels, alongside other factors like sadistic enemy placement. There's one point where you have to fight against Chi Blockers who are far away, which doesn't help with the unreliable camera. As a tease, a platform in Chapter 5 was placed way down a pitfall to imply an easter egg.
 * 10) Awkward platforming sections. There are times where the game alters between 2.5D platforming and 3D action, which the game wasn't even made for.
 * 11) The PC port is notably mediocre at best, with no remappable controls, and barely any way to easily toggle graphics.
 * 12) The Naga running sections on Chapters 2, 4, and 5 are the game's pinnacle of bad game design. First off, instead of a healthbar, you have hits. You have to dodge obstacles, which most of the time, they are either 1 hit, or in some occasions, instant death. To top it off, the reason why these parts can cause many players' hearts to accelerate is because you're constantly going faster and have to turn 90 degrees, which also leads to cheap deaths when the instant-death obstacles are placed right after the turns, making it impossible to react. When you beat a chapter, you can replay the Naga running sections, but there is no purpose to doing that.
 * 13) * The Mecha Tank Trio in Chapter 5 (which is right after a wave of sadistically placed obstacles and slides) is extremely frustrating, as you have to manage your health, which is represented by hits (1 hit on Extreme) against three mecha tanks which can alternate between attacks that can take one hit from you, or kill you instantly. Your only method of attack is fireballs which recharge over time, and you have to constantly manage and rely on luck hoping to dodge attacks that don't kill you in one hit. And to rub salt in the wound, the next chapter afterward is much easier now that you have all four bending and that the spirit monsters are less of a threat than the chi blockers.
 * 14) Enemies are basically recolored clones of each other. For example, the second battle against the Triads is the same except with a different quote and recolored graphics for some reason. Whether or not if they are the same Triads or not is unknown. Secondly, the giant spirits are essentially the same thing as a regular spirit, but scaled up many times.
 * 15) There are only three different types of boss fights in total, four if you count the Mecha Tanks Trio in one of the polar dog sections, and all them (except for the final boss) are repeated throughout the rest of the game.
 * 16) Terrible camera, which is an issue on enemies that are placed higher than you or below you, which because of the camera you sometimes have to move and reorient yourself till you can easily target them because it tends to get way too zoomed in at times. Because of how close the camera is toward you, it can even cause enemies, especially the Triads, to easily attack you off-screen. The camera can also even randomly zoom out and then back in just to summon more enemies.
 * 17) Faulty targeting system. You have to press the left analog stick to lock onto an enemy and to unlock your attacks' sight off the enemy, and the right analog stick to cycle through targeted enemies. However, this is almost useless when there is a dozen of enemies because it will always miss on your lock and lock on random enemies. Even Charlie's Angels had a more easy-to-use targeting system where you press R to lock onto an enemy, and Z to cycle through targeted enemies.
 * 18) Quick-time events are difficult to perform because the button prompt appears for a split second and is incredibly tiny, making it hard to see. Aside the quick-time event in the final boss there are quick-time events where you time button presses, but these take too long compared to spamming counters.
 * 19) The five main weapons, including the part where you fight without any bending, are very unbalanced.
 * 20) * Your standard hand-to-hand combat, which you begin on the first two stages, is incredibly weak compared to the enemies' fist combat and ranged whips, which explains the awkward difficulty curve of where this game is frustrating early on but gets way too easy later on.
 * 21) * Waterbending, while its a huge upgrade from your standard attacks, it's use on ranged enemies is made worse by the poor camera and lock-on system. Aside from extra damage, it gets around average benefits with the Full Charge Talisman, which is overpowered considering that chi drains over time and you must charge it up via holding down the Triangle button, but the benefits of the chi depend on the bending itself. The icicle attack that you can buy can deal mid-range damage, though.
 * 22) * Earthbending, while it does more damage than Waterbending, it works best on close enemies and those that can block your attacks, which most of the Chi Blockers can for example. It gets huge benefits with the Full Charge Talisman as it increases its range, where you can cast earth pillars and boulders that deal more damage.
 * 23) * Firebending is considered the worst out of the three bending, as aside from being used on the Mecha Tank Trio as that's your only method of attack, it barely does anything to stand out from the other three bending. Although Firebending is intended to be the melee-focused bending, the melee attacks aren't very effective especially against enemies that can block. It's made even worse when even the Full Charge talisman barely improves this bending as it gets no improvement in range & barely any damage increase. That is unless you use the double damage talisman which halves your HP where it can actually deal damage.
 * 24) * Airbending is incredibly overpowered, especially if you equip the Full Charge Talisman which raises your Chi Gauge to maximum, where you can spam tornados with every basic attack that blow up enemies with ease and the breakdance attack that annihilates everything around you. There's even an air ball mount that you can ride, but while riding the airball, Korra remains static, as if she's frozen in place.
 * 25) There is even a hidden ability where you hold down the Circle button to taunt enemies. Not is this completely pointless as it barely does anything, it is never explained in any part of the game except on the continue screen. Note however this system was used in Bayonetta as a way to deal more damage at the cost of enemies dealing more damage.
 * 26) The Avatar State, while awesome in design, is nothing but a button masher and hold to blow up everything.
 * 27) The accessories you can buy, which shares the slots for consumable items, are either generic, overpowered, or useless;
 * 28) * The two talisman that doubles your XP/SP but halves your HP sounds like it was made just to shorten the grind. Plus, after you max out all of the bending and buy out everything, these two become useless.
 * 29) * Charge Armor is impossible to use without the Full Charge, as the knockback immunity requires you to have a full chi gauge which is impossible as it drains over time.
 * 30) * Charge Boost, which is unlocked by beating the chapters on Normal difficulty, is made obsolete by the broken Full Charge Talisman which is available via grinding before you unlock the Charge Boost Talisman.
 * 31) * Counter Dodge is literally just for bragging rights for beating Pro-Bending on Ace difficulty, as it makes you jump behind your enemy, but it's extremely unreliable.
 * 32) The main story can be beaten in just three to five hours with only 8 stages that range from 5 minutes to 20 minutes and a pro-bending minigame that is looped 3 times.
 * 33) Collectibles serve no purpose in the game whatsoever and only exist because of achievements.
 * 34) In a similar manner to R.I.P.D. The Game, the game was digital only, and was delisted from all digital storefronts (possibly due to the license expiring), meaning there is nearly no way to actually play the game unless you bought it before, or pirate the game.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) Very good graphics that faithfully capture the style of the show.
 * 2) The four elements are still fun to use.
 * 3) The secret unlockable outfits are a nice touch.
 * 4) While repetitive, the bosses (with the exception of the Mecha Tank Trio) are still fun.
 * 5) The original voice actors reprise their roles.
 * 6) It is a $15 downloadable game, as opposed to a full-price retail one.

Reception
Despite pre-release reception being positive, The Legend of Korra received "mixed or average" reviews on the PlayStation 4 and PC, and received "generally unfavorable" reviews on the Xbox One, according to Metacritic.

Trivia

 * During this game's announcement, fans voted for the cover art of the game on Facebook.
 * The animated cutscenes, contrary to popular belief, aren't actually by Nickelodeon Animation Studio/Studio Mir like with the original show, but were animated by Titmouse, who had previously animated the opening for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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