Lords of the Fallen Review

Lords of the Fallen on PC

Making an attempt to face out in a style as saturated as Soulslikes is way tougher than any Darkish Souls boss. Do you try and emulate one of the best within the enterprise? Or do you attempt to innovate on the tried-and-tested formulation? Each design philosophies can probably convey you to a conclusion value enjoying. However actually, the bottom line is in managing to succeed in a wholesome equilibrium of each.

With Hexworks’ much-anticipated reboot, I’m happy to report that the Barcelona/Bucharest-based studio has succeeded in reaching a nice steadiness between innovation and replication. Sure, not solely has 2023’s Lords of the Fallen surpassed its 2014 predecessor with flying colors, however they’ve additionally executed what many others have did not do: they’ve come inside shut quarters of the heat and glow of the unique supply materials’s glimmering bonfire. Reward the solar, certainly!

Set a millennia after the occasions of the unique title, the evil deity generally known as Adyr has made his nefarious return from the land of the lifeless, generally known as the Umbral. Hellbent on wreaking havoc on the land of the dwelling, Adyr unleashes warfare, greed, hatred, and pestilence upon the dominion. Because the Lampbearer, you could traverse by way of each worlds — the undead Umbral and the dwelling world of Axiom — in a bid to slay the demon god and put him six toes beneath for good.

Familiarly, the overarching historical past and lore is drip-fed properly by way of cutscenes, merchandise descriptions, and temporary dialogue sequences between NPCs and managers. Whereas the sport’s emphasis isn’t too laser-focused on the precise story, the decaying world of Axiom does really feel wealthy and lived-in, particularly in comparison with its extra sterile 2014 forebear. Crumbling spires ascend into the gloomy heavens, mountainous vistas crest the thunder-blasted horizons, and autumnal forests so far as the attention can see evoke fantasy literature akin to J. R. R. Tolkien or George R. R. Martin.

Talking of visuals, let’s get this out of the best way at the beginning: Lords of the Fallen is a very handsome recreation. Constructed on Unreal Engine 5, this can be a true next-gen soulslike, and it completely seems to be the half, with moody lighting, sharp shadow results, and slick efficiency.

Moreover, textures and environments are richly detailed with pockmarks of abrasion within the medieval structure’s brickwork, charred gnarls of oak and birch reaching out from beneath the earth, and the glimmering pitter patter of rain because it glides off your rugged armor.

That mentioned, it’s not solely a visible spectacle, because it additionally has the gameplay chops to again up its visible presentation. Certainly, Lords of the Fallen’s core fight is a fluid and versatile system that cribs immediately from the studio that first established the favored sub-genre. On the entire, the sport’s fight emphasizes a mix of speedy quick assaults that may interrupt enemy assaults and sluggish, methodically charged swings that ship bigger volumes of injury.

On high of this, blocking together with your weapon or defend is extremely essential, because it not solely helps to mitigate hurt but in addition transforms incoming accidents into Wither injury. This seems as gray HP in your well being bar versus purple, and provides gamers the chance to leech again well being as you dole out injury to your adversaries.

Factor is, when you’re struck by an enemy, you then’ll lose well being and your gray Wither injury in a single nasty strike, which will be devastating. So, it pays to maintain your defend up, which very a lot matches in with the entire risk-and-reward theme that most of these recreation are so deeply rooted in.

After all, as is par for the course in a Soulslike like this, it’s nearly similar to its inspiration mechanically. As a substitute of bonfires, Vestiges function your checkpoints, and right here, you’ll be capable to improve your stats by accruing Souls Vitality. Early on in your journey, you’ll quickly come across a hub location generally known as Skyrest, replete with oddball merchants, mysterious NPCs, and even a blacksmith; although you’ll want to leap by way of some hoops to unlock him.

Moreover, quick journey is on the market from the off, enabling gamers to hop to a different Vestige in a heartbeat.

Now, onto how the expertise innovates on From Software program’s signature blueprint. Most significantly, Lords of the Fallen options twin dimensions, and because of the Umbral Lamp which is presented to you through the opening, you’re in a position to make use of the lantern as a bridge between worlds. Holding up the lamp provides gamers the possibility to see into the Umbral world, and it’s by the use of this particular mechanic the place a few of the recreation’s most intelligent concepts come to fruition.

Most of the environmental puzzles on the coronary heart of the sport revolve round this twin dimension mechanic. As an illustration, a locked gate within the land of the dwelling might block your path. Nonetheless, when you illuminate the gate together with your lamp, it might not exist within the Umbral, permitting you to stroll straight by way of with out challenge.

Whilst you can maintain up your lamp and see into the undead world, there are occasions the place you’ll want to totally enter the Umbral with a view to get from A to B. A few of these puzzles get fairly artistic and the alternate dimension gameplay undoubtedly seems like much less of a gimmick and extra of a genuinely neat concept, which is laudable.

Likewise, one other good concept that Hexworks has delivered to the desk is far akin to 2020’s Mortal Shell, and this offers gamers an additional lease of life once they’ve been slain. As a substitute of dying following a deadly blow, you’ll be thrown into the Umbral realm, which basically provides gamers a second probability.

Within the Umbral, nonetheless, spectres and eldritch horrors will start to spawn, although you’ll obtain a bonus multiplier for the Vitality that you simply earn. Basically, this introduces a technique of accruing Vitality quickly, giving gamers the chance of leveling up at a faster clip than they normally would in Axiom. This introduces some neat emergent and dynamic gameplay the place you’ll be capable to grind a lot sooner than regular.

Curiously, these progressive mechanics do often coalesce in shocking methods. Mainly, there was a second early on throughout my playthrough the place I came across a river. As I waded into the water, it abruptly turned too deep and I tumbled in and died. Nonetheless, to my astonishment, I wasn’t booted again to the final checkpoint, however as a substitute I entered the Umbral world and the river which I died in didn’t exist there. In different phrases, dying within the river gave method to a model new route that I hadn’t explored earlier than. Fairly cool, proper?

Additional nonetheless, Lords of the Fallen has a few different nifty methods up its blood-drenched sleeve. Firstly, you’ll be capable to spawn your very personal short-term checkpoint by burying Vestige Seeds in particular flowerbeds which can be dotted world wide. Because the forex is so uncommon, nonetheless, you’ll need to be conscious about the place you plant them.

Secondly, Soul Flaying permits gamers to tear the souls out of foes utilizing their Umbral Lamp, and this offers you a brief window to deal highly effective Wither injury to an enemy. You solely have a restricted variety of costs, however you may improve your lamp as you get additional into the sport, gifting you extra costs to utilize. When you get accustomed to tearing the souls out of your foes, you’ll start dragging their souls over the sides of cliffs in an effort to insta-kill tougher opponents.

Earlier than I spherical issues out, I do wish to contact on a few of the extra vexing parts that rear their ugly head in Lords of the Fallen. Now and again, the digicam might show finicky, particularly if you’re in shut proximity to a wall, and this will generally impede your viewpoint.

From time to time, enemies which have been provoked and even your personal character might get caught on the geometry of the setting, which will be fairly immersion-breaking. And the extent design within the latter half of the sport does lack the meticulous eye of From Software program, resulting in segments that really feel such as you’re misplaced in a maze.

However, these moments are hardly game-breaking, and are extra trivial annoyances than bone-crushing blunders.

In all although, that is such a complete reproduction of the Souls formulation {that a} temporary look on the display will lead to most folk considering that you simply’re enjoying a From Software program recreation. Certainly, for essentially the most half, 2023’s Lords of the Fallen is a really well-crafted Soulslike that appears phenomenal, performs very well, and has a deep reverence for the supply materials it’s impressed by.

And that’s earlier than mentioning how the sport brings some genuinely artistic concepts to the desk that cohesively match the tone and theme of your complete expertise. Certain, it might really feel just like the shadow of a a lot hotter and brighter bonfire, however the embers of one thing really particular burn right here.

Concerning the creator

Dylan Chaundy

Dylan is a Senior Author at Twinfinite and has been with the positioning for over two years, and within the video games media business for over a decade. He sometimes covers horror, RPGs, shooters, Roblox, indie titles and films, and loves studying, pizza and skateboarding; ideally, on the similar time. He has a level in English Literature from Aberystwyth College, Wales. He thinks FTL would be the most good recreation ever created.