Dual World Destruction
HIGH Dual worlds means tons more exploration and replay value.
LOW Trying to run both Axium and Umbral does lead to performance issues.
WTF Running through Umbral with a horde of enemies giving chase is terrifying.
Another year, another soulslike…. Although these days it seems more like we get one every few months.
Notables this year include titles such as Lies of P and Wo Long trying and capture the elusive FromSoft magic. Lords of the Fallen, the sequel to a 2014 title of the same name, joins the list as the latest competitor trying to make itself stand out from an ever-more-crowded field of Dark Souls emulators. And yes, it does a solid job of creating mechanics that make it feel unique its kind — particularly in its exploration — and make this a strong option for those craving that good ol’ punishing action-RPG.
Anyone familiar with the soulslike genre will quickly get the gist — a mysteriously vague plot happens in a creepy world, various starting classes support different playstyles, defeated enemies bestow currency that allows the player to level up but will be dropped if the player falls, and of course, lots and lots of dying. However, the mechanic that sets Lords of the Fallen’s apart from its contemporaries is the ability to switch between the Axium and Umbral worlds.
Axium acts as the ‘normal’ world, and Umbral is a dark world filled with death and undead creatures that are only visible with the player’s magic lantern. The two worlds sit on top of each other, meaning the player will have to switch back and forth between the two to explore, solve puzzles, and progress. If the player dies in Axium, instead of being transported back to the nearest save point, they will be forced into Umbral, and will only lose their EXP if they perish there.
I love the concept of the dual worlds, as it essentially doubles how much of the game there is to explore. For example, If the player encounters a broken bridge in Axium with no clear way of passage, they can pull out their lamp to see if there’s a way to progress within Umbral before deciding to shift worlds.
However, passing into Umbral is a calculated risk beause once there, the player cannot get back to Axium without reaching a checkpoint, and the more time spent in Axium, the stronger and more persistent the enemies become. For those who tarry far too long, they’ll be visited by the Red Reaper — and trust me, you don’t want the reaper to show up. All of these factors raise the stakes and create a palpable sense of anxiety that perfectly reflects Umbral’s haunting décor.
Unfortunately, Lords of the Fallen’s greatest strength leads to its biggest downfall — technical issues.
Though Lords of the Fallen is solid-looking most of the time, shifting back and forth between the dual worlds leads to relatively frequent framerate drops, especially in chaotic areas with many enemies. While it wasn’t game-breaking on my PS5, it was distracting and occasionally disruptive to the flow of combat.
Speaking of combat, the usual tropes of light and heavy attacks, magic, dodge rolls and parries are all present here, and they meld into an engaging system. I started my journey with the intention of building a melee/magic hybrid build, but after discovering how generous the dodge roll timing was, I found myself just hacking away with my sword. That said, one interesting mechanic is the ability to pull enemies’ souls out of their bodies using the magic lamp, which will then freeze the opponent and allow the player to deliver attacks to their astral body. This is an excellent ranged option, and a nice way to rack up some damage.
Bosses are big, gaudy and intimidating, but ultimately not as frightening as their exteriors might suggest. Due to similar timing cadences, telegraphed strikes, and a very good dodge roll, I rarely encountered a boss that I couldn’t down with a little patience, nor did I ever feel overwhelmed to the point of hopelessness as I sometimes do in this genre — although that isn’t the worst thing in the world!
My last qualm is the lack of remappable controls. I know many early soulsborne titles didn’t support this feature, but now, in the year 2023 where accessibility is more important than ever, I should be able to play a complex action RPG such as this with whatever controls allow me to enjoy the experience the most.
If one can look past the technical limitations and lack of control customization, Lords of the Fallen is a strong addition to the soulslike catalogue. With solid combat and fascinating, multi-layered exploration, not only does Lords of the Fallen do enough to stand out from a crowded field, it manages to be a great game for those with a Dark Souls itch to scratch.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Defiant Studios and Deck13, and published by CI Games. It is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5 and XBO,XBS. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PS5. Approximately 20 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language and Violence. From the ESRB: “This is an action role-playing game in which players assume the role of a knight on a quest to defeat an evil force. From a third-person perspective, players can travel between fantasy realms to cleanse lands of demonic creatures. Players use swords, spears, hammers, crossbows, and magic to kill monsters in melee-style combat. Battles are highlighted by sword slashes, explosions, and cries of pain. Large blood-splatter effects occur during combat; some areas depict large blood stains, severed limbs, and impaled torsos. One sequence depicts a character disemboweling himself with a sword, with entrails hanging from his open torso. In a handful of scenes, nude bodies/corpse piles appear, with depictions of exposed buttocks and groin areas (no genitalia). The word “f**k” is heard in the game.”
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Yes, subtitles can be altered and/or resized. Though audio cues can be helpful to decipher when an enemy is approaching, they are not mandatory for progression, making this title fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: Shockingly, no, this game’s controls are not remappable.
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