Soulful Showdown: Unmasking the Hidden Connections Between Lords of the Fallen and Lies of P

Highlights

2023 has seen two impressive Soulslikes, Lords of the Fallen and Lies of P, which offer different approaches to accessibility and difficulty.

Lords of the Fallen offers a more beginner-friendly experience with its lowered skill floor and helpful tutorials, setting it apart from the challenging Lies of P. Both games cater to old and new fans of the genre, providing enjoyable experiences, although Lords of the Fallen is known for its forgiving difficulty.

2023 has witnessed the arrival of two remarkable Soulslikes within a short period, not to be overshadowed by the groundbreaking entries from the previous year. Both the recent reboot/sequel of Lords of the Fallen and September's Lies of P by new studios deserve commendation for their efforts to create captivating Soulslikes. These games draw inspiration from the extensive catalogue of titles in the genre's progenitor, FromSoftware. However, despite both being innovative Soulslikes influenced by the defining games of the genre, Lords of the Fallen and Lies of P differ significantly in their approach to accessibility and difficulty.

The Soulslike genre has become renowned for its tense, calculated combat and tremendously challenging boss fights, characteristics that have come to define FromSoftware's games. Consequently, similar titles are often evaluated based on their encounter design. Given that some players have experienced frustration due to the difficulty of skill checks in Soulslikes, discussions about balancing accessibility and difficulty have become prevalent within the genre. While Lies of P is undeniably one of the more demanding Soulslikes available, offering a substantial challenge, Lords of the Fallen prioritizes lowering the entry barrier and provides ample tutorials, making it a potentially excellent starting point for those who were previously discouraged by the genre.

Lords of the Fallen's Approach to Parrying is More Forgiving Than Lies of P's

In contrast to later games like Bloodborne and Sekiro, which emphasize aggressive combat and offer health recovery bonuses for it, the Souls series, from which the Soulslike genre derives its name, provides players with three defensive abilities in each encounter. Among these, the parry mechanic is particularly challenging for new and inexperienced players due to its narrow timing window for perfectly executed parries and severe penalties for mistiming them.

Although it is possible for players to complete the Dark Souls trilogy without extensively utilizing parrying, doing so significantly increases the game's difficulty. Lords of the Fallen also features a parry mechanic, but it offers a more forgiving window for executing it and allows players to regain lost health if they mistime their blocks. On the other hand, Lies of P requires mastery of parrying similar to Sekiro, where precise timing is essential for completing the game. For newcomers to the genre, Lords of the Fallen is a much more manageable option in comparison.

Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen Run the Gamut of Soulslike Experiences

Lies of P is not an impossible game that only longtime fans of the Soulslike genre can enjoy. However, it does share more similarities with the difficult games in FromSoftware's catalog than Lords of the Fallen, which is clearly inspired by the Dark Souls trilogy. Both games have accessibility options to help newcomers, but Lords of the Fallen's combat is less demanding than Lies of P. While Lords of the Fallen is not an "easy" game, it gradually increases difficulty as the player's skill develops, making it more forgiving.

For veterans of Soulslikes seeking a challenging game, Lies of P will certainly provide that. On the other hand, Lords of the Fallen offers a welcoming experience for players who may have been put off by the intimidating difficulty of the genre. The fact that both games are enjoyable for old and new Soulslike fans highlights the flexibility and freedom of their combat systems, even though one is clearly more forgiving than the other.

Lords of the Fallen is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.