The Ultimate Lords of the Fallen (2023) Game Review You Can't Miss!

Reimagining the soulslike genre for the current generation is no small feat, especially for a small studio. However, this is exactly what Hexworks aims to accomplish with its reboot of Lords of the Fallen. After a lengthy development period and multiple reboots, the 2023 version of Lords of the Fallen surpasses the original in every aspect. Despite its impressive sword and board gameplay and stunning visuals, there is still some room for improvement before the game can truly excel.

Lords of the Fallen is a challenging and captivating action RPG that meets the expectations of fans of Elden Ring and Dark Souls. With its dual-world gameplay mechanic, the game takes a step forward into next-gen territory, making it a strong contender in the soulslike genre. While Hexworks' offering is enjoyable for these reasons, it becomes apparent as time goes on that the game relies too heavily on cheap tactics and lacks balanced gameplay. Its standout features are only surface-level, leaving much to be desired beneath the surface.

Lords of the Fallen takes place a millennium later than the events of its predecessor, acting as both a sequel and a standalone experience for newcomers. Embarking on a journey as the Dark Crusader, players meet their demise early on. Much like the traditional souls-like games, death does not mark the end for the protagonist; in fact, it forms the crux of the entire gameplay. Restored to the realm of the living, players gain access to two realms - the ethereal Axiom and the shadowy Umbral - by utilizing a supernatural lantern. Engaging in interactions with enigmatic NPCs, reminiscent of the genre's verbose tradition, the player is tasked with purifying five beacons scattered across the world. Failure to do so would result in the resurrection of a formidable demon, plunging the realm into unimaginable peril.

Fans can expect the same graceful poke-and-dodge combat mechanics that souls-like games are known for, along with traditional character leveling attributes such as Strength, Agility, Vitality, and more. While Lords of the Fallen doesn't do much to innovate on the souls-like blueprint with its RPG stylings and combat mechanics, its main focus is on the dual-world mechanics. This feature serves as a second life and separate reality for players to explore. Lords of the Fallen proves that this back-and-forth between life and death is more than just a gimmick.

The Umbral plane is crucial for traversing and discovering everything that Mournstead has to offer. It unlocks new doorways, items, and enemies when players die or willingly enter the Umbral plane. The longer players stay in Umbral, the more enemies spawn and the tougher they become. Additionally, the Umbral plane increases the number of souls players receive by up to three times, making the journey worthwhile. With new enemies, locations, items, and the risk-vs-reward premise of the Umbral plane, Lords of the Fallen's dual-world system adds depth to every corner of Mournstead. The only downside is that the corners are always tight.

The cramped and crowded level design in Lords of the Fallen is a notable issue, reminiscent of early souls-like games with poor level designs. It frequently leads to annoying occurrences like swords slapping against walls due to narrow passageways or getting trapped in corners with no escape route. In fact, a combination of both scenarios often becomes a common experience in Lords of the Fallen. Furthermore, these levels are confusingly designed, lacking landmarks or reference points to easily distinguish between Mournstead's various stages. Consequently, getting lost becomes a regular occurrence in the game.

The world design in Lords of the Fallen is plagued by the overwhelming amount of enemies, resulting in a challenging and exhausting experience. Hexworks bombards the player with constant threats, especially in the Umbral area. Finding a moment of respite, even for a gear change, is rare and leads to a sense of fatigue, particularly during extended play sessions. The scarcity of checkpoints adds to the frantic nature of the game, often prompting players to retreat to Vestiges (the game's equivalent of bonfires) when things go wrong, hoping for a smoother experience on the next attempt. This repetitive and frequent return to the drawing board disrupts the game's flow and enjoyment.

At times, Lords of the Fallen feels cheap, a term that is not used lightly. The enemies possess tracking attacks that exceed even those of Dark Souls 2, with each foe conveniently sliding into range just as their attack should hit, regardless of their previous safe distance. Ranged enemies exhibit supernatural precision in tracking players, requiring constant evasion. While elements like these have their place in souls-like games, the frequency of these "gotcha" moments in Lords of the Fallen discourages players from continuing their efforts and picking up the controller again.

There are several other minor design choices that can wear players down as the game progresses, such as the requirement of a complete animation to recover souls, the limitation of having only one active Vestige Seed checkpoint at a time, and the frustratingly resilient nature of larger enemies. Furthermore, the lack of variety in each level's pacing leads to a repetitiveness in the game's structure. The more players delve into Lords of the Fallen, the more they may long for the intricate puzzle designs and platforming found in other games of the same genre, which provide a refreshing break from constant combat. Throughout the majority of its duration, Lords of the Fallen's sole trick is to continuously engage players in battles, resulting in potential boredom.

Lords of the Fallen's Mournstead is unexpectedly more challenging and frustrating to navigate than the typical boss battles, which is a reversal of genre norms. The bosses in the game lack originality, often being enlarged versions of regular enemies encountered later on, resulting in a lack of variety. Furthermore, the majority of the significant adversaries in Lords of the Fallen are easily predictable, with only three to four repeated moves until a mid-health phase change introduces a couple more maneuvers to keep things mildly intriguing. While a few bosses required multiple attempts to defeat, most were overcome with just a few tries.

However, despite its notable drawbacks, Lords of the Fallen also possesses noteworthy strengths. Hexworks has showcased their mastery in world design and atmosphere, crafting a melancholic and captivating realm with Mournstead, appealing to fans of the supernatural and souls-like games. The game's overall aesthetic is beautifully dark and immersive, allowing us to overlook some of its weakest aspects, as we anticipate the intriguing discoveries that lie just ahead. Lords of the Fallen's visuals align with the expectations of a next-generation souls-like game, presenting a visually pleasing experience.

Despite its rough edges and frustrating design elements, Lords of the Fallen is mostly a solid and enjoyable game. However, it tends to rely too heavily on repetitive and overwhelming tactics, particularly in the mid-game onward, which can make it feel tiresome and irritating. To their credit, Hexworks has been diligent in addressing the game's issues in a relatively short amount of time, and the development team appears motivated to continue improving Lords of the Fallen to make it the best it can be. Recent updates have significantly improved both the technical performance and gameplay quirks, with more enhancements on the horizon. Undoubtedly, with time, this game will become much more refined and balanced.

In its current state, Lords of the Fallen (2023) demonstrates that Hexworks still has room for improvement in terms of learning from the quality-of-life adjustments and striking the right balance between challenge and frustration that many souls-like developers have achieved. Unfortunately, it appears that Lords of the Fallen is predominantly relying on the worst elements from every souls-like game, making these elements the main source of difficulty. This is disappointing because everything else in the game shows great potential. While experienced souls-like players may find Lords of the Fallen to be a satisfying conquest, beginners to the genre would be better off exploring other entry points that provide a more well-rounded introduction to the capabilities of souls-likes.

The Lords of the Fallen is the second installment in the Lords of the Fallen franchise. This latest release offers a vast and expansive world that is approximately five times larger than its predecessor, providing players with a more immersive experience into the lore of this ominous and grim setting. Players will once again have the opportunity to wield a diverse range of weapons, master various skills, and unleash powerful abilities as they progress through the game.

One notable highlight is the inclusion of the innovative dual world mechanic, adding a unique and captivating element to the gameplay.

Atmosphere and level design are top notch

Cons Cramped level design and too mob heavy

Most boss fights underwhelm

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Lords of the Fallen is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Our website was provided a PC code for the purposes of this review.