Genre
Action, role-playing game
Publisher
Publisher in Russia
No
Developer
Minimum Requirements
Processor Intel Core i5-8400 2.8 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.2 GHz, 12 GB RAM, video card with DirectX 12 support and 6 GB memory, for example NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon R9 590, 45 GB hard drive , account on Steam or Epic Games Store
Recommended Requirements
Processor Intel Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz, 16 GB RAM, graphics card with DirectX 12 support and 8 GB memory, such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / AMD Radeon RX 6700
release date
October 13, 2023
Localization
Text
Age limit
From 18 years old
Platforms
PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
Played on PC
2014’s Lords of the Fallen was not a great game, but it was the first of many FromSoftware imitators. And the authors tried to add their own elements to the familiar formula, albeit with varying degrees of success. The sequel was announced almost immediately, but development stalled for a long time. Deck13, one of the co-creating studios, set out to conquer the genre on its own with The Surge series. But CI Games’ work wasn’t going well. As a result, she first entrusted the development of Lords of the Fallen 2 to Defiant Studios, a year later she was disappointed with the result, and in the end the project was completed by Hexworks. With such a roller coaster of a production, we didn’t have much hope for the game. Perhaps that is why the result is so pleasantly surprising.
⇡#Beautiful dark soul
The new Lords of the Fallen is not a direct sequel, but, as is fashionable these days, a “soft restart.” Events take place in the world of its predecessor, but many centuries later. The evil god Adir was defeated, but not destroyed. After all, deities are immortal creatures. Therefore, humanity founded an order designed to ensure that the followers of darkness do not return their insane patron to the world of the living. But over the years, some of the guardians themselves succumbed to the temptation of dark forces. And now disaster is on the doorstep again. Of course, only our protagonist can save the situation – a nameless hero who, by the will of fate, gets a magic lantern to travel between worlds.
Those who completed the previous game will definitely recognize some of the types
In its structure, Lords of the Fallen became closer to the main source of inspiration. Instead of clearly defined characters and a clear antagonist, we have five bosses guarding important beacons. Defeating them is the main goal, and hints about their history can be gleaned from the description of armor sets or other items associated with the enemies. However, this is purely optional.
Hexworks tried to reproduce the atmosphere of Dark Souls with its lost world, where there was practically no room for hope. Hence the rare NPCs, each with their own mind, and a design that mixes dark fantasy with real horror. The gloomy landscapes impress with their painful beauty even after dozens of hours. The artists painstakingly worked on each location, be it an ancient castle on a cliff, a burning city or a dilapidated village in the swamps. Where would we be without swamps (thank you, not poisonous ones): we understand that the genre is determined not by complexity at all, but by Blythetown, rifts and stylish armor. Lords of the Fallen has all this in order.
It’s nice to admire the world, but also to explore it thoroughly. The developers did a great job designing multi-layered levels with many secrets and non-obvious forks. In some places, great emphasis is placed on verticality. The scaffolding along the giant bridge easily ranks alongside some of the most elaborate locations in the Dark Souls trilogy. Only here at Hexworks the world is several times larger. An analogy with Elden Ring would be even more appropriate, from which not particularly necessary open spaces were removed, and only thoughtful locations were left for exploration on foot.
In the world of the dead, geometry does not change much, but the landscapes take on a completely different look
Moreover, the world of Lords of the Fallen exists in two forms at once: the reality of the living Axioms and the plane of the dead Umbral. The very lantern with which the protagonist’s misadventures began allows him to jump between two dimensions. More precisely, it is easy to get into the Umbral at any time (or “peek” into it with a flashlight, like through a keyhole), but returning to the living is only possible with rare totems. But in the afterlife, rare rewards and secret passages are hidden. And sometimes the only way to move forward in the plot is through the Valley of the Dead. Just like in the imperishable Legacy of Kain.
In addition to stunning views, the surrounding area is also full of dangerous enemies. Even a simple possessed person should be approached with caution, otherwise it is easy to move to Umbral ahead of time. Yes, having received a fatal blow in Axiom, you will first find yourself in the world of the dead, and there death will be final, after which you will have to return to the last save point. According to the canons of the genre, all accumulated but not yet spent experience remains at the site of an inglorious death, and you only have one attempt to return it.
The longer the hero is in the astral plane, the more he irritates the local inhabitants. Otherworldly monsters materialize before your eyes, and over time you attract the attention of increasingly dangerous creatures. But at the same time, the multiplier of the experience earned increases. The reward, however, seems disproportionate to the risk, but if you’ve already found yourself in Umbral, then it’s worth taking the opportunity to earn extra money. Leveling up is expensive, but high performance and sharpened weapons, believe me, will come in handy.
It won’t do without jumping on platforms. It’s good that there is a separate button for jumping. It’s bad that it only works after overclocking
⇡#Tactics are mightier than the sword
The combat system will be familiar to everyone who has touched at least one of the Dark Souls incarnations in their life. We have two types of strikes at our disposal: block, parry and somersault. Moreover, Lords of the Fallen tries to provide maximum flexibility in equipment and play style. You can parry a blow regardless of whether you are wielding a shield, two daggers, or a huge club in a two-handed grip. The tool for casting spells is located in a separate slot, and you can switch to witchcraft mode at any time by pressing a separate button. And if you don’t decide to invest in magic, then for long-range combat there is a wide arsenal of all kinds of throwing daggers, bombs and other hatchets.
The authors don’t force you into limits and allow you to play the way you feel most comfortable. Whether you’re dodging Bloodborne-style, knocking your opponent off-balance like Sekiro, or employing Havel’s “no armor is too heavy” tactic, each path will allow you to progress through the game. The only thing local game design encourages is to be a little more aggressive. Every hit received, even if it hits a block, “reserves” a piece of health, which can only be returned with a retaliatory attack. But this does not at all prevent you from playing defensively – with a good shield, the damage is minimal, and the windows for a retaliatory attack are gentle.
At the same time, any enemy attack is well read. Lords of the Fallen is not trying to make fun of high reaction requirements or tricks in the spirit of “draw” attacks, when the enemy swings for five seconds. One-on-one duels feel fair – even a strong enemy can be easily beaten if you know his habits. On the other hand, the price of a mistake is high – just one missed blow can cause death.
To improve different pieces of equipment, you first have to find the corresponding characters
Interest is maintained not by fierce combos with tiny windows for a counterattack, but by different combinations of opponents. If you mindlessly rush at the nearest enemy, you will most likely receive a burst of bolts in the back or be torn to pieces by hounds flying out from around the corner. Before the battle, you should carefully study the arena, preferably from different sides, notice advantageous positions and think about the order in which to get rid of the monsters.
Boss battles stand out. Fortunately, they also do not try to amaze with sophisticated complexity. Each encounter with such a formidable enemy is well balanced. Movements and behavior patterns are read without any problems, but require effort to adjust. Acting with extreme caution, it is quite possible to defeat a powerful adversary on the first try, which I personally consider a plus. Although on average it took me five to ten runs per boss.
Haste is your enemy, especially since spawn points are quite rare. But here the creators lent a helping hand by introducing one of the unrealized ideas of Dark Souls 3 – at the cost of a rare item in certain places you can “grow” a control point. You just need to remember that only one can exist at a time. Moreover, in “New Game +” this is generally the only opportunity to create “bonfires”.
Umbral also shows echoes of the past
If the trials seem too difficult for you, you should use the help of a friend or good Samaritan from the Internet. In co-op you can go through not only bosses, but the entire game. But the summoning of NPC partners is available only for reprisals against fallen guardians.
It’s a pity that for all the successful discoveries and skillful fusion of familiar ideas, Lords of the Fallen did not avoid annoying problems. Of course, many managed to note the technical condition and high requirements: the project runs on Unreal Engine 5, although initially the development was carried out for the fourth version of the engine, and the move, according to rumors, was hasty and painful. There are also annoying misfires in the combat mechanics. When struck, the inertia noticeably pushes the character forward, which is why more than once I flew off a cliff along with the enemy I was hitting. Dodges don’t always work as expected, and sometimes, instead of stepping to the side, the protagonist jumps behind the enemy’s back, which also leads to annoying falls.
* * *
During development, Hexworks made very loud statements that they were creating nothing less than Dark Souls 4.5. But this is true only in visual terms – the game is really very beautiful and is not inferior in picture to the remake of Demon’s Souls. But in terms of its unhurried pace, it is closer to the first two parts of “Souls”. It doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, and even the skillfully interwoven afterlife is a well-forgotten feature of Legacy of Kain. However, the cocktail, although mixed from familiar ingredients, turned out to be successful – it conveys all the richness of flavors without turning into a mess.
Advantages:
a beautiful and intelligently designed world that exists in two realities at once; the combat system allows you to play with any convenient style, from an armored “tank” to a parry master; The balance of difficulty will not allow you to go through battles by clicking head-on, but it will save you from problems if you plan your actions and take your time.
Flaws:
skillfully put together, but still “another soulslice”; a number of small but annoying technical flaws and blunders in mechanics.
Graphics
Lords of the Fallen looks great for the most part. And the landscapes are just a sight for sore eyes. But the demands also bite. Perhaps even too much.
Sound
The melodies don’t stick in your memory like the title theme from Elden Ring, but the composer tried to fill the game world with dark motifs to match the atmosphere.
Single player game
Lords of the Fallen is practically an exemplary representative of the genre. Each element is time-tested. But not every one of them reveals their full potential.
Estimated completion time
A complete cleanup will easily take fifty hours. However, a lot depends on the “straightness” of the hands…
Group game
Convenient co-op makes it easy to play through the entire game together, not just the bosses. But you can also fight in duels.
General impression
Remove the interface and say that this is Dark Souls 4 – no one will notice the catch. Only with the caveat that this is still far from a polished version.
Rating: 8.0/10
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