Summary
October is set to be an extremely busy month for gamers, with several high-profile titles releasing right from the off. SoulslikeLords of the Fallenfrom developer Hexworks Studios, arriving right in the middle of this busy period, is hoping to establish a foothold among such big releases asMarvel’s Spider-Man 2andSuper Mario Bros. Wonder. A reboot of the 2014 title of the same name,Lords of the Fallenis shaping up to be an exciting entry into a relatively packed sub-genre, thanks to some innovative features that could set it apart from the rest.
The originalLords of the Fallenwas one of the first attempts at replicating FromSoftware’sDark Soulsformula, and it received a mixed reception on its initial release. Critics were quick to pick holes in the slow, labored combat, and a narrative that ultimately aimed high, but fell flat.Lords of the Fallenlooks to be a different beast entirely, taking place 1000 years after events in the initial game and is adopting an altogether darker tone than its predecessor. This has led to many fans seeingLords of the Fallenas the closest thing toDark Souls 4they may ever get.
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All Lords of the Fallen Features Confirmed So Far
Perhaps the most widely advertised new feature inLords of the Fallenis its ‘dual worlds’ mechanic. The game introduces two worlds: Axiom, the world of the living, and Umbral, the world of the dead. These worlds actually overlap on top of each other but are totally different. Players can freely traverse between these worlds in a couple of key ways, the main two being either dying or using the magical Umbral Lamp to open up a window into the other world. This lamp can also be used to literally such the souls out of enemies. Should players encounter a dead end in Axiom, Umbral may offer a way forward. This exciting new feature should encourage exploration in a way that’s never really been done before.
Death in Axiom will see the player respawn in Umbral and give them the chance to regain their lost XP. There’s a catch though. The more time the player spends in Umbral, the more deadly the monsters there will become, so it’s advisable to not stick around for too long. The originalLords of the Fallenfeatured small, interconnected maps that doubled back on themselves intrue FromSoftware style. This new title promises a world at least five times larger than the previous game, which should take gamers anywhere from 25 to 35 hours to finish. New Game Plus will also feature and will introduce some cool new mechanics to keep players engaged, such as having to place their own checkpoints.
Classes and builds will play a huge role inLords of the Fallen, with an impressive 10 classes to choose from, all of which offer something different, in the hopes of catering to all play styles. Ranged, Melee, and magic builds should all be viable, although magic looks to play a smaller role than in theDark Soulstrilogy.Pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition ofLords of the Fallenwill grant players early access to the Dark Crusader class, a strong, melee-focused build that otherwise isn’t available until later in the game. Players can also summon a friend to join them throughout the entire game whenever they like.
Visually, the game has been built using Unreal Engine 5 and is looking every bit as impressive as expected. With all of these new features, Hexworks Studios is clearly attempting todifferentiateLords of the Fallenfrom the many other Soulslikesin the genre. Shoulditstick the landing, then it could well find itself in a relatively small circle of Soulslikes that are able to hold their own against the might of FromSoftware and its dominance over the genre. It won’t be much longer until fans get to find out for themselves.
Lords of the Fallenreleases on October 13 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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