Souls Games… Nothing gets the blood pumping more than a game where defeat is part of the story and repetitive action to earn back lost points while running the risk of losing them forever, using skills you normally don’t use in other games and the fact that you’re playing this willingly… Some run marathons, while others take on a game like Lords of the Fallen. I would like to thank CI Games and Hexworks for sending me a copy of this glorious nightmare, I mean that in a good way!
Lords of the Fallen takes you to the land of Mournsted, where the five beacons of Hallowed Sentinels have become corrupted and will allow Adyr, a demon god, to return. Players take on the role of a resurrected individual who must take on the role of a Dark Crusader and stop the demon god’s return.
Lords of the Fallen‘s controls are pretty involved, so paying close attention to the tutorial is strongly advised! The control response is good, which is what you want in a game like this, and have yet to encounter any issues.
The game’s soundtrack captures the dark beauty of the game’s world which is quite beautiful in the face of impending evil. The sound design of Lords of the Fallen is superb and I strongly suggest headphones! The voice acting is top-notch and clear, I’ve heard complaints about other games like these where NPCs are way too quiet for some reason.
When it comes to Lords of the Fallen‘s gameplay, it’s what you expect from a Souls game. You earn Vigor after you kill an enemy, which can be later used to upgrade your character. There’s some puzzle-solving with the use of the magical lantern your character carries that can let you see in the Umbral, the land of the dead. The Umbral has its dangers, the key one being that the longer you stay in it, the more enemies within it will appear.
Overall, I’m enjoying Lords of the Fallen, this is a game I would call a slow burn as it will take time to complete and you should allow yourself to learn how to survive it. I’m not going to say how many times I’ve died… but let’s say it’s a decent challenge and comparing it to other soulslike games I’ve played, I think this one is better (still have to play the game that started it all.).
With its gritty beauty, character customization, wicked boss/enemies design, stellar soundtrack, and joyfully frustrating gameplay, Lords of the Fallen is an 8.5/10!
Lords of the Fallen is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S
