Lords of the Fallen Review: A Soulsborne by Any Other Name

FromSoftware has changed the video game landscape with its difficult entries such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring to name a few. Developed by Hexworks, Lords of the Fallen is a follow-up to the 2013 release of the same name, but it's clear that the creators have gone bigger and more "metal" with the new entry. Keeping this new stylish aesthetic in mind, does Lords of the Fallen improve on its past entry and become a worthy entry in the ever-expanding market that is "Soulsborne games"? 

If you've played a game like Dark Souls before, you know what you're in for with Lords of the Fallen, but if you haven't, allow us to break down what's in store. In this third-person action game, you'll need to use a combination of strength and skill to parry, block, and dodge your way through crude and gruesome enemies that fill the land of Axiom. Chosen as the next Umbral lamp bearer, you find yourself switching between two realities as you work your way through nefarious hordes to stop the demonic march of the villainous Adyr.

Lords of the Fallen has quite a few staples that helped to make FromSoftware's Souls games so popular. At the start, you'll have the option of choosing between quite a few classes that will differ in numerous attributes. If you're a player who relies on brute strength to bludgeon your way past enemies, you might lean more toward Warwolf. If you want to cast magical spells to rely on sorcery to traverse through Axiom, then a Preacher might be the way to go. There's certainly variety to be found in your class and appearance customization before even stepping foot into the Soulsborne entry.

The game also grants you quite a few mechanics when it comes to your lantern, allowing you to perform tricks like "Soul Flaying" when facing down enemies. There's a certain satisfaction you can get when you rip out an enemy's soul and then begin striking it with a weapon as their physical body tries to play catch-up. The mechanics can seem a tad overwhelming at the start, but once it begins to click, Lords of the Fallen finds a groove but can still be weighed down by the gameplay mechanics that can come across as stiff. 

Like other Dark Souls-like titles out there, enemies can make or break the game. Unfortunately, Lords of the Fallen tends to stumble here a bit as many of the regular enemies can feel repetitive, and while the boss opponents can have some startling designs, they don't have the mechanics that could make them truly memorable. While some have truly gnarly designs to match their environments, you might walk away feeling as though some of the grunts are showing up a bit too frequently. 

When it comes to the general gameplay of Lords of the Fallen, it unfortunately tends to fall a little flat in comparison to FromSoftware's well-tuned playstyles. Quite a few times during my game, I found myself never even checking my stamina, and if you're an old hat when it comes to environments like The Lands Between or Yharnam, this might come across as a shock. I often felt as though my blows weren't as precise as they could be and moving your burly protagonist doesn't feel as heavy as it should. The gameplay itself is serviceable but it could have used some fine-tuning. Since "Soulsborne" games are so reliant on their gameplay, it makes for a big knock against the overall experience. I also ran into some big technical issues such as stuttering during gameplay and cutscenes as I attempted to further explore Axiom's gruesome locales. 

Where Lords of the Fallen truly shines is the worlds of Axiom and Umbral. Thanks to the lamp that you're carrying, a player has the ability to traverse between two realities that are overlapping one another throughout the entirety of the dark journey. Both environments are stunningly gorgeous, cranking up the "heavy metal" vibes whether you're traversing through the spiritual realm or the material one. You'll want to take in as much as you can when it comes to these gruesome aesthetics, as you warp between worlds similar to Raziel in the Legacy of Kain series. 

Ultimately, Lords of the Fallen is a good enough "Soulsborne" entry, but a number of its technical issues and gameplay foibles stop it from being truly great. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Lords of the Fallen was reviewed primarily on the PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.