Lords of the Fallen review: Slain by technical issues

Whenever a new Soulslike game arrives, it’s hard not to instantly think of the progenitors of the subgenre. The games developed by FromSoftware are some of the most influential, polished, and well-made titles of the last 20 years, loved by fans and critics alike - and the moment you say Soulslike, that’s all anyone can think about.

This is what Lords of the Fallen has to contend with, already being judged and compared to some of the most influential games before it has even had a chance to show what it’s made of. 

Lords of the Fallen was one of the very first attempts to imitate Dark Souls and FromSoftware’s library of games back in 2014, and now it's back with another stab at catching lightning in a bottle. This latest outing has switched developers and after my time with the game, it's very clear that Hexworks understands a lot about what has made the genre boom in recent years - it’s just a shame the execution isn’t quite there. 

It was always going to be a tough act to follow, trying to iterate on the best, and very few that have entered this space has found anywhere near the level of success of its inspiration. Lords of the Fallen is another game that comes close, but sadly, an inch is a mile. 

• Why not check out our review for Lies of P, a Soulslike with a fairy tale twist

Variety is the spice of life 

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In my Lords of the Fallen preview and review-in-progress, I spoke at length about whether or not the game can remain fresh throughout its 30-40-hour runtime. Fortunately, there is plenty of enemy variety, heaps of different weapons to try, and some cracking armour to slip into as well.

Lords of the Fallen never crosses the line of throwing too many items at you so quickly that you become overwhelmed, allowing every fresh weapon and armour set to get a moment to breathe so you can take it for a spin and see if it's for you.

Enemies also remain varied, with each area having a few new foes for you to figure out, and as you enter new regions, you'll encounter a small, relatively easy boss fight that introduces you to a new enemy type. It’s a nice way to ease you in against a new opponent, although it does tremendously inflate the number of bosses in the game, making it feel like a few of them could have been skipped. 

Variety in the enemies is appreciated, but as I found myself progressing, one of my biggest problems with Lords of the Fallen became clear: In the hope of making areas more challenging, the solution is to just make everything increasingly cramped - and to throw bags of enemies at you.

• If you're wondering what we think of the latest game from Insomniac, here is our Spider-Man 2 review

Technical issues are the game's toughest boss

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Your first ride around is not a problem, and patience is the key, but once you die a couple of times and want to hoon your way back to where you were, the enemies would just keep coming (unless you went up a ladder, or somewhere they couldn’t access they didn't stop coming). I even had a dog following me for what felt like forever, with enemies clearly not being tethered to certain areas. 

This, combined with some really shaky technical issues holds Lords of the Fallen back. In any game that offers immense challenge, be it a fighting game, FPS or, in this case, a Soulslike, it has to run perfectly - or at least consistently. Sadly, Lords of the Fallen does not.

Even after plenty of patches before and after release - as well as temporarily switching off crossplay - your time in Mournstead will still be plagued by a poor framerate, areas populating after you have entered them, getting snagged on the ground that’s slightly rugged, and even a couple of hard crashes.

On top of all that, the lock-on is extremely fiddly. At times it has a life of its own, locking onto random enemies in the distance. It meant that when scrapping some of the larger bosses, with multiple lock-on points, you’re better off not bothering, otherwise you’re going to be aiming for its chin instead of the shin. 

Yet, the main bosses still offer a satisfying challenge and are very well-designed. I still got that feeling of elation when beating a boss on the umpteenth attempt, knowing I had become better than my opponent and improved as a player.

The designs are also impressive and if it wasn’t for the dodgy lock-on, none of them would feel unfair at all. It's in these areas where you can certainly tell Hexworks understands what makes this genre special, the idea that the player will improve and learn, once again highlighting patience and perseverance are your biggest skills, not where you're levelling up.

• For more impressive RPG action, be sure to check out our Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review

A beautiful monster 

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Lords of the Fallen's bosses are only elevated by how the game looks; it may be very dark in this world, but we still get to see Unreal Engine flexing. Colours pop, elemental attacks fly through the air like fireworks, but there's still a grim centre to it all - I wouldn’t go there on holiday.

Lords of the Fallen looking this good helps enhance the game's best mechanic: the Umbral Lamp. This is on your person the moment the game begins and your possession of it thrusts you to the forefront of the story. It's one of the primary driving forces of the plot, but also what helps Lords of the Fallen stand out when compared to others. 

Using the Umbral Lamp, you can peer into the realm of Umbral, which is effectively the land of the undead, ( think the Upside Down in Stranger Things ) and by lifting the lamp, you can either take a peek or fully transport yourself in if needed.

For example, in Axiom, the land of the living, your path may be blocked, or a bridge may have collapsed. Yet in the world of Umbral, the path is clear - so you will need to bounce between the two constantly to make progress. Once in Umbral, however, you can’t get back without finding a Vestige or statues that allow you to return to Axiom. 

As you find yourself in the world of Umbral, you’ll notice there are plenty more enemies to contend with, and the two worlds are intertwined with death in Axiom sending you to Umbral (whereas death in Umbral ends your adventure entirely.) That means there are instances where dying is, well, required.

The driving force for the plot, and why you’re having to battle off against hundreds of monsters while traversing the hellscape Hexworks has built is Adyr, the demon God. Adyr is threatening to return and you’re dragged in to try and prevent it - but you can pretty much sidestep a lot of Lords of the Fallen's core plot should you just look to work through its meticulously crafted areas.

• Be sure to check out our Armored Core 6 review to see the latest release by FromSoftware 

An eclectic bunch of side characters

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Whether you decide to light the beacons to prevent Adyr's return or not, there will be plenty of NPCs you meet along the way who drip-feed you the story and are also impacted by your choices. For example, you find Gerlinde and Sparky in a prison cell, and once you rescue them they will return to Skybridge (the hub area) and Gerlinde will become your armoured.

She has another task for you to complete, but Sparky - her prisoner - would rather you didn’t, and the additional branching options are ones that I'm eager to head back and explore.

Moments like this are sprinkled throughout, making the world feel increasingly alive and the characters feel like they’re on their own separate journeys. All of this helps enhance the amazing atmosphere Hexworks has created.

If you were a fan of the original, there are even some surprises throughout, with many of the NPCs ending up in surprising places, subverting my initial expectations. It’s hard to tell who is genuinely an ally in this world, and that depends on how you decide to play. 

• If you’re looking for more games from 2023, be sure to check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 review

The Verdict 

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Lords of the Fallen has a lot to offer but is largely held back by technical issues throughout, and the further I progressed through the game, the more striking these problems became, escalating from a few dips in framerate to hard crashes and glaring pop-in.

Despite that, there is still an enjoyable game here: The boss fights are satisfying and challenging, the enemies are varied, and you have so many options with how you wish to play.

The introduction of the new classes and character creator are welcome, even if the latter is imperfect. Of course, the real standout here is the Umbral Lamp, with Lords of the Fallen being elevated by the dual worlds you can explore. This won’t be a jumping-on point for anyone who isn’t already a fan of the genre, but if you’re on the market for a challenging RPG, Lords of the Fallen will certainly scratch that itch.

3.5/5