Lords of the Fallen Reviews
There is potential in the future for the franchise to grow its ambitions, but as it stands, Lords of the Fallen is a title I can see people forgetting once Bloodborne arrives, but until then, Harkyn's adventure is worth a view for anyone wanting something to slow down their craving for death until February comes around.
But even with its bland environment and uninteresting story, Lords of the Fallen is fun. The combat is enjoyable, leveling up is a blast, and when you beat the game you unlock New Game Plus which is a great treat. In a game that seems to build itself off the ability to be broken in a format where you feel underpowered, New Game Plus is just the icing on the overpowered cake.
With Lords of the Fallen we have the first true "inspired by" Dark Souls game and the developers have had a good stab at recreating the wonders of that title and ended up delivering what can be described as Dark Souls for the MTV generation. It's a big, brash and colourful rendition of what makes the genre wonderful, with a sprinkling of innovation and a chunk of failure mixed up into a forgettable story, with some fun but ultimately limited gameplay. You'll enjoy it whilst it lasts and if new to this type of game the length it lasts will extend quite a way, but it could have been more had it kept in mind what was proven to work and added to that, rather than taking some of those bits and pieces and building from that foundation.
Take the role of Harkyn, fight creatures, use familiar controls, and attempt to save humanity from an invasion.
The world and characters are forgettable and uninspired without any of that deeper lore and storytelling Dark Souls is known and loved for. But despite those criticisms Lords of the Fallen is still worth a look if you're after challenging combat and a grisly dark medieval world to explore.
Lords of the Fallen has some pretty clear inspirations, but it's a very different game despite those influences - enough so that Souls fans can't be guaranteed to enjoy this one. What it is is a challenging fantasy game with a good sense of progression that is entertaining to play, even if it's got no chance of being remembered as a classic like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are.
Lots of fun and challenging gameplay await those that will embark on a journey that pays tribute to the Souls series, adding some new, subtle twists into the mix. However, the most appropriate description one could give to this otherwise great action-RPG would be "close, but no cigar… very close that is." The gameplay is entertaining, but lacks that extra something that would make it truly remarkable.
Lords of the Fallen is a decent role-playing experience with some innovative features but it's weighed down by the balancing problems and the technical issues. After a few updates, it might become a good and challenging RPG, but for now, it falls short.
Lords of the Fallen is not a bad game, but when compared to the Souls series, it is a lesser one. At every moment, it draws comparisons to Dark Souls, but it never quite lives up to the inspiration. I disliked spending so much time comparing one game to another, but LotF all but demands it, and it never manages to crawl out from the shadow of Dark Souls. As a next-gen alternative for those hungry for more Souls gameplay, it is perfectly serviceable, but that is about the limit of its capabilities. I had fun playing it, and it's a good way to bide the time until From Software's next title, but it never forges an identity of its own. The core for a true Souls competitor is there, but Lords of the Fallen seems content to be a placeholder.
Lords of the fallen has been called a Dark Souls clone but that would only be true if Dark Souls was cloned by Dr. Alphonse Mephisto from South Park.
Deck13 Interactive have created their own unique take on the action RPG genre in an intricate and, at times, labyrinthine world. Even with a few bugs and camera issues there is a lot to love in Lords of the Fallen.
'Lords of the Fallen' is a soulslike that uniquely distinguishes itself from the rest. With better graphics and gameplay than its predecessor of the same name, this game can certainly be called a successful soulslike. Unique gameplay elements ensure that this game will not quickly fade from memory.
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Lords of the Fallen provides players with a solid experience and fun combat system, but it never provides enough reason to care about anything else.It's a shame as the game does have a lot of potential. With a little more polish and tweaks done to the story and balance, Lords of the Fallen could be a great title. Right now though, it isn't.
Pretty, but pretty forgettable
A slightly below average game tarnished by bugs and glitches to the point where it simply can't be recommended.
Lords of the Fallen is a challenging and well paced hack 'n' slash RPG. If you're not a fan, or have yet to dip your toes into the waters of the Souls series, it might seem somewhat frustrating at first, but once you get your head round the mechanics and pacing, it becomes a satisfying, if not brutally difficult, RPG. Whilst it's not really my cup of tea, I can see this taking a spot in some players' libraries as the wait for Bloodborne gets ever more excruciating. Whilst it's probably somewhat harsh to compare it to From Software's output, it's inevitable really. This is to its credit and its detriment, as certain elements outpace From's games, but other areas fall sadly behind. Overall though, Lords of the Fallen holds its own, but fails to do much more than that.
Lords of the Fallen may be better than its predecessor in many regards, but it isn't quite worthy of standing among the genre giants yet. However, this isn't from a lack of trying. Excellent and varied biomes are on offer that are truly striking and immersive to be beheld to. There are quality improvements to make the experience smoother. Still, balancing for builds, boss fights… the whole gambit is a little all over the place so far. Consider this with some of the bugs currently experienced in-game and it's not quite smooth sailing yet. Hopefully, before long Lords can be patched into a state where it stands solidly amongst the genre giants.
More inspiration than perspiration, Lords of the Fallen nonetheless presents a rich fantasy world to explore. Just don't mention Dark Souls.
Lords of the Fallen will probably annoy just as many Dark Souls fans as it pleases.
Lords Of The Fallen has a good core that is being let down by too many other things. The combat is pretty much on point and really does provide a great challenge. If you're looking for a game that has punishing fights, but is a bit easier than Souls then this is it. However the story and lore just aren't that interesting, despite a good premise and Harkyn doesn't have much personality. There's also quite few bugs that really need addressing, like clipping through the environment and objects, or the enemies that just stop moving completely, yet can still deal damage, or suddenly develop the ability to fly. Those problems take Lords Of The Fallen from a potentially great game to something just above average.