With the popularity that FromSoftware’s hack-and-slash magnum opus has amassed since its original release, it is hard for developers to ignore the prospects that the genre has. In the past four months alone, there have been three titles—Remnant 2, Armored Core 6, and Lies of P—which are Soulslike games. However, they admittedly have made several new additions of their own.
It is, therefore, somewhat counterintuitive yet predictable to have a release at this juncture that looks to bring back the original Dark Souls spirit. Hexworks’ Lords of the Fallen has a history that has more to do with the original Dark Souls title than many recent games from FromSoftware itself. In fact, it was because of its predecessor and a handful of other ambitious efforts at recreating the Dark Souls experience, that the term ‘Soulslike’ was born in the first place.
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Is Lords Of The Fallen A Sequel?
Yes, 2023’s Lords of the Fallen is a sequel to the 2014 game of the same name. Besides being a reboot, the upcoming title is set over one thousand years after the events of the original game.
CI Game’s Soulslike effort, Lords of the Fallen, first came out in 2014, following the success of Dark Souls 2. Despite being an indie title, the game had managed to sell over 3 million copies as of 2021; 900,000 of which were sold in the first year since release. It couldn’t have been more evident that Soulslike is where the money is.
Despite the plan for a sequel being in the works since the release of the original, CI Games hasn’t been able to get its plan in motion until 2020 with the launch of its subsidiary Hexworks. Originally titled ‘The Lords of the Fallen’, the sequel was rebranded to carry the same name as its predecessor in March this year.
How Soulslike Is Lords Of The Fallen?
To put it briefly, it is ‘extremely’ Soulslike. The developers themselves pride themselves on this fact and why not; their effort to emulate the original Dark Souls yielded more than any indie game could expect in its lifetime, let alone the first year. The exact analogy CI Games officials are using to describe the new Lords of the Fallen game is Dark Souls 4.5.
This is great news for Dark Souls fans since FromSoftware has unofficially quashed any ideas of continuing their classic saga. So, naturally, the focus now is on Hexworks’ latest Soulslike effort. The first glimpse of the game offers a playthrough that would comfort most gamers who are attuned to the classic Dark Souls formula including aspects introduced in Bloodborne.
It cannot be denied that the game is strikingly similar to the original Dark Souls game and its sequels. While many nostalgic Dark Souls elements are aimed at going back to the original Soulslike roots, there are some welcome elements that seem like Lords of Fallen is picking up things where Elden Ring left off.
What The Lords Of The Fallen Trailer Reveals
The recently released gameplay at Gamescom revealed many classic Soulslike elements as well as some new additions that could make or break Lords of the Fallen. One highlight of the gameplay is the open world. While Lords of the Fallen may not have the kind of freedom offered in Elden Ring, there is still plenty to explore that will offer a refreshing distraction from the Soulslike genre’s restricted map progression.
Lords of the Fallen distinguishes itself from Dark Souls, through its unique world system. The entire gameplay revolves around two worlds: Umbral and Axiom. Both these worlds differ vastly being the land of the dead and the land of the living respectively and have equally diverse challenges. But their fates are intertwined in some mystical lore akin to Soulborne games. This torn-between-worlds concept offers a brilliant introduction to a new mechanic, the Umbral Lamp.
In Lies of P, Pinocchio had Jiminy Cricket in a lamp which offered life to the mute protagonist’s arduous journey along while highlighting some key gameplay elements. In Lords of the Fallen, the Umbral Lamp serves a much higher purpose (minus the humor) and stands out as a core mechanic that ties the two worlds together. Essentially you can traverse between Umbral and Axiom by using the lamp and even peek into either world to see what’s going on.
This two-world theme is arguably the greatest highlight of Lords of the Fallen and there are several gameplay elements centered on the Umbral Lamp that make this a worthy Dark Souls successor. At least that is what can be discerned from the gameplay unveiled so far. For Dark Souls fans, Lords of the Fallen could be the ideal reprise for the now-oversaturated series.
There is good reason behind FromSoftware deviating from the Dark Souls series and instead investing in games like Armored Core 6. Exciting new elements aside, the greatest challenge Lords of the Fallen will face is living up to the Dark Souls legacy when the very theme seems threatened by new releases. Only after its launch on October 13 will we know if Lords of the Fallen is successful at accomplishing what its eponymous indie predecessor couldn’t.
