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Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen sets a new benchmark for all Soulslikes out there. It masters what we love about the genre, and adds to it in many ways. It won't get better than this for a while.
Lords of the Fallen Game Cover
72%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, grinding
72% User Score Based on 23,724 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 59 reviews

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Lords of the Fallen Game Cover

About

Lords of the Fallen is a single player and multiplayer open world hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by CI Games and was released on October 28, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Lords of the Fallen: Master of Fate" introduces over 30 updates with advanced game modifier system for full playstyle customization. Experience significant performance enhancements, difficulty balancing, and improved multiplayer matchmaking, following player feedback since launch. This version concludes the free content roadmap, providing a significantly improved experience for new and returning players alike.

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Lords of the Fallen screenshot
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Lords of the Fallen screenshot
Lords of the Fallen screenshot
Lords of the Fallen screenshot
Lords of the Fallen screenshot
Lords of the Fallen screenshot
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72%
Audience ScoreBased on 23,724 reviews
gameplay2.2k positive mentions
optimization1.1k negative mentions
  • The game has seen significant improvements since its initial launch, with many players reporting a stable experience and a wealth of content after two years of updates.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive dark fantasy aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The gameplay features unique mechanics, such as the dual-realm system, which adds depth to exploration and combat, making it engaging for players.
  • The game suffers from persistent technical issues, including glitches, freezes, and performance problems, particularly in co-op mode, leading to a frustrating experience for many players.
  • The story and quest design are often criticized for being convoluted and cryptic, making it difficult for players to follow and enjoy the narrative.
  • Despite the lack of microtransactions, some players feel the game is a cash grab due to misleading advertising and the reliance on ads, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay
    5,998 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Lords of the Fallen" has received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating the unique dual-realm mechanic involving the umbral lamp, which adds depth to exploration and combat. However, some find the mechanics overwhelming and tedious, particularly the reliance on the umbral realm, which can disrupt gameplay flow and lead to frustration. Overall, while the combat mechanics and visuals are praised, issues such as enemy variety, clunky controls, and performance problems detract from the experience, making it a polarizing title among soulslike fans.

    • “The dual-realm mechanic adds a fresh layer of strategy, making exploration and combat endlessly engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is where Lords of the Fallen truly shines, with its unique mechanics and satisfying combat.”
    • “The umbral mechanic is a standout feature — not just a gimmick, but a well-integrated layer of strategy and tension.”
    • “Nothing about the gameplay, atmosphere, enemy design, or otherwise is 'souls'.”
    • “The umbral mechanic is a unique and clever exploration mechanic - it's just kind of a disaster in practice.”
    • “The gameplay feels sluggish, with pacing and movement falling short compared to traditional souls games.”
  • optimization
    4,619 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of "Lords of the Fallen" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting severe performance issues at launch, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes. While recent patches have improved stability and performance for some users, others still experience inconsistent frame rates and lag, particularly in demanding areas. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further optimization to fully realize its potential, making it advisable for players to wait for additional updates before purchasing.

    • “The game is well optimized for PC, so you don't need a controller to play it and it will still feel good, unlike in Dark Souls, although a controller is still recommended.”
    • “Performance is solid now, no crashes, minimal bugs.”
    • “The 2.0 update in particular makes it worth revisiting (or purchasing for the first time), as the free friends pass, combined with overhauled optimization, gameplay tweaks, and combat improvements, genuinely elevate the experience.”
    • “Absolutely terrible game, especially with terrible optimization.”
    • “Unfortunately, it also introduces significant optimization problems.”
    • “This game still retains massive performance issues despite its 2.0 patch that ultimately make it an infuriating experience in what could be a good title.”
  • graphics
    3,420 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Lords of the Fallen" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and intricate art style, often described as a blend of dark fantasy aesthetics reminiscent of titles like "Dark Souls" and "Bloodborne." Players appreciate the detailed environments, impressive lighting effects, and the unique dual-realm mechanic that enhances the visual experience. However, some users have reported performance issues, including stuttering and frame drops, particularly on lower-end systems, indicating that while the graphics are visually striking, optimization remains a concern.

    • “The graphics, visuals, atmosphere, enemy design, and level design are all really good.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, with beautiful, oppressive environments, detailed armors, and spot-on atmospheric effects like rain and lighting that enhance immersion.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning, with a level of graphical polish that honestly surpasses some older souls titles.”
    • “The graphics are horrendous and disturbing like most UE5 games.”
    • “The visuals are a disaster; it feels like playing a game from 2011.”
    • “The graphics are fine, but the level design and enemy placement is just weird.”
  • story
    2,692 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Lords of the Fallen" is generally described as intriguing yet convoluted, with many players finding it reminiscent of classic soulslike narratives involving dark fantasy themes and religious undertones. While some appreciate the depth and environmental storytelling, others criticize the quest design for being overly obscure and easy to fail, often requiring guides to navigate effectively. Overall, the game presents a mix of engaging lore and frustrating quest mechanics, leading to a varied reception regarding its narrative quality.

    • “The world building and story of this game is great; the gameplay is solid, though there are some points that need tweaking.”
    • “Pieta’s storyline in particular stands out when pieced together, and the inclusion of three possible endings adds meaningful choice to the narrative, with the umbral path serving as the canonical outcome.”
    • “The story is engaging when you find it, the boss encounters are well designed, and the overall polish is impressive.”
    • “The story is convoluted and hard to follow.”
    • “The quests are very cryptic and easy to break, you can miss a quest or be very vague as you don't have much information to follow it up on.”
    • “The story is ultimately forgettable.”
  • grinding
    877 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "Lords of the Fallen" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating. Critics highlight the excessive enemy density, repetitive encounters, and the reliance on grinding for levels and materials, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and aesthetic, the consensus is that the game often confuses difficulty with tediousness, leading to a less engaging experience.

    • “No farming cryptic items, no summoning rituals, no weird zone restrictions, no 'oops you beat a boss now go home' nonsense.”
    • “This combined with a lot of shortcuts makes the huge maps not that tedious to navigate.”
    • “It can seem boring to play through the game twice, but you need to farm experience and items to progress anyways, so you are not farming at one place at least.”
    • “The tldr is that this game is just a tedious slog through arbitrarily labyrinthine mazes.”
    • “The umbral realm feels sometimes interesting and at other times just tedious and gimmicky, especially how monotone it is and how the base environment looks better.”
    • “The game is just tedious and frustrating cause of the enemy density and they all feel like damage sponges.”
  • atmosphere
    806 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Lords of the Fallen" is widely praised for its dark, gothic aesthetic, immersive world design, and haunting soundtrack, which collectively create a captivating and oppressive environment reminiscent of classic souls-like games. Players appreciate the intricate level design and the unique dual-realm mechanic that enhances exploration, although some note that the atmosphere can feel overwhelming or repetitive at times. Overall, the game's visuals and atmospheric elements are considered its standout features, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere is haunting and immersive, with towering gothic architecture, oppressive landscapes, and terrifying bosses that test you at every turn.”
    • “The world is drenched in dark fantasy atmosphere, with hauntingly beautiful environments that range from crumbling gothic fortresses to eerie, otherworldly realms.”
    • “Lords of the Fallen delivers a gripping dark fantasy experience, rich in atmosphere and challenging gameplay.”
    • “The voice acting completely betrays any kind of atmosphere or vibe the game is trying to set up.”
    • “The world quickly loses any sense of atmosphere or variety.”
    • “The game is kind of deceiving in a way that the visuals and atmosphere hook you up and encourage you to play, but then the gameplay doesn't really match the cool atmosphere, leading to frustration.”
  • stability
    781 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been a significant point of contention among players. While many acknowledge improvements since its initial buggy launch, reports of persistent glitches, freezes, and performance issues—especially in co-op mode—remain prevalent. Some players have experienced minor bugs that do not detract from the overall enjoyment, while others find the game nearly unplayable due to frequent crashes and frustrating technical problems. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying it despite its flaws, while others recommend waiting for further patches before diving in.

    • “With shared progression, you can play the whole game together, and after two years of updates, the game runs great and has tons of content.”
    • “I've had zero issues, no glitches, and no lag on a middling PC.”
    • “The game launched with numerous bugs; however, as a credit to the dev team, their constant patching has fixed most of them, and I imagine in another week or two, the game will be mostly bug-free.”
    • “Freezes happen mid-combat, often for 15 seconds or more, and ruin any possible enjoyment that could be derived from this game.”
    • “The co-op is an unplayable buggy mess.”
    • “This game is so buggy it's almost unplayable at times.”
  • music
    599 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Lords of the Fallen" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and how it complements the game's dark visuals. While some tracks are noted as memorable, particularly during boss fights, others find the overall soundtrack to be forgettable or generic, lacking the impact typically associated with the genre. Overall, the sound design is praised for enhancing immersion, but there are calls for more variety and stronger themes to elevate the experience further.

    • “The music hits the spot and goes along with the dark atmosphere and action.”
    • “The soundtrack is strong overall, with some truly epic tracks.”
    • “The hauntingly beautiful landscapes, coupled with an immersive soundtrack, create an atmosphere that stays with you long after you've put down the controller.”
    • “The music is underwhelming and the final boss is horrible; it's a joke!”
    • “Music is forgettable; I went through the entire game and not one OST stuck in my mind.”
    • “The soundtrack is surprisingly sparse, which is a shame as the music is such a huge part of the emotional impact of these games for me.”
  • replayability
    172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability through various features such as multiple endings, diverse character classes, and numerous gameplay modifiers that enhance the experience. Players can engage in new game plus modes, explore secret quests, and experiment with different builds, making each playthrough feel unique. However, some reviewers noted that limited enemy variety and certain gameplay mechanics could detract from the overall replay value.

    • “There are plenty of options to choose from, which adds some replay value if you want to try something different after finishing your first campaign.”
    • “Game has replay value to unlock different endings and explore secret quests or areas that you can miss out on in your first playthrough.”
    • “The game's replayability is enhanced by its multiple endings, encouraging players to delve into various choices and paths to uncover different outcomes.”
    • “However, I do feel the replayability isn't there and do not do PvP.”
    • “The ending being so lackluster kind of killed the replay value for me.”
    • “There are multiple endings and a lot of achievements, but there isn't really much replay value in my opinion, since now the exploration aspect would be gone after knowing most of the areas.”
  • humor
    153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is often described as unintentional and derived from various glitches, awkward animations, and absurd gameplay mechanics, leading to moments that are both funny and frustrating. Players find themselves laughing at the chaotic enemy placements, clumsy character movements, and the sometimes ridiculous difficulty spikes, which can turn into comedic experiences during multiplayer interactions. While some aspects of the humor are appreciated, many reviewers note that it can become tiresome or detract from the overall experience, highlighting a mix of charm and annoyance throughout gameplay.

    • “Absolutely hilarious to one-shot a boss after being bullied.”
    • “The game has lots of 'gotcha' moments that would be really funny if they were rare and fairly easy to recover your lost items.”
    • “It's just hilarious to me that the biggest challenge of the game isn't the bosses or enemies but rather how often you fall to your death.”
    • “There's so much potential here, it's not funny!”
    • “Not funny at all.”
    • “Especially towards the end of the game, I just kept running through because it is too annoying, unfair, and not funny at all.”
  • monetization
    77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and additional DLCs, while others criticize the game for feeling like a cash grab due to misleading advertising and technical issues. Players express frustration over the game's reliance on ads and the deceptive portrayal of its co-op features, which do not deliver the promised seamless experience. Overall, while the lack of microtransactions is a positive point, the game's execution and marketing strategies have left many feeling disappointed.

    • “In a time where some gaming studios are trying to push the cost of games to outrageously high prices and fill all new releases with additional microtransactions, it is now more important than ever to support developers like this who are doing anything but taking advantage of their consumers.”
    • “Constant updates from the developers, and no microtransactions.”
    • “And it's all even for free, no microtransactions.”
    • “After viewing the state of the game, I have come to the conclusion that this is a long-term cash grab from the developers, who share very poor mental beliefs.”
    • “It's just sad that the farming mechanics make me think that at some point they were considering having in-game purchases or some live service system.”
    • “This game is not worth the price tag and was very misleading with advertising.”
  • emotional
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience in the game, with some players feeling a lack of emotional depth in the story and characters, leading to disappointment and disengagement. While certain elements, like the soundtrack and specific narrative moments, evoke strong feelings, many players find the overall emotional impact to be flat or forgettable, resulting in frustration and a sense of detachment from the game. Ultimately, the emotional journey varies significantly among players, with some finding it compelling and others feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.

    • “The story is not quite as clear as other games, but once you realize it and understand it, it can be quite touching.”
    • “From the soundtrack, through the story development onto the very credits, this game was soulful, got intensely emotional, and definitely became an example to follow up, especially when it comes to development.”
    • “Following her story correctly lets you summon her for the penultimate boss fight against her demonically transformed husband, and after you bring him down she appears in the throne room and gives a brief line of heartbreaking dialogue before vanishing into a cloud of moths.”
    • “The clunky controls and boring story weren't interesting.”
    • “Lore 2/10: Really boring story-wise; even Nioh does a better job there.”
    • “It's still enjoyable and has some cool moments, but I would have a hard time recalling any part of the convoluted and ultimately boring story or any of the characters.”
  • character development
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and visually appealing character designs, particularly for bosses and enemies, while others criticize the limited options for female character customization. Players appreciate the seamless progression mechanics and the depth added by magic spells, although some feel that character reactions and development during quests are lacking. Overall, the art direction and character design contribute significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “The character designs are super flavorful and the progression is very seamless.”
    • “However, where 'Lords of the Fallen 2' truly shines is in its narrative and character development.”
    • “The dark ambiance, coupled with intricate character development, enhances the overall atmosphere.”
    • “Character design is very limited and all the female character design options look horrendous.”
    • “That’s mainly because most of them have very little reaction or character development during these quests.”
    • “Its character designs are ripped straight from Dante's Inferno (2010), being memorable only for body 'horror' that is too overstated to evoke anything but laughter.”
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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 59 critic reviews
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17h Median play time
38h Average play time
15h Main story
45h Completionist
7-49h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 247 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Lords of the Fallen is a open world hack and slash game with fantasy theme.

Lords of the Fallen is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 15 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 45 hours to finish. On average players spend around 38 hours playing Lords of the Fallen.

Lords of the Fallen was released on October 28, 2014.

Lords of the Fallen was developed by CI Games.

Lords of the Fallen has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Lords of the Fallen is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Remnant II, Enotria: The Last Song and others.