Ask me what my favourite game is and the chances are high I’ll unhinge my jaw, turn into an eldritch beast from beyond the limits of human comprehension, and roarBloodbornein a tongue so ancient it’ll sever your head from your body with the sheer unholy power of the declaration.
I really likeBloodborne, in other words. Which is why I’m incredibly hyped forLords Of The Fallen.
Take a look below!
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Lords Of The Fallenis also an absolutely gorgeous game, which is not surprising given it makes use of Unreal Engine 5. The world is filled with grotesque details and horrifying enemies that ooze and slither and sneak. And yet, as much asLords Of The Fallenmight look like Dark Souls, itfeelsinfinitely more to me.
Maybe it’s because I go into every Soulslike looking for a little slice of my favourite game, I don’t know. But whereLies Of Phas the gothic aesthetic ofBloodbornedown,Lords Of The Fallenplays an awful lot more like the criminally underrated PS4 exclusive then I would have expected.
Combat feels much quicker inLords Of The Fallen, for one thing. While you can choose between various classes and builds (much more like a Dark Souls game) I felt more of an emphasis on speed and parrying. Perhaps this was just because of the build I opted for, but if multiple builds can impact combat to the extent that it can feel like eitherDark SoulsorBloodborne, that can only be a very good thing.
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I’d also humbly suggest thatLords Of The Fallen,likeBloodborne, leans way more into survival horror. It’s not likeDark Soulsis a tip-toe through the tulips, butBloodbornealways felt much scarier to me.Lords Of The Fallenhas much of that tension, which terrors lurking behind every corner, their rasping breath the only thing to give them away before they leap out to attack you and leave your trousers browner than they were seconds before.
Then there’s the entire concept of the Umbral plane, which feels like it could’ve been explored in aBloodbornesequel. Basically,Lords Of The Fallenallows players to enter an unseen realm to overcome certain obstacles and pass previously impassable barriers. The only catch is once you die in the Umbral plane, you’re sent back to the last checkpoint. That means it’s up to you whether or not you give up one life to enter the realm, or look for another route. All I’ll say is being astutely aware I could get murdered at any moment while exploring the Umbral plane was deeply, deeply scary in a way I haven’t felt in a game since… well, sinceBloodborne.
All toldLords Of The Fallenis shaping up to be an adventure that takes the absolute best of FromSoftware and still throws in plenty of its own fascinating ideas, and really, that’s laying the foundations for yet another potential 2023 GOTY contender.
Topics:Dark Souls,Bloodborne
