For lovers of the souls-like genre, the coming of Hexworks and CI Games’ Lords of the Fallen is yet another addition that will undoubtedly delight and frustrate in equal measure. From dangerous enemies around every corner, daunting bosses, and haunting level design, there is much to look forward to in this title. If you are unsure about the game when it comes to difficulty, let us help you understand if Lords of the Fallen is hard for you.
How Hard is Lords of the Fallen?
Let’s be clear from the get-go here: Lords of the Fallen is indeed a hard game. You aren’t likely to get through it without a fair number of deaths, and fans of other Soulslikes will still find a game that’s challenging enough to kick their teeth in.
However, there is still some nuance to be had with this topic. There are loads of comparisons that can be made for a game like Lords of the Fallen, especially when stacked up against recent games like Lies of P or a FromSoftware game. The foundations on which these games are built are similar, but there are significant differences that can make or break your experience in Lords of the Fallen.
Second Chances
With death being a constant companion in games of the genre, there are several ways in which Lords of the Fallen makes the mechanic easier for players.
The first comes when players get fatally damaged. Instead of dying and respawning at a checkpoint immediately, you’re given the opportunity to turn things around in the Umbral realm. Survive, and you get another shot at life.
There is also the use of Vestige Seeds. These allow you to create more checkpoints, albeit at specific locations, to reduce the distance between your grave and the respawn location.
Focused Combat
The combat in Lords of the Fallen is as straightforward as it comes. While there is a stamina system in addition to health, what you see is essentially what you get. Weapons function as they should without the need to worry about durability. The defensive mechanics involve dodging and parrying with quite a generous window, and ranged attacks are easy enough to dodge or utilize yourself.
Once you have mastered the basics, you are quite ready to take on any enemy and use whichever equipment suits your fancy. Learning to block also gives players the chance to regenerate chip damage, incentivizing both the defensive and offensive sides of the equation.
Then, there’s Soul Flaying, which provides a valuable window to deal Wither damage to otherwise powerful enemies and set them up for a quick death which saves you a ton of trouble.
Danger Abound
This is perhaps the one area that will determine whether Lords of the Fallen is right for you. Level design is smart but challenging, oftentimes forcing players to pay more attention to positioning or be victim to an untimely death via the environment; either legitimately or because of bugs. The enemies themselves are also no slouches with varied designs and threatening abilities, and are not shy about ganging up on you to gain the upper hand.
Bosses, on the other hand, vary in mileage, with some obviously being tougher than others. In the end though, it all comes down to learning patterns, and Lords of the Fallen is much more generous to players who put in the work. Taking the time to learn a boss’ patterns, and learning how to properly dodge or block attacks, allows for easier dominance over what would otherwise be the most dangerous foes in the game.
Dual Worlds
The creative use of two worlds in the game, Axiom and Umbral, also makes for a fun time. While it may appear as a last resort to cheat death, the realm of Umbral also plays a part in the game’s exploration and puzzle-solving sections. For those who are not into working too hard mentally, this could be an issue. Otherwise, it is an enjoyable addition to a well-established formula that helps set this game apart from the rest.
Ultimately, it depends on your appetite for the various challenges that await. Combat might be easier, but the level design can prove to be a challenge. The use of Umbral may not appeal to you too, so knowing all this information beforehand should help you decide whether the game is worth your time.
That is all there is to know when it comes to determining how hard Lords of the Fallen is. For more, check out our related coverage of the game down below.
