Hexworks’ latest Soulslike brings a lot of new ideas to the table, and they’re all pretty innovative. One of the core mechanics that takes center stage is the dual dimension gameplay at the heart of the experience. But what exactly is the Umbral in Lords of the Fallen and how does it work? Have no fear, as we’re going to explain everything you need to know about the Umbral dimension down below.
How Does the Umbral Dimension Work?
In essence, the Umbral dimension is the land of the dead, as opposed to the Axiom dimension which is the land of the living. It’s very similar to the hellish, otherworldly alternate dimension that’s featured in Stranger Things or Silent Hill.
In 2023’s Lords of the Fallen, players are able to shine their Umbral Lamp by holding down the L2 button, which allows them to peek into the undead realm. This grants you the ability to see alternative routes that may prove to be a solution to certain environmental puzzles. For instance, a locked doorway in the land of the living may block your path.
However, if you shine your Umbral Lamp on said door, it may not exist in the undead plane, thus allowing you access through.
For some puzzles, however, you may need to fully transition into the Umbral. To do so, hold L2 and then hold the X button on Xbox or the Square button on PS5. You can do this at any time, but it’s important to note that transitioning back to the land of the living isn’t as straightforward. That’s because to leave the Umbral, you’ll need to either return to a Vestige to rest or find a specific Umbral exit point that appears like a small glowing skeleton.
These more challenging puzzles usually involve crossing chasms that exist in Axiom, rendering the route impassable. For instance, in the image below, it looks like the player can’t continue onward as, if they do so, they’ll fall to their doom.
As a result, players will need to fully transition into the Umbral to cross a bridge that may exist there.
Lastly, Umbral parasites give some enemies protection and they cannot be seen in the Axiom dimension. Instead, players can only see them in the Umbral. Using your lamp to illuminate the area, hold it up with L2 and then hold the R1 button to send a charge of energy that will destroy the parasite.
With the Umbral parasite dead, you can now deal damage more effectively as the enemy will be vulnerable. For those wondering, the parasite appears like a small blue orb (as highlighted in the image above).
General Tips
Here are a few choice tips to bear in mind while traversing the Umbral:
- If you’re in Axiom and you hold up your lamp to peer into the Umbral, be careful! Other entities can still see you and can even attack you, even though you’ve still not fully transitioned into the undead dimension. If a monster strikes you while you’re using your lantern, you’ll be sent straight into the Umbral. Essentially, it’s like losing a life in just one hit, so watch out!
- You can grind very quickly if you’re in the Umbral. That’s because you’ll be granted a Vitality multiplier that increases the longer you stay. Additionally, lots of enemies will increasingly spawn, which helps speed up the grind.
- Bear in mind that some treasure chests only spawn in the Umbral, so keep your eyes peeled.
- Watch out for the Grim Reaper that arrives after about seven minutes in the Umbral. Not only will it debuff you so that you can’t heal, but it’s also nigh on impossible to kill and deals big damage too.
So there you have it. That’s everything you need to know about the Umbral in Lords of the Fallen. For more, here’s how to get the Mineowner’s Ring. And for even more handy tips, check out the links below.
