Lords of the Fallen takes clear
inspiration from the Souls series but carves out its own unique identity as one
of the most creative Soulslikes yet. While the familiar combat, exploration,
and difficulty are present, Deck 13 has made smart design choices to stand
apart from its inspirations.
Stepping into the grim medieval fantasy world of Lords of the Fallen, the Soul DNA is immediately apparent. You play as a prisoner resurrected to challenge the Lords that have corrupted the land. Combat is deliberate and punishing, requiring patience and perfect timing to take down enemies. Stamina management and knowing when to attack or dodge are crucial to survival. Death means losing your humanity and progress, adding challenges and consequences to each new area.
Where Lords of the Fallen innovates is in its flexible class and skill system. Rather than choosing a strict class, you can allocate points into one of three skill trees - Warrior, Ranger, or Cleric. This allows for hybrid builds not found in Souls. My character focused on Warrior abilities but dabbled in Cleric magic, letting me tank damage while supporting myself with healing spells. It's a great way to experiment and find new playstyles.
The upgrade system also stands out. Rather than spending souls on generic level-ups, experience is used to purchase new combat abilities, magic spells, and passive boosts. This provides a clear sense of character progression lacking in Souls. New skills like a spinning hammer attack or fireball completely changed how I approached encounters. Finding upgraded materials in the world to learn abilities gave exploration a meaningful purpose.
Lords of the Fallen looks and feels like a Souls game but environmental storytelling is where it truly shines. Ruined cities and landscapes hold secrets about the world and its fallen lords, told through item descriptions and subtle visual clues. I pieced together a deep lore simply by taking in the atmosphere. Subtle audio cues and FMV cutscenes also advance the narrative in a way the minimalist Souls lacks. It makes the world and your place in it feel grander.
The challenging combat and death mechanics are familiar but smart tweaks were made. Checkpoints are more frequent, reducing backtracking. Enemies drop more healing items, lessening the punishment of death. Boss arenas are also more open, using the entire space creatively rather than confining battles. Fights feel like epic clashes rather than cramped duels.
Some technical issues hold Lords
of the Fallen back, with long loading times and occasional glitches. But beyond
the surface similarities, Deck 13 has crafted one of the most fully realized
and uniquely designed Soulslikes to date. By refining staples of the genre and
adding their own innovative systems, Lords of the Fallen carves out an identity
as one of the most creative entries in this genre yet. While the influence is
clear, Deck 13 has taken the foundations and built something greater than the
sum of its inspirations.
