Lords of the Fallen: A Deep Dive Into the Umbral Realm | IGN First

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At the heart of Lords of the Fallen is the existence of two parallel realms: The realm of the living, Axiom, and the realm of the dead, Umbral. What makes them special in gameplay is the ability of the player to both reach across, and fully transition between those realms. But there’s a lot more to Umbral than just a Stranger Things-esque Upside Down dimension with creepy tendrils and eyeballs following you wherever you go. So let’s raise our lamps into the unknown and do a deep dive into Lords of the Fallen’s most unique element.

When your character begins their journey, they’ll be given the Umbral lamp, which is your bridge between the realms of Axiom and Umbral. While you’re in Axiom, you can open up a window into Umbral by holding up the lamp, allowing you to peer into the parallel world, and potentially spot interesting differences or pathways that may provide you with a clue as to where to go. Some gates may impede your progress in Axiom, but when you hold up your lamp, you’ll find that in Umbral, no such gate exists; what may be a gap between platforms in the realm of the living may have solid footing in the realm of the dead.

Not every path can be illuminated with just a lamp, however, and eventually you will have to voluntarily pull yourself into Umbral in order to physically interact with certain objects that will allow you to find a path forward. Coming into Umbral of your own volition comes with a very significant risk, however. You see, while in Axiom, if you die, you’re able to respawn in Umbral, essentially giving yourself a second chance. But if you die in Umbral, you’re actually dead, and will have to do the usual Soulslike journey of retracing your steps from your last checkpoint back to the spot you