The Lords Of The Fallen Review

mmorpg.com:

I'm not typically a soulslike player. Games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls are incredible experiences, no doubt, but the majority of the time, I typically fall off before coming anywhere close to completing one of those games, whether it's for lack of time or lack of patience. As such, I don't know what I was thinking when I willingly volunteered to review The Lords Of The Fallen. I knew what I was getting into, but I also saw it as a challenge; this would be my time to finally give a game from this genre the attention it deserves. I'm glad I did because The Lords Of The Fallen is a rewarding, if flawed, experience that ran me through the wringer.

I know enough about soulslike action RPGs to know that The Lords Of The Fallen here apes a lot of what makes those games good. The classes it offers follow similar archetypes, the control scheme follows a similar blueprint, and the items and power-ups are carbon copies in all but name only – for example, I'm healing with Estus Flasks in this game, not Flasks Of Crimson Tears. Even with my limited experience, I appreciate the familiarity, as it allows me to get going with little adjustment. 

I think Hexworks expected that from most of its players, however, because this game is brutally hard . Hours upon hours were spent fighting through these hordes of enemies, with more than a few carefully placed surprise attacks to keep me on my toes. While I like difficult games, sometimes it felt like Hexworks was out to get me and wanted me to suffer. Restart upon restart might have increased my blood pressure, but I do compliment the team on making me want to try and try again; I was actually invested in success, not just trying to complete a game for a review, if that makes sense. 

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