Lords of the Fallen (2014)

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 691 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 376 out of 691
  2. Mixed: 157 out of 691
  3. Negative: 158 out of 691

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  1. op8
    Oct 28, 2014
    7
    With regards to the shills and there reviews. Guys I know you are just doing your jobs, but dont make it too obvious. At least have some other games you have reviewed on your account besides Enemy Front (another CI developed game). I'm looking at you "sniper1337" and "atmosf3ear".
    Personally speaking I think this game does exactly as advertised and is what I expected. Solid 7/10
  2. Snek
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    A great looking action RPG with a distinct next-gen feel. If you ever wanted the satisfying combat of the Souls series, this is it. Even without finishing the NG+ a second time, I got solid 30 hours from it so definitely worth giving it a shot.
  3. DeathJim
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    Great. There's alot of butthurt Dark souls fan who wants to write this off as a rip off which is lousier/cheaper/whatever but after playing dark souls 1 and 2..I gotta say, This is better.
    I think maybe in the first place, I was never really into Dark souls kind of game and style, and most fans of the series pride themselves in being the 'Hardcore' gang.
    This has better graphics,    Great. There's alot of butthurt Dark souls fan who wants to write this off as a rip off which is lousier/cheaper/whatever but after playing dark souls 1 and 2..I gotta say, This is better.
    I think maybe in the first place, I was never really into Dark souls kind of game and style, and most fans of the series pride themselves in being the 'Hardcore' gang.

    This has better graphics, better controls, yes its more 'arcadey' but definitely feels more fun than the sluggish combat style I find in dark souls. Maybe im the beat'em up crowd or maybe Im the guy who prefers 'easier' fun , but yeah definitely give this game a try.

    In Retrospect, DArk souls universe and game seems very old school, very ancient, with poor UI and systems (although the stats and details involved is staggering) whereas this feels more updated, modern, polished and designed to attract the MASS MARKET....

    There's definitely room for more, and different crowds!
    Lords of the Fallen 2, bring it on!    … Expand
  4. atmosf3ear
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    Finally an excellent game from CI GAMES. Beautiful graphics, excellent game mechanics, awsome combat system, amazing leveling of main character. As true gamer - you can't miss this title.
  5. izembo
    Oct 28, 2014
    3
    Game is not even close to Dark Souls as people claim it to be. The only thing they did is take a basic action game with horrible combat and then run the slider for enemy damage up so that people would make the comparison to the DS series. The story is laughable, characters are incredibly basic, and combat consists of rolling all over hoping you don't get hit for 75% of your health barGame is not even close to Dark Souls as people claim it to be. The only thing they did is take a basic action game with horrible combat and then run the slider for enemy damage up so that people would make the comparison to the DS series. The story is laughable, characters are incredibly basic, and combat consists of rolling all over hoping you don't get hit for 75% of your health bar when you occasionally get 1 attack in. Would totally be possible on last-gen consoles, is nothing ground-breaking at all.… Expand
  6. talal1007
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    now this is a game that keeps me busy for sometime, and it's gloriously amazing! I'm a dark souls type of gamer and I like a lot of RPGs. this one has surpassed my expectations! Well done City Interactive!
  7. AliceEngine
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    Excellent Dark Souls-esque aRPG that expands upon the basic Souls gameplay in pretty much every aspect, and does it well. Fighting rewards correctly timed attacks instead of R1 mashing, the bloodstain mechanic evolved past a simple pick-up to a choice between safety and boosting your combat ability when near it, armor finally has a noticeable impact. Enemies attack accordingly to theirExcellent Dark Souls-esque aRPG that expands upon the basic Souls gameplay in pretty much every aspect, and does it well. Fighting rewards correctly timed attacks instead of R1 mashing, the bloodstain mechanic evolved past a simple pick-up to a choice between safety and boosting your combat ability when near it, armor finally has a noticeable impact. Enemies attack accordingly to their gear - you won't see a knife-wielder wind up as if he's carrying a massive club.

    One word of caution though, magic is, just like in DaS, the key to easy mode. Use it sparingly or better yet, avoid.    … Expand
  8. CriticoDubioso
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    This is one of the best game I've ever played. CI Games did nice job. If you have player Dark Souls and you liked it, this is way better. If you didn't like Dark Souls, then try this LOTF, you will not regret it.
  9. metagamer80
    Oct 28, 2014
    10
    Perfect game. It's way better than DS. More satisfying combat and superb graphics. Huge bosses, epic fights, I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended! 10/10
  10. Dog4life
    Oct 28, 2014
    0
    Cheap Dark Souls rip off, with almost no story or interesting world to explore. Just ok graphics and generally the game lacks character. Invest your money better in the real deal, Dark Souls 1/2 & Dlcs
  11. MadclownJack
    May 6, 2017
    4
    The Good: The UI and some of the weapons and armor are well designed. The animation is fluid, the graphics are somewhat satisfactory, the music is also nice.

    The Bad: Everything else. The Battle system is horrible and inconsistent. The weapons look nice but their usefulness is questionable. The enemies are badly balanced and share a lot of the visual features among themselves. The    The Good: The UI and some of the weapons and armor are well designed. The animation is fluid, the graphics are somewhat satisfactory, the music is also nice.

    The Bad: Everything else. The Battle system is horrible and inconsistent. The weapons look nice but their usefulness is questionable. The enemies are badly balanced and share a lot of the visual features among themselves. The optimization seems nonexistent, as in every time there is an enemy around you you will experience drops in frame rate. The levels are all similar in design, and that design is sadly the same old boring dark shiny rubble of a castle. In a few words: It appears the developers were so angry that Dark Souls exists, they sabotaged what could've been a good game in an effort to distinguish their game as an original while at the same time trying to make it more of a Dark Souls game than Dark Souls. It's been a waste of time, at least for me. There's no sense of accomplishment like in DS. And to those that defend it, saying it shouldn't be compared to DS, i say "If it walks and talks like an awful Dark Souls clone, then it's an awful Dark Souls clone". And that's just sad.    … Expand
  12. SaintMSent
    May 22, 2017
    4
    Epic fail, worst Dark Souls parody ever. I don't know why would you play this game ever. Total disaster, only one good aspect is graphics. Don't recommend to anyone.
  13. asdfasdf12456
    Jun 9, 2017
    4
    Controls are **** Harkyn refuses to move faster every time when he finished a simple move. Swinging a sword is like swinging a hammer, so I have to use light weapon to finish the game because swinging a heavy/medium weapon takes way too long to finish the animation, so I will always get hit and still can’t hit the enemy. Rolling is useless, because you still get hit even you timed itControls are **** Harkyn refuses to move faster every time when he finished a simple move. Swinging a sword is like swinging a hammer, so I have to use light weapon to finish the game because swinging a heavy/medium weapon takes way too long to finish the animation, so I will always get hit and still can’t hit the enemy. Rolling is useless, because you still get hit even you timed it right. Blocking with a shield is useless too. Even if I have half of my energy left, I still get stunned when an enemy attacks me twice in a roll, so I have to use shield charge every time whenever I encounter a fast enemy.

    Bosses are easier than the regular enemy. If I run in the wrong way in a corridor and there are two or more enemies, I will get stuck and die. Any regular enemy can stun and kick me to the sky. However, bosses attacks are slower than the regular enemies, their attacks won’t hit me twice most of the time so I have time to heal when I get hit but regular enemy can’t because they will stun lock me to death. Also, why is the game limited to new game++?    … Expand
  14. spageopriya
    Dec 3, 2014
    5
    Lords of the Fallen is an action role-playing game, played from a third-person perspective. The game has been compared to video games like Darksiders and Dark Souls. The game is divided into acts with linear progression, though there are several quests during the main acts. During exploration, the game uses many save points to make sure the player doesn't lose too much progress
  15. DeusXCom
    Nov 5, 2014
    6
    At release, the state of this game was one big disaster. Terrible optimization, crashes, lagging on hi-end systems, even your options settings didn't save properly. Messing with non-functional options, trying to enjoy the broken game, the whole thing was a pretty painful experience and I have to reflect that in my score. Devs must learn that it's unacceptable to release unfinished brokenAt release, the state of this game was one big disaster. Terrible optimization, crashes, lagging on hi-end systems, even your options settings didn't save properly. Messing with non-functional options, trying to enjoy the broken game, the whole thing was a pretty painful experience and I have to reflect that in my score. Devs must learn that it's unacceptable to release unfinished broken games, just test it properly and when your game is ready and bug-free, then release it and everybody will be happy, your game will get higher scores and the reputation of your company will not suffer. However, I'm glad I didn't throw this game in a trash bin in anger, waited for a few patches and just a few days later most problems have been fixed, game runs more smoothly, options work and I was finally able to finish the game without any unwanted frustration. Was it such a problem to fix it before the release and save the nerves of many of your customers? Hopefully, next time...

    Now to the actual game. Lords of the Fallen is basically a Souls wannabe clone. It doesn't even try to hide it, some of the references are there, the controls and game mechanics are mostly copy/paste. For me, as a huge Souls fan that's a good thing, it felt like coming right home, yes, the weaker and lesser home, but home nonetheless. If there is a fantastic type of game, I don't see a problem in copying it and creating more adventures in the similar vein. But how is LotF different and how does it stand on it's own feet?

    First of all, I was disappointed by the complete lack of character customization. You don't create it, whatever magic or equipment class you choose, you will still play as Harkyn, highly unsympathetic ugly muscular thug. That's a big problem, because very few people will be able to immerse in this character. I played as a cleric, so at least right from the start I had a mask on so I didn't have to look at his ugly face, but for some reason for every cut-scene his mask/helm always magically disappears so you must suffer his terrible dialog in all it's glory. Another problem is that classes are way too similar, you can use all the equipment regardless, the magic feels very similar and is overall quite lackluster, but take it that this game is built around the melee combat and classes are just a slight variations and magic is just a support.

    Combat is the alpha & omega of this game and what you will be doing 99% of the time, so how is it? Happy to say it's pretty solid. It feels a bit heavy and clunky at first, but once you get used to it, it's good. The challenge factor is decent. I loved the XP multiplier mechanic, the longer you go without saving and replenishing you potions, the more XP you will get for killing enemies, simple but very effective. Some of the enemies are heavily shielded, so it requires some tactics to take them down and battles with bosses are quite epic. True, most bosses fell down on my first try, but at least they have usually lots of HP, so some of the battles took like 10 minutes and were quite intense. By far the the best boss fight for me was with The Worshiper, who killed me many times, had interesting mechanics that you have to learn to beat him and when I think about it, this fight in the graveyard was probably the highlight of the entire game for me.

    It's a pity that there are not more of such highlights, there is not more variation and the overall game is quite short. The world is a nice snowy kingdom and it looks like a good start for an interesting fantasy adventure, but that's actually all there is, it's a very small game world in scope. Don't get your hopes up, you will not be visiting any other locations (except realm of lords). I finished the game in 1 day and that is definitely not a very impressive game length.

    The story is kinda there, never liked the main character, nor the characters you meet, so you just play along, focusing on solid gameplay, however I liked finding and listening to the audio logs, but I never started to care too much. The soundtrack wasn't bad, some tracks with choirs and female vocals were pretty nice. I liked the armor sets, really cool looking robes for my cleric and some of the weapons were also pretty badass. I'm not the biggest fan of this over the top art style, but it worked fine here.

    Pity about the problems at game's release, but I will try to forget them and remember this game for what it is inside. Overall, LotF is a short, not very complex, but solid and enjoyable enough experience for the fans of this genre. 6/10    … Expand
  16. ARPG
    Nov 3, 2014
    7
    As with many players, "I really wanted to like this game". It has charm, it hits that craving for an ARPG that the wait for Bloodborne has so created, and the world/map feels clever and intuitive. However, it has some glaring flaws; most evidently, the odd difficulty curve (Annihilator that late in the game? Way too easy), various builds feel impossibly difficult, and my goodness, theAs with many players, "I really wanted to like this game". It has charm, it hits that craving for an ARPG that the wait for Bloodborne has so created, and the world/map feels clever and intuitive. However, it has some glaring flaws; most evidently, the odd difficulty curve (Annihilator that late in the game? Way too easy), various builds feel impossibly difficult, and my goodness, the crashes. I'm on PS4, and this game crashes during loading screens fairly regularly, but has no less than 4 times crashed about 10 minutes into the Brothers and Judge boss fights.
    I have hopes for a sequel, but I will certainly be more wary going forwards.    … Expand
  17. fredinator
    Mar 23, 2015
    8
    Yeah it is a Dark Souls clone but actually a good one. After some much needed patches it is fun. Gameplay is balanced and the game looks stunningly beautiful without framerate issues even on older PCs. It still has some bugs though but most of them fix themselves when you die the next time. It crashed about 2 times in the 25 hours I played it. I even found myself playing it again evenYeah it is a Dark Souls clone but actually a good one. After some much needed patches it is fun. Gameplay is balanced and the game looks stunningly beautiful without framerate issues even on older PCs. It still has some bugs though but most of them fix themselves when you die the next time. It crashed about 2 times in the 25 hours I played it. I even found myself playing it again even though I know the story and its plottwists just because the combat is so much fun. If you like Dark Souls and want to play something similar here you have it.… Expand
  18. SpawnCap
    Dec 12, 2014
    10
    Yes, this game isn't like Dark Souls, thank god because it better than that boring game. It's easier than dark souls, a lot better graphics and animation. It is still hard however so it is not for the casual gamer who likes his/her hand held.

    Have had no issues on my i5 2500 HD 5850 8 GB Win 7. However I also own 170 games, most of that number being AAA titles and have absolutely no    Yes, this game isn't like Dark Souls, thank god because it better than that boring game. It's easier than dark souls, a lot better graphics and animation. It is still hard however so it is not for the casual gamer who likes his/her hand held.

    Have had no issues on my i5 2500 HD 5850 8 GB Win 7. However I also own 170 games, most of that number being AAA titles and have absolutely no issues with any of them.    … Expand
  19. metajack
    Nov 20, 2014
    10
    Really good graphics, excellent animations, amazing armors design, fun and challenging combat, lots of secrets. Not a single crash in my 20+ hours gameplay. Definitely recommend!
  20. rogermorse
    Oct 25, 2015
    5
    The game is simply broken. Even now, after 6 (?) patches, on a perfectly capable system (i5@4.50GHz + 970 OC) drops to 30 fps on lowest details in 1080p. Yes for the most time it stays smooth but the drops are always there around the corner and those drops will make your boss fights a mess, and you can imagine how a boss fight can be challenging and frustrating at times.

    The game is not    The game is simply broken. Even now, after 6 (?) patches, on a perfectly capable system (i5@4.50GHz + 970 OC) drops to 30 fps on lowest details in 1080p. Yes for the most time it stays smooth but the drops are always there around the corner and those drops will make your boss fights a mess, and you can imagine how a boss fight can be challenging and frustrating at times.

    The game is not as difficult as dark souls, it is similar in some ways but to sum it up it is the 'bad copy' of the Dark Souls games. I bought the game for 10 euros and I still regret it. If it were running smooth I may have wanted to go on and play the whole game....but the framerate problems (luckily, no crashes) + extremely boring maps (it looks always the same....Dark Souls has a magic feeling whenever you enter a new location) and so - so fights make me want to just quit the game and not go back to it.    … Expand
  21. Nergal
    Nov 10, 2014
    8
    Great game for whom likes the souls franchise or action games in general. The plot is weak and not interesting but the gameplay is very good. It's like dark souls with more emphasys on the weight of stuff and a good exploration of the (few) maps. unfortunately it lacks on variety of monsters, the bossess are all similar and you will find yourself constantly backtracking. Overall it's aGreat game for whom likes the souls franchise or action games in general. The plot is weak and not interesting but the gameplay is very good. It's like dark souls with more emphasys on the weight of stuff and a good exploration of the (few) maps. unfortunately it lacks on variety of monsters, the bossess are all similar and you will find yourself constantly backtracking. Overall it's a very good experience but sometimes it crashes and also it doesn't last long, about 15 hour to complete.… Expand
  22. CntrlAltDel101
    Oct 1, 2015
    6
    Lords of the Fallen isn't a great game. It's not a bad game either. I'd describe it as Dark Souls lite.

    Boss fights are very repetitive and overall it is too much of a weak Dark Souls clone for me to rate this any higher. They could have done so much more with this. It looks good, but that is were my praise ends.
  23. Kyochi
    Oct 31, 2014
    10
    11h played - not a single crash. Sometimes I have fps drop down on highest settings but nothing that makes game unplayable. Im playing on Phenom II x6 1090T 3.2Ghz, GTX650, 8GB RAM so my rig isn't high end. Overall game is very good, Playing heavy armored tank it's kinda easy mode but medium/light armor is another story. Maybe on NG+ you will need more dodge and monsters attacks will crush11h played - not a single crash. Sometimes I have fps drop down on highest settings but nothing that makes game unplayable. Im playing on Phenom II x6 1090T 3.2Ghz, GTX650, 8GB RAM so my rig isn't high end. Overall game is very good, Playing heavy armored tank it's kinda easy mode but medium/light armor is another story. Maybe on NG+ you will need more dodge and monsters attacks will crush you. Bosses are fine, nothing "epic" but compared to boring ones from DaS2 they have more interesting mechanics. There are some things that annoys me a lot like "invisible walls", a bit too much of backtracking or minor bugs. Controls and combat are same as DaS games (with same terrible run-jump mechanic) with some addition like shield charge (run+shield button) or fluid combo chain light+heavy attacks. I find LoTF more responsive than DaS2, kinda same good as DaS1. Graphic is beautiful, art style, locations, armor and weapon models, everything is top notch, especially compared to DaS2 terrible graphics. Animations are also great, "feel" of heavy weapon swing is one of a kind. There is no map, no objective mark or other easy-mode features so if you don't like exploring locations on your own and being lost (dmn those catacombs) think twice. There are also features like other dimension trials - some sort of side missions. Story? Really? This game is about combat and nothing else if you want good story go buy a good book for yourself. Overall it's very solid title and if CI Games will patch it and fix performence issues (for other ppl?) and minor bugs it would be even better. Game is 8 of 10 for me but I'll give it 10 to oppose 0 scores. In general DaS1>LoTF>DaS2… Expand
  24. Grizzlyadamz
    Oct 30, 2014
    8
    Still in the process of playing it, but so far it feels pretty good.

    If your rig can run it, you're in for a dark souls clone with a feel rather different from the inspiration. Tighter fighting zones & good visuals. It feels like a more casual version of DS, where they reward you for taking risk but offer more frequent safety nets. Different equipment choices feel & play    Still in the process of playing it, but so far it feels pretty good.

    If your rig can run it, you're in for a dark souls clone with a feel rather different from the inspiration.

    Tighter fighting zones & good visuals. It feels like a more casual version of DS, where they reward you for taking risk but offer more frequent safety nets.

    Different equipment choices feel & play differently, as do the class abilities.

    There are more NPC interactions, & lore is delivered through them & audio logs, of all things.

    Secrets are all over, & while it's still linear in the end, the condensed nature of the map actually gives a bit of exploration.

    If DS is a 9, this is a solid 8, and so far it's being rather badly under-rated, (thanks in part to the technical problems).

    At this point I'm glad I picked this up.    … Expand
  25. DerImperator
    Oct 30, 2014
    8
    The Artdesign is like Darksiders. The Story and the Cutsequences are only 5 Points, but the combat system and the exploration of the environment makes really fun and its comparable to Dark Souls.
  26. Firemind
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    A good game. More forgiving than Dark Souls and even though it clearly is inspired by it, Lords of the Fallen is way more than a cheap rip-off. The fighting is quite fun, the weapons are pretty cool and it is overall pretty much fun. It gets a little less forgiving in NG+ but it never reaches the "difficulty" of DS.
  27. Vamrem
    Oct 29, 2014
    7
    Good ARPG with some annoying bugs that surely would be corrected in future patches. It reminds me Blade The Edge of Darkness (yes, this was the very first ARPG that inspired Gothic, Dark Souls, Dark Siders and all of those ARPGs in which we risk our lives in each action... don't forget it).
    Well, it reminds me Blade because (unlike Dark Souls), this game uses the best technology    Good ARPG with some annoying bugs that surely would be corrected in future patches. It reminds me Blade The Edge of Darkness (yes, this was the very first ARPG that inspired Gothic, Dark Souls, Dark Siders and all of those ARPGs in which we risk our lives in each action... don't forget it).
    Well, it reminds me Blade because (unlike Dark Souls), this game uses the best technology available, and in a video-game this is a solid point to considered.
    About its flaws are the extremely "Blizzardy" ornamented gear that removes all realism of them, but the most important (and the only it makes me downgrade its score) is that we CAN'T physically customize the main character (face, body and gender), the customization is only in skills. And in a immersive game like this I want my very personal character (at least they should have done as Blade, in which you can choose among 4 different characters), but you will like or hate his face and deal with that...    … Expand
  28. BlessFrom
    Oct 29, 2014
    10
    I was shocked by the "feel" of this game. As a student of the From Software/Miyazaki school of thought, the mechanics are already familiar. This is where the similarities to the "other" game end.

    The world has it's own particular feel which is hard to explain. It is very subjective. It is like looking into a View-Master or perhaps Iranian miniatures in a way. As a child I was    I was shocked by the "feel" of this game. As a student of the From Software/Miyazaki school of thought, the mechanics are already familiar. This is where the similarities to the "other" game end.

    The world has it's own particular feel which is hard to explain. It is very subjective. It is like looking into a View-Master or perhaps Iranian miniatures in a way. As a child I was fascinated with tabletop miniature wargames, this brings the same feeling. The lightning is splendid, and it is very "gamey" but in a very good way. Extremely atmospheric.    … Expand
  29. Offtheheezay95
    Oct 30, 2014
    9
    feels like a more polished Dark Souls, graphics are better, animations are better, sounds are better, music while not as good is still decent.
    while the game isnt crashing or running at a miserably low fps, its a very decent game
  30. ScotchWallace
    Oct 29, 2014
    8
    Smooth, well paced action romp, derivative but so what... Challenging without being annoying... I recommend this game for anyone looking to play a g are to tide them over until Dark Souls comes out with their inevitable next ten incarnation...
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Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Dec 15, 2014
    83
    Lords of the Fallen may be a simplified, easier version of Souls games, but is it necessarily a bad thing? Being an overpowered iron mountain at the end game, well, it is actually quite satisfying for a change. [Dec 2014]
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    90
    I was flabbergasted by what two largely unknown studios managed to achieve. Lords of the Fallen is not just a creative take on the formula introduced by From Software, but also a game that can rival the greatest recent RPGs and looks like Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau from their best years. [Dec 2014, p.40]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 3, 2014
    80
    Straightforward copycat of "Souls" games achieved a success because it can reach players the Japanese series could not because it was too difficult. The game is still challenging but you won't be desperate from playing it. [Issue#247]
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