Lords of the Fallen

About Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen is a dark fantasy action-RPG developed by HEXWORKS and published by CI Games. It launched on October 13, 2023, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Players take on the role of a Dark Crusader in a world where the demon God Adyr returns after centuries of defeat. The story splits between two distinct realms, forcing you to navigate a grim setting filled with heavy armor and brutal enemies. This title aims to be a spiritual successor to classic souls-like games, though it stands on its own merits regarding scale and atmosphere.

Gameplay

Combat feels weighty and deliberate rather than fast-paced. You manage stamina carefully while executing heavy strikes, parries, or dodges against large foes. A core mechanic involves the Umbral Lens, which lets you toggle between the living world and a twisted version of the same map to find shortcuts or hidden enemies. The game supports single-player campaigns as well as co-op multiplayer for specific boss fights. Sessions often involve methodical exploration where you die frequently, learn enemy patterns, and retry challenging encounters until you succeed.

What Players Think

The PlayPile data shows an IGDB score of 71.3 out of 100 based on 81 ratings. Players spend an average of 24 hours completing the main story, though full completion takes closer to 45 hours for those chasing all 77 achievements. Community moods lean heavily toward "challenging" and "gritty," with review snippets often mentioning the steep difficulty curve. While some users praise the boss designs, others note technical hiccups at launch. The historical low price sits at $9.89, but Green Man Gaming currently offers it for just $0.85. This massive discount has spiked recent interest despite mixed critical reception.

PlayPile's Take

This title suits players who enjoy punishing combat and don't mind grinding through repetitive deaths. The dual-realm mechanic adds a strategic layer that few other games attempt. At the current price of under one dollar, the value proposition is strong even with known bugs. You will need patience to unlock all achievements since the game demands mastery of its systems. If you can stomach the difficulty spikes and technical issues, it offers enough content to justify the time investment for a single playthrough or two.

Storyline

After an age of the cruellest tyranny, the demon God, Adyr, was finally defeated. But Gods… do not fall forever. Now, aeons later, Adyr’s resurrection draws nigh. As one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, journey through both the realms of the living and the dead in this expansive RPG experience, featuring colossal boss battles, fast challenging combat, thrilling character encounters, and deep, immersive storytelling. Will your legend be one of light… or one of darkness? Dare to Hope.