Lords of the Fallen
Overview -
'Lords of the Fallen' was co-developed by German studio Deck13 Interactive and Polish studio CI Games, and then distributed in North America by Japanese company Namco Bandai. Neither of the developers have had a massive, instantly recognizable success, with the most notable series between the two of them probably being 'Sniper: Ghost Warrior' from CI.
The game is a third-person action-RPG set in a dark fantasy world. It uses the proprietary Fledge engine and was originally designed for last-gen consoles, being pushed into the eighth generation only later in its development.
Video Review
'Lords of the Fallen' is built on the Fledge engine, which was specially designed for this game. The engine has some substance underpinning it, as many of the textures are highly detailed and the environments beautifully rendered. As I moved slowly from level to level, I could not help but compare the game’s ambiance to German Expressionist cinema. Those early films were distinguished by long, dark, panoramic shots of the countryside and other natural environments. 'Lords of the Fallen' is a game that is intended to be played slowly, with the player savoring each ponderous fight and each setting.
Despite the pretty gloss on the surface, there are some deeper issues. Animations are not fluid and are sometimes just plain weird. There is some clipping, especially on clothing and armor. The Fledge engine has a powerful lighting builder, but some of the shadows and darkness on the Xbox One version clearly exhibit grainy blocks. Also, the Xbox One has been given the lowest resolution of all three release platforms, and checks in at the currently dreaded 900p.
Audio Review
The voice actors here do an admirable job with the rather weak script, although some performances are far better than others. The score is lovely and has a strong European flavor. It remains engaging throughout the game without crossing the line into operatic melodrama. The sound effects are a bit weaker - the screeches and grunts of the enemies aren’t very convincing, and the melee strikes don’t have quite enough power behind them.
Final Thoughts
It is not a frame-for-frame clone of 'Dark Souls', but neither is 'Lords of the Fallen' a worthy competitor. Imitation is certainly the sincerest form of flattery, but this game gets more wrong than it does right. Difficult gameplay is its own reward if the player has the proper tools, and while I had some of those tools in 'Lords of the Fallen', I never quite got on board with what it offers. A stronger tutorial or even a minimap goes a long way. Even so, the time I spent with it was not without enjoyment. For those with the patience and conviction, who don't mind taking a beating and putting up with some visual issues, 'Lords of the Fallen' may just scratch an itch not met by anything else currently on the Xbox One.
