Strange decision to give this game the same name as the abysmal 2014 release, as Lords of the Fallen 2023 is leagues better in every conceivable way. Developed by a new studio now, it's intended as a reboot of the IP, and I'd say it succeeded in washing away the sour taste of the original.
Unlike its Predecessor from Deck13, Lords of the Fallen 2023 is a competent, playable and visually arresting souls-like, albeit with some persistant flaws. The most impressive part of the game for me is the visual style: the religious themes pair extremely well with the dark and brutal depictions of torture and corruption, giving the game a grisly veneer that's just peak dark fantasy. It paints a bleak picture of a world that succumbed to darkness and rot. Perfect world design for a souls-like in my book.
The gameplay is solid enough, a bit on the jank side, but better than average in this genre I'd say. One entirely unique element to this game is the umbral lamp. At first it seems like a gimmick: you activate the lamp to project a sort of "window" forward into a parallel world where the level geometry is different. This is used to solve puzzles, revealing paths and platforms that can only be traversed while using the lamp, but that also opens you up to attacks from literally 'otherwordly' foes. Very soon though, you realize that this 'umbral world' really is an entire parallel game world that exists in the same space and can be entered and traversed (mostly) at will. I just have to admire the sheer technical and conceptual bravery behind this mechanic, even if it does sometimes get cumbersome when navigating the levels.
I also have to bring attention to the dev's efforts in improving this game. I have seldom seen a developer that is so commited to community feedback and to the continued betterment of their project after release, even amidst the very rough reviews at launch. An incredible amount of work went into molding this game into something both the developers and the community can be proud of. And even if the current game may still not be perfect, the work ethic demonstrated by Hexworks is absolutely something praiseworthy, and Lords of the Fallen is now much better for it.
A sequel has since been announced, and from what we've seen in trailers so far, it looks to be even grander than this game in both design and presentation. With Lords of the Fallen 2 on the horizon, and 1 in its best state yet, it's now the perfect time to dive into this game.
