Lords Of The Fallen™

Lords of the Fallen (2014) Review: A Journey Through Shadows and Light 🌌⚔️

It was upon entering my first adventure in Lords of the Fallen, where I found myself immediately taken by a beautiful world; it was captivating at first sight. Hours in this lofty game lead me to discover its peaks and troughs from which I can draw an overall impression that would give the game a respectable score of 6 out of 10.

Graphics: 8/10 🌟

First, the graphics are anything but marvelous. The environments are so richly detailed and enhanced by lighting as a source of eerie, but beautiful, atmospheric effects. It seems as if every place-from the crumbling temples to the great shadowy realms-is carefully sculpted. Much of character designs is so detailed as to help with immersion. Most often, I stop just to enjoy the view, a clear sign that great art went into this game.

Gameplay: 6/10 ⚔️

The combat system is where things become mixed. You get a thrill from swinging your weapon and casting spells. But the controls are super clunky, at times during the progression of the game, I dodge attacks and yet got hit by some awkward hit-box inconsistencies. The game tried to make a strategy out of its class and skill, which was a good thinking, but never quite achieved match for me; where the thrill of battle fell short is where sometime grossly frustrating enemy AI made it feel unfair, especially in larger groups.

Story: 5/10 📚

The story is supposed to be an epic war against dark gods, an ideological struggle between good and evil - but this still doesn't arouse much engagement. The story felt to be quite drab and superficial, because lack of deep emotional undertones. Sometimes, it sounded very much stereotyped in dialogues, so it was pretty much difficult to immerse in the characters or their fates. I would like to connect deeply to the world around me, while the narrative seemed more like a backdrop than a sword driving the action.

Replayability: 6/10 🔁

Finished with the campaign, I began to wonder whether it would bring me back. There are different classes to play and a potentially multuple playthrough, but there has not been much desire to dive back in. Lore and world-building may show promise, but it won't keep me going back to Lords of the Fallen for an enthralling narrative or variety in gameplay. 

Overall Experience: 6/10 🌗

Lords of the Fallen, clearly, is an ambitious title, but it does not nail itself as a true gem at the end of the day. The graphics are simply stunning, and indeed, they give a solid foundation for a gaming experience; yet, this is weighed down by clumsy mechanics and a shallow scenario. For any action RPG fan, it may well be worth a shot just for visual spectacle, but I probably wouldn't call it a must-play. The game definitely left me with an emotional ambivalence - much potential, yet it clearly seems to have fallen short.