Lords of the Fallen (2023)

Amazing how the people behind this game listen to the community!
I already enjoyed the game when it launched, even though it was obviously flawed in some regards. Over the last 2 years the game received numerous updates, and today I got recommended a video about update 2.0 launching, and it literally fixed EVERY SINGLE FLAW the game had. And even though I already own the game I really respect the game being on a 67% discount for 2 weeks right after the update drops, instead of making people pay the standard price of 60€ for it after upgrading its value this much.
I really hope this game will receive the love it deserves!

This game has ups and downs, but damn, do the devs care about this game. Since day 1 they have updated this game non stop with new content. Hats off to them. Just fix coop so players can roam around uninterrupted and that we share loot found in Mournested.

After playing Demon's Souls, all the Dark Souls games, Elden Ring, Mortal Shell, Nioh (1 and 2), Lies of P, and even the goofy charm of Another Crab's Treasure, I finally got around to Lords of the Fallen 2.0 and I reaaaally loved it. I finished the game twice on my xbox series X with regular and adyr ending ng+, yet to finish it here.
The combat is really polished. It feels a lot better than the original Lords of the Fallen which I also have finished on xbox, You’ve got a dedicated jump button now, which is honestly unnecessary but I think it's something some people asked and that's another point I liked, CI Games proved they listen us, and the many complaints people did at launch. The game also have some of that Elden Ring smoothness, but don’t expect the same level of freedom. And while the lock-on system is definitely improved, it’s still not as buttery as Dark Souls 3. Some weapons hit hard and feel super satisfying, kinda like Mortal Shell’s heavy crunch. I used radiance build in my first run and inferno build in my 2nd run, but I feel inferno is the most powerful one.
Now the co-op mode share progression, and they’ve got this Friend Pass thing that lets your friends join in even if they don’t own the game. Again, CI GAMES proving they care and listen to us.
There are two realms—the regular one and this creepy Umbral realm, which gives me goosebumps sometimes. The lamp system that helps with navigation is pretty neat.
Character customization is better now. It’s not on the same level as Nioh 2, but it's also great. And the visuals are amazing, Unreal Engine 5 makes everything look great, and I love the photo mode and the 3d photos, the gothic vibe and the energy the landscape gives me.

I personally enjoyed Lords of the Fallen 2 just as much as I enjoyed Elden Ring and Dark Souls, you must at least try it, you will not regret If you’re into Soulslike games.

Absolutely yes !! This game, and the love its devs are constantly putting into it deserves atleast Mostly positive, if not Very positive ratings. There are many worse souls-likes out there with better ratings. This game isn't flawless, but I think the rating is yet to move past the horrible launch this one had, because trust me, the game is well past it.
The world building and the story are good, the combat takes a minute to get used to (you do get generous i-frames, which was a surprise to me), the level designs are a little confusing, you get lost very easily on some levels, you can parry almost all bosses and mobs, the soulflay technique is amazing, the incorporation of the two worlds concept (umbral and axiom) into the world-building is well done in my opinion, the music is good and bosses are good too, albeit on the easier side for souls-veterans (provided you pick a build, any build, because the game punishes bad levelling). Technically, the performance was really good, no crashes, minor glitches and bugs. NG+ unlocks modifiers to increase difficulties and some major changes to the gameplay as well for those seeking challenge. The one complaint I have is the enemy variety, you'll get used to the mobs very quickly and you'll keep seeing them throughout the game.
Overall, this game is a solid 7.5/10. Give it a try, if in a doubt wait for sales, you might be surprised by how much you like this. Cheers!

They keep updating and improving the game, deserved purchase.

I came into this game wary from all the negative reviews and feedback I'd heard since launch, but in it's current state? Man, this game deserves so much more praise. The devs have been consistently updating with player feedback since launch and have really turned this into one of the most visually impressive and technically ambitious offerings in the 'Soulslike' genre. Forget any impressions you may have from launch discussions or from the previous game if you played it. The world is expansive, darkly beautiful and interconnected in a way that hasn't been done since the original Dark Souls. The combat, while admittedly unbalanced (magic and status effects can be hilariously broken with the right gear and stats), is decently paced and rewarding, with a wide variety of weapon types and combinations. If the 'Soulslike' genre is one of your favorites, or if you just enjoy dark fantasy action rpgs, there is SO much to love and appreciate here, and I honestly hope the devs get a chance to take the lessons they learned and create a proper sequel.

i tried lords of the fallen quite a long time ago when it was first released. i saw a really cool, grim-dark soulslike, one of my favorite genres of games. and so, i bought it week one and tried it out. i first entered the game, looked at the graphics and went: "wow! this looks so cool!" and then fast forward a few hours and...
i didn't like it.
the game was riddled with issues, both gameplay wise and performance wise. i don't have a state of the art pc, but i do have one that can run games like Cyberpunk with little to no issues. this one saw stutter after stutter, the frames were dropping constantly, and i wasn't having a good time. i dropped the game around 6 or so hours into my initial playthrough.
a year went by after i dropped the game, and i haven't picked it up since. but after playing through all of the good soulslike games in my library, Lords of the Fallen was just glaring at me saying "look at me. LOOK AT ME. i know you want to. i've gotten better. trust me."
and so i did. i wanted to see if the game improved upon it's absolutely abysmal launch state and i gotta say: it did! for the most part.
this very quick "review" are just brief points on which parts i liked, and which parts i didn't like.
DISCLAIMER: my opinions. take this review with a grain of salt.
stuff i liked
+ enemy density is no longer a pain in the ass (launch game had 50%~70% more enemies in each area, especially when in umbral)
+ combat feels really good to pull off
+ weapon movesets are badass (you can powerstance a dagger and a longsword, like HELLO?)
+ switching from one-handed R1's to two-handed R1's seamlessly is so fun (even if i didn't use it too often :P)
+ movement is slick and responsive
+ builds can be pretty varied, and SPLIT DAMAGE DOESN'T SUCK!!
+ all weapon types are viable, with no weapon being absolute ass
+ way better performance, way less stuttering even on higher graphical settings
+ the armor sets look cool af (paladin set ftw)
+ some of the weapons are absolute eye candy
+ the atmosphere of the game is amazing
+ the boss fights i've done so far were enjoyable for the most part
+ lore is pretty interesting, got me reading some of the item descriptions
+ no adp
stuff i thought was whatever
some umbral seedbeds (temporary vestiges ) are unnecessary, as they're usually not that far away from a normal vestige
not that much enemy variety, but i didn't mind
some spells (radiant spells, mostly) felt underwhelming to use
i didn't feel the need to perfect block/parry that much when rolling has a stupid amount of i-frames and the sidestepping felt good
short swords are kind of boring, but to each their own
stuff i disliked
- stamina regens SO slowly, even after equipping a stamina regen ring AND using an item
- consumables that don't get rid of a status, heal, or return you to vestige are useless
- you can't use both a bow and magic, why?
- no actual filtering in menus, everything is sorted by type
- no separate tabs for each armor piece, they're all on the same page
- absolutely ZERO explanation on some mechanics (certain status effects, quest items)
- no reason to stay in the normal world (axiom), when umbral gives you shortcuts, extra items, etc.
- item descriptions being locked behind leveling radiance and inferno is questionable
- some non-cutscene bosses are pretty underwhelming (mostly gank fights and "bosses" that later appear as normal enemies)
- you don't use umbral lamp in virtually any scenario besides rune farming and exploring umbral
- some level designs feel kinda samey: area blocked unless you're in umbral, explore that a bit, go back to axiom, back into umbral because it's blocked again, rinse and repeat
- the requirements as well as the order to do certain actions to unlock some endings is VERY convoluted for zero reason
summary
i actually enjoyed the game this time! there are still some glaring issues that i cannot overlook, but overall it's a solid game at its current state. i would only recommend getting this at a discount, as the issues do not justify a 60 dollar pricing range, but you will enjoy the game once discounted.