Spoilers Official Lords of the Fallen 2023 Disc [PS/PC/Xbox]

[Valhoven]

Sunbros, Palebloods and resident death-diviners,

I've compiled everything I could on upcoming sequel to Lords of the Fallen (LotF).

Discussion will be a bit of a cracked vessel as more and more information trickles down.

A quick note on getting to this point: LotF 2's development cycle had been restarted a few times since ca. 2016 as CI Games wanted to nail the vision for this one and not compromise. Production has been kept unusually quiet until very recently and studio Hexworks will be developing, counted amongst them is in-house AAA talent. Hexworks, in its mission statement, will be a studio going forward dedicated to dark ARPGs.

Creative Director et al. have said in recent interviews the sequel will see a bigger budget and even more indie passion, that LotF 2 is a game where development choices have been directly impacted by Soulsborne fans' input from the original. Goes on to say the worldwide Soulsborne playerbase has been instrumental in making the game and calls it a proper 'fanwork' for those dedicated to the genre.

Official logo has been confirmed:

Source (External link)​

Combat from the original has been completely reworked and deepened.

I interpreted this as meaning not only bigger boss battles but, too, a more fleshed-out and responsive riposting system, which was something more or less unintuitive and shallow in the original.

Lucas Leigh, who's the motion-capture artist and combat expert for LotF 2, said last month the combat is a MF'er this time around and more Soulsy, intense. You can follow Lucas here, if you wish.

The title is very likely being developed exclusively for next-gen systems PS5, Series X, PC.

When? The big question. Right now, earliest will be holiday 2021 but 2022 likelier.

 

[Nova44]

Sunbros, Palebloods and resident death-diviners,

I've compiled everything I could on upcoming sequel to Lords of the Fallen (LotF).

Discussion will be a bit of a cracked vessel as more and more information trickles down.

A quick note on getting to this point: LotF 2's development cycle had been restarted a few times since ca. 2016 as CI Games wanted to nail the vision for this one and not compromise. Production has been kept unusually quiet until very recently and studio Hexworks will be developing, counted amongst them is in-house AAA talent. Hexworks, in its mission statement, will be a studio going forward dedicated to dark ARPGs.

Creative Director et al. have said in recent interviews the sequel will see a bigger budget and even more indie passion, that LotF 2 is a game where development choices have been directly impacted by Soulsborne fans' input from the original. Goes on to say the worldwide Soulsborne playerbase has been instrumental in making the game and calls it a proper 'fanwork' for those dedicated to the genre.

Official logo has been confirmed:

View attachment 852003

Source (External link)​

Combat from the original has been completely reworked and deepened.

I interpreted this as meaning not only bigger boss battles but, too, a more fleshed-out and responsive riposting system, which was something more or less unintuitive and shallow in the original.

Lucas Leigh, who's the motion-capture artist and combat expert for LotF 2, said last month the combat is a MF'er this time around and more Soulsy, intense. You can follow Lucas here, if you wish.

The title is very likely being developed exclusively for next-gen systems PS5, Series X, PC.

When? The big question. Right now, earliest will be holiday 2021 but 2022 likelier.

Honestly do you think i should give the first one another go? I played about an hour of the first game years ago when it was free on ps plus and i just couldn't push through any further.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Lords of the Fallen was the only game I’ve “quit” in probably the last 15 years. I think I beat the first 3-4 bosses maybe four or five years ago and then just threw in the towel, I just found the combat too slow and clunky compared to the Soulsborne games. There’s just no beating the real McCoy.

 

[GtehMVP]

Honestly do you think i should give the first one another go? I played about an hour of the first game years ago when it was free on ps plus and i just couldn't push through any further.

I rarely finish anything, but I really enjoyed this one after its rough start. Before Hellpoint, it was my fav Souls-like. Nioh has the best combat, but it's missing exploration (level design is mediocre too). LOTF doesn't have great exploration either, but at least the levels felt lived in, and were designed well, unlike Nioh. I loved the graphics too

The big problem with this game is the lack of effective (and slow) weapons. I didn't mind the overall slower pace, as it made everything feel weighty. The beefy armour made you feel like a heavy hitter too, but most of the weapons were too damn slow. Once I found a good sword though, I had a blast.

I was fresh off serious Souls withdrawal, so perhaps I was desperate for anything in that genre, but I pretty much have played every Souls-like, and only only finished a few of them, this being one of them

I'm sure you can wait for a sale.and get it for $5, if you didnt keep your PS+ sub

Thanks OP, I'm eager for this release!

 

[Nova44]

I rarely finish anything, but I really enjoyed this one after its rough start. Before Hellpoint, it was my fav Souls-like. Nioh has the best combat, but it's missing exploration (level design is mediocre too). LOTF doesn't have great exploration either, but at least the levels felt lived in, and were designed well, unlike Nioh. I loved the graphics too

The big problem with this game is the lack of effective (and slow) weapons. I didn't mind the overall slower pace, as it made everything feel weighty. The beefy armour made you feel like a heavy hitter too, but most of the weapons were too damn slow. Once I found a good sword though, I had a blast.

I was fresh off serious Souls withdrawal, so perhaps I was desperate for anything in that genre, but I pretty much have played every Souls-like, and only only finished a few of them, this being one of them

I'm sure you can wait for a sale.and get it for $5, if you didnt keep your PS+ sub

Thanks OP, I'm eager for this release!

I still have my ps plus sub so I'll give it another go.

 

[Valhoven]

Honestly do you think i should give the first one another go? I played about an hour of the first game years ago when it was free on ps plus and i just couldn't push through any further.

Yeah, I do. Devs never abandoned the title and kept elevating the product. State of play at launch was a wingless stump, it was – no nice way to put it. Fantastic scoring aside, the game gets so much better as you progress; it's actually a well-done power fantasy in that regard.

If speed or fatroll was a dislike (I get it), create a new char and go either class Rogue or Cleric and invest in AGL (Agility), not STR. Long term, this will give you access to sick shortswords like Bloodsick, dual-wield daggers, elemental staves, claw variations like Sting, and the game's coolest shields. The gauntlet combat dynamic (arm cannon-type) is very cool (and life-saving) once you start accessing powerful runes and scaling or imbuing for poison DoT, burn, and dimension-suspending dark magic.

Watch your weight distribution for armours, get your Endurance up, and you'll be doing doughnuts around guys. There's a trinket to equip as well (Great Burden or Burden something, iirc) that works like Havel's Ring. If you do a new run, I personally recommend watching out for a trinket called Betrayer; you bleed with your enemies not unlike the Chikage or Bloodletter in Bb but, dude, the DMG buff is OHKO sinister. Loved that thing.

I suspect many guys were poise-hungry and went Warrior class for brute-strength play, which here plays slowly and lacks fluidity. I bought the Ancient Labyrinth DLC too and found the boss to be the trickiest of the entire game as well as finding in it a hidden armour that is inarguably one of the best for Harkyn's journey. There are tonnes of secrets hidden about and some WTF questlines too.

I remember the camera for some reason is a bit giggly or yields to roaming on uneven ground whatnot + the small-world, patented From shortcutting strategy was convoluted and poorly executed so it's got flaws, no doubt. Budget is much bigger for the sequel so I'm hoping this stuff gets ironed out and polished this time around. Ultimately, if you find yourself digging it, you'll be up on the story for the sequel if CI and Hexworks end up delivering a real sleeper in LotF 2.

 

[GtehMVP]

I still have my ps plus sub so I'll give it another go.

Cool!

From what I recall, there are special classes or something you can choose, which gives you a special ability/attack.

The one I chose let me send a familiar/demon thing to attack enemies, which is on a timer/cooldown, he hit hard. I think there are 4 of these classes, so look them up before you restart. I remember seeing better ones than mine, but you can change it, even in NG+ I think. Anyway, look that up

Edit, just did a quick search. This guy's mic is shit, but it lookalike he's giving a decent overview of those classes

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

Thought the first one was okay, but liked it enough to finish it. Love the Souls like genre, so will definitely jump into this.

 

[rikwebb]

Gematsu has a few new screenshots of the game up

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/the-lords-of-the-fallen-new-screenshots

 

[Valhoven]

Gematsu has a few new screenshots of the game up

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/the-lords-of-the-fallen-new-screenshots

Thanks. Great screenshots, actually. Wish they didn't name or brand this reboot the way they had though.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

Thanks. Great screenshots, actually. Wish they didn't name or brand this reboot the way they had though.

When I first saw the trailer I honestly thought it was another Lord of the Rings game. The main character looked like a Nazgûl.

The article reads (at least to me) that the lantern mechanic might be something akin to the time travel mechanic or something similar from Dishonored. Unless the lantern is reserved for different segments of the game. Can you alternate between the two at any time?

 

[KidBaize]

Gematsu has a few new screenshots of the game up

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/the-lords-of-the-fallen-new-screenshots

It's due to release in 2023 but we still haven't seen any gameplay. Is that normal?

 

[rikwebb]

It's due to release in 2023 but we still haven't seen any gameplay. Is that normal?

At times its starting to feel normal, at times devs are keeping stuff for showcases/ mini shows etc.

 

[KidBaize]

At times its starting to feel normal, at times devs are keeping stuff for showcases/ mini shows etc.

Well hopefully they release it this year but I'm skeptical. Hexworks was just formed in 2020 and it sounds like a small studio so it seems unlikely they finish everything in three years.

 

[Valhoven]

The world revealed to be 5x the size of the original is hard to wrap my head around. I have to think because there are two worlds to explore – one of the living, and one of the dead and maybe even an inverse of the former – that this is how they’re realising that.

Pretty excited for this and love CI Games being involved but maps rather than interconnected worlds are more their wheelhouse or portfolio DNA, I like to think. CI saying this game will mark a strong shift from the original’s power fantasy focus to dark RPG was exactly what I wanted to hear.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

Nice.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

Written just like a ER post..

 

[GtehMVP]

Okay, this looks fucking awesome. The atmosphere and graphics are incredible, and the gameplay look tight, hopefully it plays/feels as good as it's looking.



Dark/gothic medieval setting, morbid monsters/bosses with babes and big swords...coupled with those wide angled shots to help tell the story environmentally, this has everything I love most in a game/film setting. It makes me crave a 4K 60 FPS Bloodborne remaster more. Hell, I want to see an Unreal Engine 5 remake.

The tech


I really liked LOTF 1, though I played it years after it came out and ironed out the bugs. It was still a AA game with some jank, but you can feel the love the devs put into it. I'll take that over a preachy/soulless AAA cash grab any day. CI games is doing this without Deck 13 this time (Surge devs), could be a good or bad thing.

I'm not an Iron Maiden fan or anything either, but I always liked their dark fantasy album covers/art work. It takes me back to playing D&D as a young teen. The DM for most of our games had tons of their stuff on his wall. The lyrics to 'fear the dark' fit this well too.

 

[KidBaize]

Okay, this looks fucking awesome. The atmosphere and graphics are incredible, and the gameplay look tight, hopefully it plays/feels as good as it's looking.



Dark/gothic medieval setting, morbid monsters/bosses with babes and big swords...coupled with those wide angled shots to help tell the story environmentally, this has everything I love most in a game/film setting. It makes me crave a 4K 60 FPS Bloodborne remaster more. Hell, I want to see an Unreal Engine 5 remake.

The tech


I really liked LOTF 1, though I played it years after it came out and ironed out the bugs. It was still a AA game with some jank, but you can feel the love the devs put into it. I'll take that over a preachy/soulless AAA cash grab any day. CI games is doing this without Deck 13 this time (Surge devs), could be a good or bad thing.

I'm not an Iron Maiden fan or anything either, but I always liked their dark fantasy album covers/art work. It takes me back to playing D&D as a young teen. The DM for most of our games had tons of their stuff on his wall. The lyrics to 'fear the dark' fit this well too.

Yeah the art direction looks amazing. I'm curious how similar to the original this is going to be or if it will be a complete reimagining. I can't believe it's releasing this year but Oct 13 is the day apparently and it's not that far away.

 

[Valhoven]

Yeah the art direction looks amazing. I'm curious how similar to the original this is going to be or if it will be a complete reimagining. I can't believe it's releasing this year but Oct 13 is the day apparently and it's not that far away.

October confirmed? Can update title; didn't know.