Lords of the Fallen (E3 2014 Hands-On Preview)

Lords of the Fallen is a new AAA franchise from publisher Bandai Namco. The game features a dangerous difficulty spike mixed with action RPG gameplay that has it most often compared to Dark Souls. The next generation title was available to play at E3 2014, and we were one of the few lucky media members to try out the newest test version of the game at the event. There are few other games like Lords of the Fallen that manages to offer such difficult gameplay while also having each defeated enemy feel so rewarding. The brief demo showed off several different enemy types as well that should help break up any monotony and offer players a lengthy and enjoyable experience when the full game is released later this year.

In Lords of the Fallen, players take control of an escaped criminal named Harkyn, who finds himself in the middle of a battle against a god in order to save mankind. The demo for the game didn't delve very much into the game's storyline with the primary objective simply being to progress through a series of dark catacombs before reaching an end boss. Storyline isn't a huge part of why players will want to pick up a copy of Lords of the Fallen, but Harkyn does seem like an interesting enough character to help carry a storyline that seems similar to something like the original God of War plot.



There were several things that CI Games and the rest of the development team seemed to get right in the Lords of the Fallen E3 demo. The most impressive feature was the nice amount of different enemy encounters from the rotting Rhogar Infested to the hulking behemoth known as the Champion Lord. The Rhogar Infested were weak enough to be fought even if a group attacked all at once, but the AI and enemy design was developed well enough to still cause the enemies to be a challenge that must always be accounted for. The game was also generous with checkpoints to allow the player to replenish vital healing items at different points through the mission, and we definitely appreciated each time the game allowed us to catch our breath.

Lords of the Fallen will release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC later this year, and the game is noticeably better looking than either Dark Souls game. Lords of the Fallen isn't the best looking next generation game we've seen, but it's still fairly impressive, and if the team manages to polish it up before release and fix a few graphical glitches we noticed during the demo, it could be considered among some of the better looking games on next generation consoles. What we really can't wait to see in the full release of Lords of the Fallen is more enemies. The demo showcased rotting knights, spiders and massive monsters, and the full release promises to contain at least 11 different bosses that should all pose a massive threat to players. Look for more information on Lords of the Fallen as we get closer to the end of the year.

Lords of the Fallen is now available for preorder from most major retailers for the MSRP of $59.99 and is scheduled to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in Fall 2014. Lords of the Fallen is not yet rated. For more information on the game, check out the official Lords of the Fallen website.

Game Features:

• Single Player
• Warrior, Rogue and Cleric Classes
• Challenge Mode
• 11 Unique Boss Battles
• Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer: CI Games
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: PlayStation 4 (previewed), Xbox One & PC
Release Date: Fall 2014