Lords of the Fallen is usually described as a Dark Souls clone. While it might share similar themes and styles, it strays away from it the more you play, and that isn't a bad thing. It is a fantastic game that needs to be played by anyone brave enough to take on the world that stands before you.
You play as a man called Harkyn, a gruff sounding criminal who has committed several sins, the markings on his face prove it. A monk named Kaslo releases you, as he needs you to bring an end to the Rhogar attacks in the area, and kill Adyr, the god behind the war that is taking place. You meet multiple characters along your journey, including an immortal blacksmith as well as a female traveler who is obsessed with gold, who all play a part with the story. I was very surprised with how engaging the plot was. There will be times when it can drag on for a bit, but most of the time I loved hearing about the lore and watching each cut scene. The world you roam in is great too, with an abundance of castles on offer at the start, but as you progress you then travel to the Rhogar dimension and to say that it looked atmospheric would be an understatement. You can even enter the cursed catacombs, which has plenty of loot for you to collect, and of course a vast amount of creatures to do battle with. At the start of the game, you'll need to choose a class to play with. You've got the Warrior, the Cleric, the Rogue as well as some more. You can't create your own character in this game, you can only change the armour, weapons and spells that Harkyn can use. You can't change his name and make him a necromancer, so keep that in mind.
Graphics look fantastic no matter where you go. I did see some texture pop in but it was infrequent, and didn't affect the look of the game in any way. Environments look beautiful, no matter how many times you visit them. Character models are impressive, even though some of the lip syncing slightly misses the mark, but honestly you'll barely notice it. Weather effects look pretty, and combined with the already superb looking over world, they manage to add a gorgeous, immersive place for you to fight in. While fighting a group of enemies, the frame rate tends to drop at the worst possible moments. When you're low on health, for example, it will stutter every so quickly. The more you play, however, the less of a problem it becomes. Speaking of fighting, let's go over the combat, which is possibly the most talked about thing with new comers in Lords of the Fallen. Hitting enemies isn't about mashing the attack button, it's about zoning them out until you learn their patterns before striking when you see an opening. Sounds basic on paper but is ultimately one of the best things the game has to show. It's slow, meaty and well worth playing with. This is something I have to address though, there will be some delay while brawling. Because of the way it is, you can spam whatever button you're using and it might not work how you would want it to.
The reason for the delayed combat is because of your stamina bar. Running, rolling, jumping and fighting will make you tired if you overdo it. Wearing heavy gear will limit your speed, so balancing your armour and weaponry is a must if you don't want to die repeatedly due to fatigue. In order to have an effective fighting style you'll need to conserve your energy and use it when you really have to, instead of wasting it. There's quite a lot of attack methods to use. You've got spells, both offensive and defensive. You can perform stealth kills on unsuspecting idiots that have their backs turned, but the strangest of all are the gauntlets that you can acquire. Gauntlets are basically chunky slabs of rock that have different abilities. They can be used to fire projectiles at enemies at enemies from a safe distance, cause a minor explosion which works well on smaller creatures, and a bigger explosion that takes away far more health. You can also block with them if you really need to. In Lords of the Fallen, weapons are the main priority, just like in any Souls game. Thankfully, the available choices you have in this game do not disappoint. You've got all kinds of swords and axes like in your standard RPG, but now you can select between other weapons to vary your play style. Certain weapons (and gauntlets) have sockets in them, which allow you to place runes into those sockets. You'll pick up sealed runes very often, especially in the first hour, but they are extremely useful. Eventually you'll meet up with the blacksmith, who will help you decipher the runes and turn them into powerful objects which can then be fitted into your weapons. Some runes are better than others, and have different effects when used.
Every amazing game has problems remember. The most noticeable is the awful camera. Don't even try to fight in tight corridors, because you'll take more damage from the obstructive angle rather than the shambling goon that you're laying into. Get forced into a corner by more than one monster? Tough! Now you'll have to watch the screen glitch out a dozen times in order to free yourself from the stinging pain. Whenever you're in an open area, the camera is perfect, but blindly wander into a cramped room and you could meet an early demise. Another crippling issue with this game is the glitchy nature. On PS4 it's known for random crashes as well as unknown things that occur. When loading a new area, the screen will sometimes stay black for up to a minute until you press a button on your controller. During cut scenes, there's a small chance of characters not saying anything, even though text appears at the bottom of the screen. The physics like to not do what they're supposed to do on occasion too. The problems listed don't necessarily mean that it's unplayable, but you'll want to take note of them. One time I fought a completely glitched boss. The guy I was battling was standing on an invisible layer above the ground. It didn't affect the outcome, but how did the developers not see this?
It would've been nice if this game had some multiplayer to try out, but unlike most games recently, it has none whatsoever. It's very story driven which, as I mentioned earlier, isn't a bad thing. I love the story in this beautiful game, so I don't mind about the absence of multiplayer, but some people will. Dark Souls allows people to play online, and Bloodborne does the same. I got the Limited Edition version of the game, and it is different from the regular game. It has two weapon DLC codes for you to use and comes with the official soundtrack. At the time of writing this review, I haven't used the codes yet, but it's a cool addition to the game that is free, and free things are always good. Apart from this, the general gameplay remains the same, so you won't experience a different adventure than anyone else. Just like any RPG, the game has a long main quest. Not only that, but you can replay the game as the same character to collect any loot that you missed, and to expand the story. In that sense, the replay value is fine, but the lack of online play hurts the game here. Plus, there's not much interaction throughout. You'll talk to people, and have different response choices presented to you, but you won't be going to villages or towns to trade with people, create guilds, etc...
Even with the flaws, this game is what I wanted it to be. It's an absorbing tale that has a fresh story that isn't about being a hero, but more like somebody who has to do the right thing regardless of what you're personality is like. This game is a controversial one, as people either rip it a new one or praise it. Luckily, I am the latter of those two choices. While it's a few shades from perfect, it's fun enough as it is, and incredibly difficult to put down after grinding for three hours at a time. If you're new to Dark Souls, get this game. If you're a Dark Souls veteran, get this game. If you've never played a video game before, get this game. I can't be clearer than that.