It has been over 6 months since the last time we got to see CI Games’ upcoming 3rd-person action adventure title Lords of the Fallen. But at this year’s Bandai Namco Global Gamers Day event, CI Games producer Tomasz Gop showed off some new gameplay and details about the upcoming project.
The story behind Lords of the Fallen surrounds a world where demons are suddenly appearing after thousands of years of being cast away, after their lord Rhoger was defeated and imprisoned in the ground. But, now the only person able to take on such evil is the most evil person available to them. This is where Harkyn, a man whose face is tattooed with all of his sins, takes the helm to challenge this rising threat.
Visually, Lords of the Fallen is already looking like a great showcase title for next-gen hardware. From the short presentation of the game, it was easy to tell that a great deal of attention went into the combat system, as movements looked properly weighted but still flowed together without seeming overly mechanical. Each of the select environments shown had highly detailed environments and great lighting, which gave the game a great sense of atmosphere and tone. Instead of being overly dark and brooding, Lords of the Fallen seems to have found a good mix between Gothic and Norse tones, but still felt quite familiar.
But, looking past the visuals, one of the most exciting aspect shown off was the amount of freedom given to players. Besides having multiple endings, and a New Game+ mode, there will be the ability to take out enemies and bosses in various ways. This was shown off during the presentation, when a giant opponent stepped on screen looking to pick a fight with the player. A decision had to be made on whether to risk losing all of the experience points stored up to this point, or to try and find an alternative method to dispatch him.
From here, the presentation showed both the benefit and penalty for choosing the easier route for this match. Instead of taking the behemoth head-on, he was lured into the center of the arena, where the ground would give out beneath him and he would fall to his death. This alternative method allowed the player to proceed without incident, but also didn’t allow them to reach any pickups dropped by the boss, something that could put them at a disadvantage later on.
This concept of allowing players weigh the potential benefits and risks for certain situations, is a great idea as it will expand the gap of accessibility without dulling the challenge for those seeking it.
Players looking for something that won’t hold their hand, should find Lords of the Fallen right at home from what we have been seeing and hearing. Much like a currently popular hardcore title, upon a players death, all of their points will be left on the ground for them to come pick them up. But, instead of just sitting there waiting to be retrieved, the drop will begin to leak points or disappear completely if the player falls again trying to get to it.
If that wasn’t enough, players looking to up the ante will be able to obtain a special drop from all of the bosses if they defeat them under special circumstances. This was explained to us as if a boss was beaten without allowing it to use its special attack, it would then drop a weapon that had a perk that would resemble that attack or trait.
As we will hopefully find out more information about Lords of the Fallen at E3 before it launches this Fall, make sure to stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle and join us on the forums.
