Whenever a new Soulslike rears its head, the first question asked by many interested players is about the difficulty. While there’ll always be those who jump up and down and insist everyone plays the game for “the intended challenge,” that’s not always possible for some folks who just want to admire the world’s design or aesthetics. With CI Games’ Lords of the Fallen reboot, I checked out whether switching up the toughness was an option or if players would simply need to come to terms with the fact the game has one set of rules when it comes to difficulty.
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Does Lords of the Fallen Have Difficulty Settings?
To get this out of the way nice and early, there is no dedicated difficulty-setting option in Lords of the Fallen. While other games may have a menu that allows you to toggle between the likes of “Easy” or “Hard” mode, that’s none nonexistent in this instance. CI Games has insisted that Lords of the Fallen is designed to embrace the brutality that has become synonymous with the Soulslike genre, so to further that vision it won’t allow players to lower enemy health or damage from the start. If you want to enjoy the story and the twisted realities of Umbral and Axiom, then you’ll simply need to come to terms with the fact that you’ll likely spend a great deal of time dying. Related: All Pre-Order Bonuses for Lords of the Fallen Having said that, the developer has also insisted that while difficulty settings aren’t included in the game, they have made an effort to help players who may be new to the genre understand the mechanics and rules of Lords of the Fallen. “We have created a lengthy onboarding experience because the difference between motivation and frustration is understanding why you failed or what the game wants you to do,” said creative director Cezar Virtosu during an interview with GamesRadar+. “With long onboarding, we believe that players will be able to practice and master all the basics before we let them out in our very unforgiving world.” So if you’re nervous about playing Lords of the Fallen as your first Soulslike experience, you can rest easy knowing that the game’s tutorial will seemingly be giving you as much as you need.
How to Set the Difficulty in Lords of the Fallen
Now there may not be a dedicated menu option for selecting the difficult in Lords of the Fallen, but the game does try and help you out when it comes to picking your classes and starting your journey. When you choose your class during character customization, several of the options bear a small warning that they’re designed for more “advanced” players who already know the beats of the genre. Five of the classes are recommended for new players: Hallowed Knight, Udirangr Warwolf, Partisan, Mournstead Infantry, and Blackfeather Ranger will still provide a decent challenge but their play styles are better suited for those who may not be all that familiar with Soulslike combat. They’re generally faster, stronger, and better equipped than the so-called “harder” classes. Speaking of which, if you’d fancier a more difficult Lords of the Fallen experience then you should choose to play as the Exiled Stalker, Orian Preacher, or Pyric Cultist. From what I can tell they’re generally a lot squishier than the other classes and focus on more advanced techniques to take down their opponents. Of course, there’s also the “Very Hard” choice in the form of the Condemned. Described as “a class for those who would rage at fate and throttle adversity with unflinching, blood-soaked hands,” this particular option will have players begin the game with the lowest stats in the game and next to no equipment. It’s become a trope for the Soulslike genre to include a class for those masochistic fans who really want to prevail against the odds and Lords of the Fallen is no different. It does make it very clear that Condemned isn’t for the faint of heart by including a massive “PICK AT YOUR OWN RISK” warning under the class description. Whichever class you opt for, rest assured that Lords of the Fallen will still be a grueling experience. However, if you’d prefer to take one of the easier paths, you do have some options. There’s no shame in it! We all have busy lives, and sometimes you just want to feel like a badass warrior at the end of a long day.
Brad Lang has spent so much of his life playing video games that at some point, it almost became a given that he would eventually turn all those hours into a job. He has a Masters degree in Creative Writing, an adorable black cat named Nemesis (Yes, from Resident Evil) and was once attacked by a fruit bat for no apparent reason.
Brad Lang has spent so much of his life playing video games that at some point, it almost became a given that he would eventually turn all those hours into a job. He has a Masters degree in Creative Writing, an adorable black cat named Nemesis (Yes, from Resident Evil) and was once attacked by a fruit bat for no apparent reason.
Thank You, PAX Australia, For Ten Years of Memories
