With every new entrant in the soul-like genre, there comes a slew of new ideas that are either inspired by FromSoft’s other games or are totally distinctive. The same is true in the case of Lords of the Fallen. It also incorporates some new takes into the mix.
All of these new mechanics will be discussed in this beginner’s guide for Lords of the Fallen.
How does the Class Selection Work?
If you are aware of the soul-like formula, you must pick a class at the start. These classes’ predetermined stat distribution dictates their inclination towards a particular fighting style. There are 9 starting classes to choose from, so make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.
There are melee classes (heavy or light weapons), magic-based classes of different varieties, and other more hybrid ones to look into. Go for the one that fits your bill.
As a side note, the class you pick only impacts your initial playstyle. You can always put points in other stats if you want to experiment with different playstyles. Also, later on in the game, with the help of the Rebirth Chrysalis item, you can respec your character to get all your Vigor back so that you can allot them however you see fit.
Can you upgrade your Attributes?
You’ll very soon learn that enemies in LotF don’t play around. They hit hard, and there are plenty of them to watch out for. For this reason, you must prioritize the Vitality stat to withstand the onslaught in the beginning. Do not take this advice lightly.
As for the “fighting” stats (Strength, Agility, Radiance, Inferno), at first, you should only pump them up to the requirement of the weapon you want to play with. Weapon scaling in the start just sucks, so best to prioritize Vitality until you get some worthwhile weapons or upgrade existing weapons for better scaling.
For Endurance, try to upgrade it to the point where your equipment load is at max 70%. This way, you can have medium rolls for better maneuverability during combat. You can always wear lighter equipment to achieve this, so keep that in mind.
It the Combat Satisfying?
The combat side is quite deep in Lord of the Fallen. We won’t be covering the standard soul-like fighting mechanics like managing stamina but only the things that are unique to this game. On top of the wide array of weapons and spells to choose from, there are other things to know:
How is the Melee Combat?
There are 12 types of melee weapons in the game. From lighter and shorter daggers to massive and slower Grand Swords, you can pick whichever suits your playstyle. Of course, you need to have the right level of stats to equip them, so make sure to see their attribute requirement.
Every weapon scales off certain attributes too, so the more you pump them up, the higher their damage output will be. At any point, you press the Y/Triangle button to two-hand the weapon, which changes the attack pattern.
You can equip a weapon in the right hand and a shield in the other for a traditional offense/defense style or you can dual-wield weapons that open up unique combos using the L1+R2/LB+RT buttons.
If you prefer status effects, then a set of quick weapons in each hand is the perfect way to apply said effect.
How is the Magic Combat?
For spells, you need to first equip a Catalyst into your hand to cast them. You then have to assign the spells to the slots below the Catalyst to fire them off. You can only equip a certain number of spells at any given time.
When you press the L2/LT button to enter ranged magic casting mode, you will see three spells and hotkeys to cast that spell. This is such a welcomed addition to casting magic.
Magic comes in 3 broader assortments, Radiance, Inferno, and Umbral. The starting two scale off their respective attributes, while Umbral requires investment in both Radiance and Inferno to cast.
While you have a Catalyst equipped, a blue bar will appear under your stamina meter. This is Mana, the resource you use up for casting spells. This can be recharged by resting at Vestiges or consuming Manastone Clusters.
What exactly is Soulflaying?
With the Umbral Lamp in hand, you can perform a Soulflay ability on an enemy by pressing the R2/RT button. This will yank the soul out of the enemy, thereby rendering them lifeless.
You can take this time to lay into the soul and deal a ton of damage without worrying about any retaliation. You will, however only deal Wither damage during this time.
The Soulflaying ability can be tactfully used. If you press any direction button while performing this attack, it will pull the soul in that direction. The enemy then travels to the location of the soul after some time. You can use this technique to pull their souls over a ledge and watch as they fall to their death when they return to the soul’s location.
There are a limited number of Soulflay charges, so use them wisely.
Do Enemies have Weaknesses or Resistances?
Every enemy is weak or resistant to certain damage types. To ascertain which damage type works on the enemy, you must look at the damage numbers that pop up when they receive damage.
- Grey Damage Number: This means the enemy is resistant to the damage type you are dealing.
- White Damage Number: The enemy is neither resistant nor weak to the damage type.
- Red Damage Number: The enemy is weak to the damage type.
This is a neat way of presenting this mechanic where we don’t have to scour the internet to look for each enemy’s weaknesses and resistances.
What is Wither Health?
The Bloodborne Rally system is also reworked into the game’s combat. Each time you block an incoming attack, you will see that a portion of your health bar turns grey. This is Wither Health, and it means you can get this health back if you attack the enemy before it goes away completely.
However, if you aren’t able to deal damage and the enemy ends up hitting you instead, then all this health will be taken away.
The same applies to enemies. When you attack the enemy’s soul after Soulflaying them, you will deal Wither damage. You need to then attack the enemy at least once when the soul returns to their body to completely remove the grey health. On the flip side, if the enemy attacks you, they gain back their health.
How does the Umbral Realm Mechanic Work?
The Umbral Realm is the most striking feature of Lords of the Fallen. It is a death dimension that exists in the same world, much like the upside-down from Stranger Things. You can peer into this realm at any time by bringing up the Umbral Lamp, or you can hold the X/Square button to travel there. There are enemies unique to this realm.
The Umbral Realm is a harder version of Axiom. While in the Umbral realm, a timer depicted by an eye under the Vigor counter will appear. As it fills up, you will start receiving more Vigor for each kill but the density of enemies will increase too. When it fills up completely, Reapers will start coming for you that are incredibly challenging to beat.
There are also a ton of hidden items, interactions, and secret paths that are revealed in this world. Many times you will come across a blocked-off area in Axiom, so try to look through the lamp to see whether there is a way in the Umbral Realm. The way this and the normal realm are weaved together is mindboggling, so we advise you to visit it often.
Additionally, if you die in Axiom, you will instantly be transported to the Umbral realm as a second life. You need to either find a totem or Vestiges to send you back to Axiom. However, if you die in the Umbral realm, you die for good.
While looking into the Umbral realm through the lamp, if an enemy on the other side attacks you, you will be instantly taken to the other side.
Try to limit your time in the Umbral Realm; otherwise, it could spell disaster for you. There is so much more to this system that you should discover for yourself.
Skyrest Bridge is your Hub Area
The Skyrest Bridge is the hub area in Lords of the Fallen. This is where all the NPCs you meet throughout your journey converge, and thus you should visit this place regularly after major story beats. Talk to the NPCs and try to complete their questlines since almost all of them have a side quest attached to them.
These NPCs also end up becoming merchants of different kinds, like spells, Sanguinarix upgrading, and weapons. Do exhaust their dialogues to access these storefronts.
The weapon Blacksmith also moves in here, so use her weapon upgrading services too.
The Umbral Relam version of this place is home to Molhu, the dealer with unique Umbral properties. He not only sells Umbral magic and Umbral items but is also where you can get your hands on Boss weapons and upgrade your Umbral Lamp.
Boss Weapons – Remembrance
After you have defeated a boss, make sure to revisit the arena to reveal the memory they leave behind. This will reward you with boss Remembrances that you can cash in at Molhu to acquire the best gear in the game i.e. Boss gear and weapons.
Before you do that, you must give Molhu the Bowl of Revelations to unlock this feature. This item is also found in Pilgrim’s Perch, so keep an eye out for that. You need to have a special Umbral Scouring currency to purchase these items.
They are rewarded by defeating bosses and interacting with Stigmas spread around the world. This currency is in limited quantity in a single playthrough so spend them wisely.
What are Vestige Seeds?
You’ll come across Vestige Seeds while playing the game. These seeds are used to create a temporary Vestige point, aka Vestige Seedling, wherever there are Vestige Flowerbeds. These function the same as any Vestige location, allowing you to level up stats, fast travel, etc.
Do keep in mind that you can only create a single Vestige Seedling at any given time. Any previous Vestige Seedling will disappear. Also, the Vestige Seed is a consumable item so do not go crazy with their usage.
Try to plant them in strategic places or else you’ll run out of them when you desperately need them. There are countless Vestige Flowerbed locations and not enough Vestige Seeds.
I know this beginner’s guide is a lot to take in, but Lords of the Fallen went hard on coming up with new and exciting ways to set itself apart from the source of the genre. Some of it is welcomed change, while others are quite frustrating.