Lords of the Fallen Dev Talks Comparisons to Dark Souls

The folks at GameSpot chatted with Lords of the Fallen’s executive producer Tomasz Gop about the similarities and differences between the European action-RPG that’s coming out next week and Dark Souls. While obviously comparisons have abounded in the lead-up to the game’s release, Gop is keen to stress that the game isn’t just a “clone” of From Software’s dark fantasy title. Here’s a couple of snippets concerning the combat system:

Dark Souls allows players to build classes who wield magic as their primary means of dealing with a threat. Lords of the Fallen takes a different approach by turning magic into what Gop calls a “smartbomb” that any class can use. It’s a highly powerful, limited use spell that can be deployed to make a particularly demanding fight more survivable. “It will never be an ‘I win’ button but it can buy some breathing space.” Gop adds.

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“We have 11 weapon classes, from great swords and heavy hammers to staves and daggers,” says Gop. “Each class has its own full set of attacks and animations, all based on motion capture sessions. A twirling staff is good for keeping two or three opponents at a distance and hitting them all at once while two fist weapons are a lethal combo for single-target hit and run tactics. Each weapon’s attack speed and damage depends on character attributes and of course there’s their range to consider. With three types of shields and the magical gauntlet with interchangeable runes, it all adds up to an impressive number of tactical combinations.”

You’ll still need the required attributes to wield a particular weapon, but unlike Dark Souls, Lords of the Fallen won’t require you to pay attention to the physical space available to you when striking; it won’t bounce off a wall if swung in an enclosed area. “We just think it’s challenging enough to hit your opponent without that extra bit of realism,” Gop explains.