2014 motion RPG Lords of the Fallen was clearly impressed by FromSoftware video games, and so is its upcoming reboot, The Lords of the Fallen (opens in new tab) (a reputation that can torment Google searchers ceaselessly). In response to artistic director Cezar Virtosu, nonetheless, whereas it would appear like they cribbed sure concepts instantly from Elden Ring for the brand new sport, they had been as shocked as anybody by them.
Improvement of The Lords of the Fallen started earlier than Elden Ring was revealed, and Virtosu lately instructed our pals at Edge Journal (opens in new tab) (by way of our different pals at GamesRadar (opens in new tab)) that the studio “braced for affect” when particulars about FromSoftware’s open world RPG began to seem. Certain sufficient, there was overlap.
“Our breakthrough weapon, the flail, was showcased within the Elden Ring trailer, and that killed us inside,” mentioned Virtosu. “And we noticed that one in every of our bosses was almost an identical to Malenia.”
The director did not say whether or not the studio made any adjustments to the boss because of the similarity, but it surely’s not as if he is shy in regards to the FromSoftware affect guiding The Lords of the Fallen—”Miyazaki is our daddy and granddaddy,” he mentioned—so perhaps it’s going to stick round as an unintentional homage. (I’ve requested a PR rep and can replace this text if I hear extra.)
The Lords of the Fallen government producer Saul Gascon additionally acknowledged that their studio, a brand new offshoot of writer CI Video games known as HexWorks, exists within the shadow of FromSoftware, however he would not assume that is an unambitious place to be.
“We would like the studio to grow to be a reference within the style,” Gascon instructed Edge.
We need to be the second reference [after From], as a result of proper now there isn’t any clear second reference.”
I recognize the honesty of aspiring to be the second most notable darkish fantasy motion RPG developer, which after all could be an enormous achievement with FromSoft on the prime, though I am undecided the place is definitely vacant: Some would say that Nioh 2 is that second reference, so that is what The Lords of the Fallen has to beat.
As for the title, senior model supervisor Ryan Hill instructed Edge that The Lords of the Fallen just isn’t a direct sequel to Lords of the Fallen—which was made by a special developer—however probably not a spin-off, both, in order that they went with the ‘the’ strategy.
“It won’t be the clearest route ahead,” mentioned Hill, “however I believe by the point we’ve launched, everybody might be educated on what that is.”
There’s much more about The Lords of the Fallen and what it’s to be present in subject 381 of Edge Journal, which is obtainable to buy from our shared writer right here. (opens in new tab) For the brief model, Virtosu supplied this summation: “Our technique was that, sure, we might be Darkish Souls 4.5. We might be that semi-open world that individuals crave, that extra vertical stage design—as a result of that is what we would like, too.”
