One of my most anticipated soulslikes of the last few years based on the trailers, but sadly did not live up to the hype for me. I don't think it's an objectively bad game, but even a year post launch there are significant performance issues on PC, level design is middling, enemies and bosses are tedious to deal with, I didn't feel like I started finding cool spells/gear until mid-late game, and the game fails to truly capitalize on the elements that make it stand out from its contemporaries such as the umbral lantern mechanics. In most cases the lantern could be replaced with a lever or grappling hook as it is simply used to add artificial sequence breaks to levels to force you to enter the umbral realm briefly. The lantern otherwise goes unused in the majority of circumstances, especially bosses where I think there's a ton of missed potential, the only one that made use of it to any real degree being the ghost crow boss. Story is for the most part uninspired, treading the same ground and repeating the same tropes as soulslikes have been since the original Demon's Souls. Questlines are needlessly obtuse and with multiple different endings you could never find without googling it, it's clear you're supposed to play this game multiple times and probably with a guide. For example, if you clear even a single divine beacon after a major boss, which will happen before you understand the significance of it or even realize you're making a choice, you have already been locked out of an ending. Now the fundamental gameplay and design direction aside, Lords of the Fallen kicks absolute ass with its art direction and music; the visual design of bosses, environments and equipment nail the dark gothic aesthetic perfectly, the music is phenomenal, and were I able to run the game properly on higher settings, it would be exceptional in that regard. Unfortunately it's often more frustrating than fun to actually play, and maybe they should have made a movie instead.