My time with Lords of the Fallen started out very positive, but it was disheartening to see my opinion on it turn the more of it I played. It’s a game with some genuinely brilliant ideas, and a high-level vision of how to set itself apart from other Souls-likes. But that vision did not seem to have been shared by everyone on the team.
Lords of the Fallen is a Souls-like. If you played any of those before, you immediately expect a few basic features. Combat is stamina-based; heavier weapons/attacks use up more of it than lighter ones. Your rolls and dodges rely on the same stamina pool, and you’re given ranged options in the form of throwables, weapons like bows, and magic spells.
Wither damage is one mechanic that’s not very common among those games. Blocking does not negate damage entirely, but instead turns the portion of it received to what the game calls Wither, represented by a grey colour on your health bar. You can regain that lost health by simply landing attacks on your opponent, but take one hit, and you lose it all.