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If you’re new to the soulslike genre of games, you’ll find thatLords Of The Fallencan be quite challenging. Enemies pack a punch, the bosses are tough to deal with, and the environment poses risks. On top of that, your healing resources are limited and can only be replenished at checkpoints. While this might seem daunting initially, the game provides various ways to overcome these challenges.
So if you’re thinking about diving into Lords of the Fallen and want to ensure a more enjoyable and manageable experience, this guide will set you on the right path.
Stamina Is Everything
The first thing to note is thatthis game features a stamina bar, whichdepletes when you perform actions like sprinting, blocking, and attacking. All your actions consume stamina, soit’s important to learn how to manage it.
Initially, your stamina bar will be quite low, butyou can enhance it by leveling up your Endurance. However, even with improved Endurance, mastering stamina management is crucial, especially during boss fights.
It is recommended to alwaysreserve some staminato dodge enemy attacks when necessary, and sometimes,being patient pays off. Additionally,stepping back and allowing your stamina to regeneratecan prove highly beneficial in the long run.
There’s nothing worse than having a boss on the brink of defeat but lacking the stamina for that final blow or getting hit by their attack because you couldn’t dodge in time. Stamina is the key to success.
Your Weight Does Have Impact
The second important aspect to monitor isyour character’s weight,indicated by the white bar on the left side of your equipment menu under the name Encumbrance. There are three weight tiers:Light, Medium, and Heavy.
The lighter you are, the more agile you become in terms of dodging and sprinting, and you actionsalso consume less stamina. This is a significant help for effective stamina management.
The worst situation is being in the Heavy weight category, asit leads to slow dodges and higher stamina consumption. That’s whyyour goal should be to maintain a Medium weightbecause it offers a balanced experience while still benefiting from your armor’s defense.
Whenever you acquire a new armor set, check the weight bar after equipping it before you continue your journey.
Learn How To Parry And Backstab
Lords of the Fallen introduces two essential combat mechanics:parrying and backstabbing. Given the abundance of adversaries around every corner, these techniques become invaluable. While blocking is a solid defense,parrying often proves to be the superior choice. Parrying allows you todisrupt an enemy’s stance and stagger them,opening them up for a powerful strikeknown as aGrievous Attack, and this attack inflictssignificant damage.
Many enemies in the game follow predictable attack patterns, and with practice, you’ll become adept at parrying most of their assaults.
On the other hand, backstabbing becomes handy when you encounterenemies with their backs exposedorduring slower boss fights. After landing a fully charged attack from behind, itinflicts substantial posture damage, making iteasier to stagger the enemy.This sequence also sets you up for a Grievous Attack, enabling you to deal substantial damage.
Don’t Underestimate Your Umbral Lamp
Umbral, often referred to as the death realm, can beaccessed using your Umbral Lamp, introducing a new game mechanic that’s crucial to understand.Much of your game progression hinges on using this lamp effectively. Within Umbral, you’ll findhidden treasures,special gear, andvaluable loot. If you limit your exploration to the living realm alone,you’ll miss out on numerous goodies.
Additionally,Vigor,which isthe primary currency of the game, obtained in Umbral is much more than what you collect in the living realm. This means you canlevel up your character more often,purchase new equipment, andenhance your gear effectively. Moreover, you can also employ the lamp during combat toperform a Soulflayon an enemy,increasing the damage you inflict upon them.
It’s worth noting thatwhile spending more time in Umbral attracts more enemies and increases the danger, the game offers multiple checkpoints where you’re able to return to the living realm, known as Axiom.
If you encounter a locked door or can’t reach a platform on the other side,chances are the solution lies within Umbral.
Understand How Wither Works
During your battles with enemies, you might noticea gray bar in your health meterwhen you successfully block their attacks;this is calledWither damage. Fortunately,you can regain this lost health. Similar to a mechanic inLies of P, if you retaliate andstrike the enemy, you’ll recover some of your lost Wither Health. This means thatthe more attacks you land, the more Wither Health you’ll regain.
Wither Damage can also accrue when you parry an enemy; while it’s not convenient, at leastyou gain a small portion of it.
The same principle applies when you enter Umbral;you’ll also accumulate Wither Health, and it’s beneficial to recover it topreserve your healing resources. However, it’s important to note thatif you get hit by an enemy, you’ll lose all of your accumulated Wither Health.
Therefore, it’s wise toplan your approach strategicallyto recover Wither health rather than rushing into combat recklessly.
Level Up Your Character And Upgrade Your Gear
While Lords of the Fallen is challenging from the start,the difficulty only intensifies as you progress. If you want to keep up with the increasing challenges,upgrading your character becomes essential. The game offersvarious types of upgrades, fromleveling up your character’s statstoimproving your weaponsandenhancing your Sanguinarix, your primary healing tool.
Upgrading your character ensures that you are adequately prepared for new areas and upcoming boss battles. Whenever you have enough Vigor to level up,don’t hesitate to do so. In addition to that, seize any upgrading materials you come across and go and make that upgrade happen; thereis no point in delaying the process.
If you find yourself dealing insufficient damage or getting defeated too quickly by enemies, consider farming extra Vigor to upgrade your character’s capabilities.
Keep Stock Of Briostone And Manastone
Let’s face it, you’re bound to get hit by enemies, and you’ll find yourself needing to heal more often than you’d like. Your Sanguinarix, which are your primary healing resources,are limited and can only be replenished when you rest at a Vestige. This is whereBriostonecomes to your aid,offering additional ways to heal. Briostones are consumable items that, when used,gradually restore your health over time.
There are various tiers of Briostone, and unlike Sanguinarix,you can use them as often as needed. This consumablecan be purchased from several NPCs at Skyrest and at a low cost. It’s a wise move to keep a decent stock of these, as they can be alifesaver when you run out of Sanguinarix charges.
Similar to Briostone, Manastone serves a specific purpose,helping you regenerate your Mana meter. This is especially valuable if you’re a spellcaster in the game. Whilethere isn’t a specific item to instantly recover your Mana, as you would with health, Manastones fulfill this role for you.
Therefore, before taking on a boss fight, it’s probably a good idea that you have an ample supply of Briostone and Manastone to replenish both your health and Mana.
It’s Always Better With Friends
Lords of the Fallen offersa co-op optionthat allows you to enjoy the game with your friends. Unlike other Souls games where co-op has specific joining points,here it’s a seamless and uninterrupted experience. This means you may journeythrough the entire game together, exploring sections, and taking on bosses as a team.
Additionally, you canjoin another player’s gameif you want to farm more Vigor to upgrade your character. But if you’re looking for a more competitive edge,you’re able to even invade their gameand engage in some PVP action, purely for the thrill of it.
Keep in mind thatprogression isn’t shared, andonly the host player advances in the story. However, you can hop in and out from your game to your friend’s game and vice versa, allowing you both to enjoy the Lords of the Fallen experience together.
