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Lords of the Fallen's developer wants to "allow our players to incarnate the hero (or bulky horror) of their dreams" and is giving them the means to do just that.
Original Lords of the Fallen developer Deck 13 was among the first outside of FromSoftware to try its hand at the soulslike formula, and after a long absence, the series is set to make a return later this year, this time with Hexworks at the helm. Having dropped 'The' from the title back in March, it now bears the same name as its predecessor, yet in many ways, particularly when it comes to character customization, it couldn't be further from the 2014 title.
In the latest issue of PLAY magazine, Lords of the Fallen art director Alexandre Chaudret reveals that in place of a defined hero like the first game's gruff star Harkyn, the team at Hexworks were keen to let players have free reign over the protagonist this time around. "We had to offer players the ability to create their own unique virtual personas, so we built upon [Unreal Engine] 5's technology to create a character editor," Chaudret explains.
According to the developer, giving fans the freedom to fashion a character of their own choosing, whether that be the traditional chiselled hero type or something more unconventional, is all part of making them feel more absorbed in the game's cosmic horror-inspired dark fantasy world. "We believe that customization is a strong lead to immersion and wanted to allow our players to incarnate the hero (or bulky horror) of their dreams," he says.
Lords of the Fallen is due to launch on October 13, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. In our Lords of the Fallen preview, we found it to be on track to deliver not only a stunning revival, but an experience that may well trump all the other Dark Souls competitors.
You'll find plenty more Lord of the Fallen info, as well as the full interview in PLAY #31. Print and digital subscriptions to the magazine are available via Magazines Direct.
