"It's Important that Our Game Doesn't Just Feel Like FromSoftware": Lords of the Fallen 2 Dev Says What Too Many Soulslikes Forget

Why It Matters

The game’s differentiated combat system could set a new benchmark for Souls‑like design, influencing how studios balance homage with innovation. Success may broaden the genre’s appeal and encourage deeper mechanical experimentation.

Key Takeaways

• Heavy attacks now break enemy guard, not just damage
• Combat encourages micro‑decisions and experimental playstyles
• Enemy behavior drives tempo, creating “enemy‑first” encounters
• CI Games aims for weighty, agile combat without copying
• Lords of the Fallen 2 seeks to evolve Souls‑like conventions

Pulse Analysis

The Souls‑like genre, popularized by FromSoftware, has become a template for countless action RPGs. While the core loop of punishing combat and meticulous exploration remains appealing, developers risk stagnation when they merely replicate established mechanics. CI Games recognizes this pitfall and positions Lords of the Fallen 2 as a case study in purposeful deviation. By reimagining heavy attacks as tools for guard‑breaking and stagger, the sequel injects tactical depth that forces players to consider timing and positioning rather than relying on raw damage output.

Beyond individual moves, the studio’s design philosophy centers on micro‑loops—short decision cycles that keep combat feeling dynamic and responsive. Director James Lowe describes an "enemy‑first" approach where foes dictate tempo, compelling players to adapt on the fly. This creates a dance‑like rhythm where every button press carries weight, mirroring the tension of classic Souls experiences while rewarding experimentation. Such systems aim to preserve the genre’s signature sense of commitment without sacrificing agility, offering a more nuanced battlefield where both player and AI shape the flow.

If Lords of the Fallen 2 delivers on these promises, it could signal a shift in how studios treat genre conventions. Rather than using the Souls‑like label as a marketing crutch, developers may invest in unique combat vocabularies that respect the original’s spirit yet push boundaries. This evolution could attract a broader audience, from hardcore fans seeking fresh challenges to newcomers drawn by richer, more varied gameplay. Ultimately, CI Games’ ambition may redefine what it means to be a Souls‑like, encouraging the industry to innovate within familiar frameworks.

"It's important that our game doesn't just feel like FromSoftware": Lords of the Fallen 2 dev says what too many Soulslikes forget

By Austin Wood · published 28 minutes ago · Image: Lords of the Fallen 2 knight carrying a blue lamp in darkness · Image credit: CI Games

“It’s important that our game doesn’t just feel like FromSoftware,” says Ryan Hill, creative strategist at Lords of the Fallen 2 developer CI Games, in a new developer update on YouTube about the studio’s upcoming Souls‑like action RPG.

Hill and three other CI Games devs reference FromSoftware’s games and the recognized tenets of the Souls‑like genre throughout their combat‑focused discussion, but they also remain bullish on what separates their game from the genre it’s entering. We obviously haven’t played Lords of the Fallen 2 for ourselves yet, so who knows how it pans out in‑game, but their intent is interesting.

Hill offers an example indirectly. “Your typical Souls‑like game, you’ve got your light attack, your heavy attack,” he says later in the video. “Your heavy attack, yeah, it’s a bit slower, but the payoff is it does a bit more damage, and that’s really the extent of it. Whereas I know what the team has done this time around is really put a use to those heavy attacks, whereby there’s a real purpose for them in combat.”

During this segment, alpha gameplay footage shows a Lords of the Fallen 2 character using heavy attacks to break a shield‑bearing enemy’s guard, suggesting these moves have a disruptive or staggering quality that goes beyond their damage.

Game director James Lowe says a driving goal with Lords of the Fallen 2 is giving players more reasons to “experiment” with, and in, combat. “Yeah, they can smash and rain hell on them” with heavy attacks, he says, but “they can even charge that attack and start to really imbue it with power, which will then do even more.”

“It’s giving these little micro‑loops and pushing players to make micro decisions in these tense situations,” he adds.

Hill stresses ways to balance the speed and agility that Lords of the Fallen 2 is pushing for without losing “that sense of weight and commitment that players love from a Souls‑like,” the way you “commit to the hit.”

Lowe returns to purpose: “Every button I have is a consequence I have to plan.” He describes his intent with combat as “enemy‑first” – a way to also give options and agility to enemies and let them inform the tempo of combat. An enemy called the Hysteric “uses the space, I would say, even more than the player,” Lowe says. “In those situations, you feel slow, and that’s this kind of spike that we want players to feel.”

Both devs agree that combat should feel like a dance. “Every Souls‑like needs to have that feeling,” Lowe says, adding, “I think this is where Lords of the Fallen 2 goes another step.”

This brings the game back to different enemies. “You have that feeling in spades, but then what you also have is just being able to mow things down,” Lowe continues. “It’s that Dark Crusader fantasy, right? Just aggression, running in, ripping heads, and just having a good time. And then being faced with something that’s like, ‘oh shit, now I have to think. Let’s take stock. Now let’s re‑engage.’”

It’s not that varying the pace of combat is unprecedented, nor is letting players bully trash mobs while taking their time with elites or bosses. What’s interesting here is the motivation: the pursuit of a game that meets the general expectations of Souls‑likes without sacrificing its own fantasy.

It’s also somewhat rare to hear a bunch of developers specify Souls‑like so frequently and loudly. This is partly a function of audience jargon versus developer intent, and how broad or undefined that jargon can be. I’ve spoken to a lot of developers behind action RPGs like this, and many distance themselves from the “Souls‑like” label. CI Games, however, is very clearly all about it.

In similar games that have taken obvious inspiration, the ideas and rules that work so well for FromSoftware can sometimes end up with the tail wagging the dog, with creators operating purely where Souls‑likes have already been rather than pushing the space forward. This isn’t inherently a deal‑breaker or unique to Souls‑likes, but in a relatively young genre styled after a single standout series, this baggage can feel especially pronounced or limiting.

Lords of the Fallen began as a slavish Souls clone, but the 2023 reboot ended up being pretty good despite some under‑whelming bits and annoying problems, and I’m hoping the sequel can really nail it by exploring what isn’t in FromSoftware’s wheelhouse.

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Austin Wood – Senior writer at GamesRadar+. Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, writing for PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated and more, and has been with GamesRadar+ since 2019.