How Lords of the Fallen Seemingly Draws Inspiration from a…

Summary

Lords of the Fallen differentiates itself from other Soulslikes with its unique dual-world traversing mechanic, using the Umbral Lantern to shift between the material realm and the Umbral realm.
The Umbral Lantern in Lords of the Fallen is reminiscent of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, a beloved PS1 classic that also utilized a similar dual-world traversal mechanic called the Shift glyph.
Both games require frequent movement between realms to solve traversal puzzles. Lords of the Fallen's implementation of this mechanic gives it its own unique identity within the Soulslike genre.

In a subgenre as increasingly crowded as Soulslikes, it becomes necessary for developers to implement a clever twist on the formula in order for their games to stand out from the pack. The upcoming Lords of the Fallen looks to do just that, differentiating itself from both a predecessor of the same name and other Soulslikes with its reliance on a unique dual-world traversing mechanic. Players in Lords of the Fallen will have access to the Umbral Lantern, a key item necessary for shifting between the material realm and the Umbral realm. Not only does this mechanic immediately separate the game from its contemporaries, it pays homage to a beloved PS1 classic -- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

Originally released for the PlayStation in 1999, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was the sequel to the cult classic Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Players assume the role of Raziel, lieutenant to the vampire Kain, as he attempts to restore the crumbling world of Nosgoth and get revenge against his former master. The first ability players have in the game is the Shift glyph, which allows Raziel to jump back and forth between the material and spectral planes in order to solve various traversal and combat puzzles. If it sounds familiar, it should, as it's nearly identical to the way Lords of the Fallen implements its Umbral Lantern.

Comparing Lords of the Fallen's Umbral Lantern to the Shift Glyph

Similar to how the Shift glyph is the first ability that players start with in Legacy of Kain, the first item granted to players in Lords of the Fallen is the Umbral Lantern. With this magical device, players can both temporarily reach across or fully jump between two realms -- the material realm of Axiom and the spectral realm of Umbral. These two realms are visually distinct from one another and serve as alternate versions of the same structures and locations.

In both Lords of the Fallen and Legacy of Kain, entering the alternate spectral realm also comes with its own unique relationship to the player's health. While Raziel would automatically be transported to the spectral realm when running out of health (an important plot point connected to his nature as a wraith), entering the Umbral realm in Lords of the Fallen carries a significant risk to players' survivability. In the material realm of Axiom, players can respawn immediately in Umbral when they die and track down their lost XP. However, when players die in the Umbral realm, they have to restart at the last checkpoint.

In both titles, frequent movement between the material and spectral realms becomes hugely important to solving various traversal puzzles to move forward on the critical path. One example in both games is the use of water. In the material realm the heroes may come across a large chasm filled with water, presenting itself as a block to progress. By hopping to the spectral realm, where water does not exist, players can now freely walk across what was previously an environmental hazard. The dual-world traversal mechanic was a trademark of Legacy of Kain that absolutely helps give Lords of the Fallen its own Soulslike identity.

Part of Square Enix's sale of its Western development teams to Embracer Group included Crystal Dynamics, the developers and current holders of the Legacy of Kain IP. Interestingly, not long after Embracer Group's purchase of the developer, Crystal Dynamics sent fans a survey regarding Legacy of Kain, stoking the fires of a remake rumor for one of the most-beloved PS1 action-adventure titles. The original was a great game whose development was plagued by legal issues, but if Lords of the Fallen is a success, then its use of similar mechanics may serve as the catalyst for Crystal Dynamics to give the IP another chance.