Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 367 sampled Steam reviews (257 positive / 110 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Combat20% mention it
- Story & writing16% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers15% mention it
- World & exploration12% mention it
- Visuals & art12% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Bugs & crashes22% mention it
- Story & writing16% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers16% mention it
- Combat15% mention it
- Performance14% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
52%
65 reviews
5-15h
64%
100 reviews
15-40h
73%
113 reviews
40-100h
89%
79 reviews
100h+
70%
10 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 69 | 106 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 85 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 68% | 65 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 74% | 70 | 857 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 15, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 857 total reviews in window · weighted 160.4 up / 57.4 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (81)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 50
“Lords of the Fallen is trying to Goldilocks it, neither being too hard nor too soft, and that lands it in the rather generic and unadmirable position that last year's Bound by Flame found itself.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lots of fun and challenging gameplay await those that will embark on a journey that pays tribute to the Souls series, adding some new, subtle twists into the mix. However, the most appropriate description one could give to this otherwise great action-RPG would be "close, but no cigar… very close that is." The gameplay is entertaining, but lacks that extra something that would make it truly remarkable.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lords of the Fallen isn't going to triumph in a direct match-up with Dark Souls, but seeing the Souls combat system and level design transplanted with this degree of success into a shorter, more accessible game is really no bad thing.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite the dull plot, basic character design, and occasional buggy boss fights, the overall mood of Lords of the Fallen is fantastic, even if you're forced to play it alone. The punishing difficulty may not please everyone, but fans of the Souls series should definitely consider taking a swing at the Rhogar. Those looking for a quick and easy adventure should duck and roll elsewhere, though, as this game will test your patience, skills, and dedication.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Lords of the Fallen is an intriguing soulslike proposition that draws inspiration from well-known franchises in the genre. It offers 2 interesting worlds to explore simultaneously, characters with different styles to choose from, a cooperative mode that enriches the adventure, and a vast catalog of weapons. However, the game still has some technical flaws, and that could be the trigger to abandon it at any time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The world and characters are forgettable and uninspired without any of that deeper lore and storytelling Dark Souls is known and loved for. But despite those criticisms Lords of the Fallen is still worth a look if you're after challenging combat and a grisly dark medieval world to explore.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The mechanics put in place are so intelligent and add just enough risk and reward to keep players trying them out. It has a few missteps, but I saw past them and saw that this was much more than just a Dark Souls clone. Getting more games like this makes me excited for the future and for this series in particular.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Lords of the Fallen is a little bland, but it's a perfectly good distraction with a bit more bite than most modern action/RPGs.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lords of the Fallen is not a bad game, but when compared to the Souls series, it is a lesser one. At every moment, it draws comparisons to Dark Souls, but it never quite lives up to the inspiration. I disliked spending so much time comparing one game to another, but LotF all but demands it, and it never manages to crawl out from the shadow of Dark Souls. As a next-gen alternative for those hungry for more Souls gameplay, it is perfectly serviceable, but that is about the limit of its capabilities. I had fun playing it, and it's a good way to bide the time until From Software's next title, but it never forges an identity of its own. The core for a true Souls competitor is there, but Lords of the Fallen seems content to be a placeholder.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lords of the Fallen draws plenty of inspiration from Dark Souls and Elden Ring in its combat, level design, and atmosphere, it also introduces one fresh mechanic: a dual-realm system that lets players seamlessly switch between the physical world and its dark Umbral counterpart.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Lords of the Fallen may be better than its predecessor in many regards, but it isn't quite worthy of standing among the genre giants yet. However, this isn't from a lack of trying. Excellent and varied biomes are on offer that are truly striking and immersive to be beheld to. There are quality improvements to make the experience smoother. Still, balancing for builds, boss fights… the whole gambit is a little all over the place so far. Consider this with some of the bugs currently experienced in-game and it's not quite smooth sailing yet. Hopefully, before long Lords can be patched into a state where it stands solidly amongst the genre giants.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lords of the Fallen, a shameless and sloppy copy of Dark Souls, shouldn't be as enjoyable as it is. Somehow, through all its imbalance and oddity, it remains a surprising amount of fun, even if its propensity to make the player laugh is a sheer accident.”
read full review ↗
Slant Magazine
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
LevelUp
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Tom's Guide
Worth Playing
GamesCreed
Checkpoint Gaming
The Escapist…and 69 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Notes — Hotfix v2.5.591Aug 16, 2026
- Patch Notes - Update Version 2.5.593Aug 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes - Update Version 2.5.567Aug 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes - Update Version 2.5.550Jul 29, 2026
- Patch Notes - Update Version 2.5.490Jun 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.5.450May 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix for Update V2.5.394May 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix for Update 2.5.364Apr 20, 2026
- Hotfix for Update V2.5.352Apr 10, 2026
- The Co-op Update: Increased Freedom, Streamlined Matchmaking, Improved StabilityApr 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix for Update V2.5.310Mar 16, 2026
- Hotfix for Update V2.5.267Feb 10, 2026
- Hotfix for Update V2.5.247Jan 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.5.220Dec 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.5.213Dec 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 2.5.204 Patch notesDec 12, 2025
- Version 2.5 OUT NOW - The Final Major UpdateDec 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix for Update V2.0.125Oct 31, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix for Update V2.0.101Oct 16, 2025
- Celebrate our Birthday with a BRAND NEW WEAPON, a New Update, and more!Oct 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- V2.0.69 - Co-op, Balance, Bug Fixes & QoLAug 18, 2025
- Hotfix for Update V2.0.55Aug 6, 2025
- v2.0.35 - MaintenanceJun 30, 2025
- v2.0.14 - Co-op Improvements and StabilityMay 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Lifting the Veil Ep.2 - The Road to v2.0 and BeyondMay 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- v.2.0.12 – Co-op Client Fixes & Quality of LifeMay 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update v.2.0.9 Available NowApr 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Lords of the Fallen Version 2.0 - Definitive Edition Out Now!Apr 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update v.1.7.106 - Dynamic HUD, NPC Helpers from Start & Stability ImprovementsFeb 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update v.1.7 - Combat Fluidity, Quality of Life Changes, NPC Beckons, & More...Dec 12, 2024significant · resets scoring window
…and 31 earlier patch announcements.