"I'm not slamming FromSoftware," says Lords of the Fallen 2 director, but CI Games' Soulslike has "more drives to experiment a bit" with your build

1. Games
2. Action RPGs
3. Lords of the Fallen

"I'm not slamming FromSoftware," says Lords of the Fallen 2 director, but CI Games' Soulslike has "more drives to experiment a bit" with your build News By Austin Wood published 11 February 2026

Which way, Soulslike fan?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: CI Games)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter GamesRadar+ Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Signup +

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Signup +

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Signup +

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Signup +

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

Signup +

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Signup +

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

Members of Lords of the Fallen 2 developer CI Games make a few comparisons to Elden Ring and FromSoftware's other games in a new developer update focusing on combat in their upcoming Soulslike sequel, with special attention paid to build diversity and how those builds come together.

"With a FromSoft game, and I'm not slamming FromSoftware, once I find my build, I'm in," says game director James Lowe. "That's probably the build I'm going to use for the entire experience, and I'm not going to really mess around with it.

"Whereas in Lords of the Fallen," he continues, "I have a few more drives to experiment a bit more and go, 'Do you know what? I want to try dual-wielding. How does that feel?' And it's not that I don't feel attached to my build, but I feel confident enough as a player to go, 'I'm going to mess around with this for a few hours.' Or, 'You know what, I've really struggled against this encounter, let me try and play with something else and see how it goes.'

You may like

• Soulslike action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is on the "same journey" as the Batman Arkham games, dev says
• Accused of copying FromSoftware's homework, Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says Elden Ring Nightreign lookalike is from 2024
• "Soulslikes thrive on challenge": Lords of the Fallen 2 devs let you dismember enemies to sweeten every tough victory

"And I think Lords of the Fallen respects you for doing that as well. And it also rewards you for having those different play styles."

Lords of the Fallen II: ‘Lifting the Veil’ Ep. 8 Dev Update | All-New Combat Gameplay - YouTube Watch On

Even as a dev obviously talking favorably about his own game, Lowe makes a fair point. To unpack it, while there is a great range of builds available, the ability to respec your character is often backloaded or limited in FromSoftware games, and in the opening portions of games like Elden Ring, the heart of your build is often just the one best weapon or spell you've found so far.

Once you've upgraded that weapon and invested in the stats for it, you're probably going to use it, or things just like it, for a good while. Elden Ring is the broadest example; Bloodborne is more linear in its buildcrafting, and Sekiro even more so as an action game built around your one main katana.

Lords of the Fallen is a little more dynamic, and may feel more forgiving if you want to dip in and out of different styles regularly, though it's not on the level of something like Nioh 3. That's largely thanks to a combination of lighter stat requirements on weapons and spells, a respec system that I remember being pretty available, and a less costly weapon upgrade path than Elden Ring's. (The Bell Bearings in Elden Ring do help with weapon upgrade materials and they give you a floor for weapon experiments, but the bells are also pretty backloaded, and frankly there's a reason Somber-type weapons are so popular early-game.)

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

I'm reminded of Obsidian's stance on respeccing in The Outer Worlds 2 – rather, why you can't. I would put this decision on the scales opposite Baldur's Gate 3, where you can adjust your stats and classes all the time. Neither approach – for Soulslikes or more traditional RPGs – is strictly wrong. It really comes down to developers prioritizing consequence, permanence, and deliberation on your journey, or flexibility and moment-to-moment variety. Refining my largely unchanged spell swordsman in Elden Ring was fun, but I also enjoyed figuring out what kind of Crusader I wanted to stick to in Lords of the Fallen.

Soulslike action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is on the "same journey" as the Batman Arkham games, dev says: "It all came together and it felt perfect."

CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Austin WoodSocial Links NavigationSenior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Soulslike action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is on the "same journey" as the Batman Arkham games, dev says    Accused of copying FromSoftware's homework, Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says Elden Ring Nightreign lookalike is from 2024    "Soulslikes thrive on challenge": Lords of the Fallen 2 devs let you dismember enemies to sweeten every tough victory    FromSoftware head Hidetaka Miyazaki says games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls aren't "simply cranking up the difficulty"    Code Vein 2 is Dark Souls through an anime lens, and one surprisingly emotional dungeon proves Bandai Namco has raised the stakes    After just 4 hours, I'm impressed by Nioh 3's snappy action and samurai-to-ninja combo transformations: "We want the player to have a rich experience of mastery"    Latest in Action RPGs Soulslike action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is on the "same journey" as the Batman Arkham games, dev says    The Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight is today, here's how to watch the stream    Baffling Capcom once again, Monster Hunter Stories 3 players are taking down superbosses despite the demo's level 10 cap    Capcom knows nobody cares about Monster Hunter Wilds' Rompopolo, so it's making it the star of its own event quest    Monster Hunter Wilds boss casually confirms "large scale" expansion    Black Myth: Wukong devs are literally "cooking" in "non-canon" teaser for sequel Zhong Kui, flexing the game's engine    Latest in News Highguard studio hit with mass layoffs as "most of the team at Wildlight" is let go    Following Anaconda and Primate, new hippo-based creature feature unveils its first look    Helldivers movie sets late 2027 release date and adds a video game movie hero to its ranks in Minecraft's Jason Momoa    After a mixed critical response, Christopher Nolan looks back at Interstellar's growing reputation as a modern classic    Hollow Knight: Silksong community crosses 4 weeks cheering a mad lad fighting Savage Beastfly with ungodly custom rules    Yapyap dev sells 500,000 copies in a week through the power of friendslop and Steam    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Reanimal review: "A feast of twisted weirdness conjuring up unpleasant imagery and dark world building"
2. 2Crisol: Theater of Idols review: "This blood-powered shooter intrigues me, but never manages to live up to its dark folklore promises"
3. 3Mario Tennis Fever review: "Riotous, hilarious, and chaotic, but it can't quite serve up the complete package"
4. 4Romeo is a Dead Man review: "When this time-traveling hack and slash hits its groove, this is Suda51's bloodiest, sharpest spectacle since No More Heroes"
5. 5Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties review: "The meatiest brawling this crime thriller's tackled in years combines with its warmest story, but its overly edgy new chapter leaves me cold"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”