CI Games has released a new episode of its ongoing developer roundtable series “Lifting the Veil,” revealing new details about the reimagined Umbral realm that’s helping define the world of its upcoming soulslike sequel, Lords of the Fallen II.
Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Hill, is joined by Game Director, James Lowe, Lead Systems Designer, Daniel Regan, and Producer, Alex Harkin, to discuss how the team is evolving the original game’s dual-realm mechanic into “Umbral 2.0”, largely inspired by player feedback from the first game. As the realms of the living and dead begin to bleed into one, Umbral promises to be a much more aggressive and oppressive force this time around, playing a much larger role in shaping the player’s journey.
This ninth episode of “Lifting the Veil” spans 37 minutes and covers numerous insights and a wealth of new Umbral alpha gameplay footage, all highlighting what makes Lords of the Fallen II bolder, braver, and bloodier.
Chief Creative Officer Ryan Hill said:
“If Umbral was once the realm of the dead, it has since become the realm of the undead; its former scab-like crust has been ripped away, revealing the raw flesh beneath — an open wound that seethes with newfound hunger.”
https://youtu.be/NyumCoCAX8E
The Lords of the Fallen universe contains two unique, yet increasingly merged realities that players can traverse with the assistance of the Umbral Lamp: The classically dark fantasy realm of Axiom with its centuries of titanic clashes and civilizations, and the invasive horror of the Umbral realm, a visually grotesque and visceral mirror world where the laws of physics and death are far more mysterious. Players are able to traverse the Umbral realm to help overcome obstacles and discover new areas, but at the cost of increasingly deadly and unexpected threats that force players to adapt or perish.
Fans of the series can expect a significant evolution of how they will interact with the Umbral realm in Lords of the Fallen II, including:
- A Reimagined Otherworld: Radically different environments, key storytelling moments, and a new tendency to bleed into the mortal realm means that Umbral has never felt more alive and oppressive. A wider variety of biomes gives Umbral a more unique and mysterious character, providing players with more incentive to explore.
- Dread Redefined: Rather than a linear timer that increases the threat level of Umbral, the world is more influenced by player activity, creating a more organic, hostile sense of danger.
- Enemies Reshaped: Discover terrifying new entities lurking within Umbral’s shadows, capable of morphing into even deadlier forms, alongside a vastly expanded array of foes awaiting would-be Lampbearers.
Lords of the Fallen II is releasing on PC via Epic Game Store, PS5 and Xbox.
