After facing a slew of disappointed reviews and a ‘Mostly Negative’ rating, Lords of the Fallen has released a major performance patch to address the game’s technical issues. Developed by Hexworks, the game encountered several crashes, leading to frustrated players and negative feedback. However, with the recent patch, the developers have successfully resolved some of the biggest problems on the PC version of the game, resulting in improved Steam reviews and a potential redemption for Lords of the Fallen.
One of the primary causes of crashes in Lords of the Fallen was attributed to outdated graphics card drivers. Hexworks acknowledged that the majority of crashes were a result of players failing to update their drivers to work with the game’s use of the latest Unreal Engine 5. To address this issue, the developers added a helpful pop-up that checks for the latest Nvidia or AMD driver and provides instructions on how to update, if necessary.
Other graphics card issues contributing to crashes included problems with frame generation stability, particularly affecting 40-series Nvidia GPUs, and errors affecting certain 30 and 40 series GPUs. These issues were further exacerbated by some players attempting to push their hardware beyond its limits rather than relying on the game’s automatic detection of the best graphics settings. Hexworks advised players to click on “AUTO-SET” within the Graphics Settings if they experienced instability or crashes, as it would likely resolve such issues.
Another significant crash factor was a code error that caused a potential crash after the game’s first cinematic. While this problem has been fixed for most players, Hexworks provided a workaround for those who still encountered the issue. Adding “-nopsos” to the game’s launch line in Steam would disable the shader compiling calculation responsible for the crash.
In addition to addressing crashes, the performance patch also brought about improvements to gameplay. One notable enhancement involved preventing the lingering VFX from the Barrage of Echoes eyeball explosion from persisting for too long, as it had the potential to impact performance if exploited. The patch also included balancing tweaks, such as nerfs to enemies to make the game slightly less punishing for players. Adjustments were made to the hit direction of certain projectiles to ensure that players reacted in the correct direction, and the hitbox of the Sunless Skein working forces was delayed by a few frames upon spawning.
The patch not only addressed technical issues but also aimed to improve the overall gameplay experience. The Ruiner boss received several adjustments, including a slight increase in standard damage, while his fire shield attack and jump knockdown ability were slightly softened. This change aimed to maintain the challenge while reducing instances of one-shot deaths in later regions of the game. Likewise, the Spurned Progeny boss was modified to no longer interrupt his combos, regardless of the player’s actions.
For players who enjoy facing off against others, the patch brought a notable change. Parrying other players’ kicks, a commonly used tactic, was removed, allowing players more options when fighting against skilled opponents. This change hoped to create a more diverse and strategic combat experience at higher levels.
The performance improvements come as a significant turning point for Lords of the Fallen, as its Steam reviews, once mostly negative, have transformed into a ‘Mixed’ average with over 5,000 reviews. More than half of the reviews are now positive, indicating that the patch has positively affected players’ experiences with the game. Combined with the recent confirmation from the developers that the game will never use controversial anti-piracy technology Denuvo, Lords of the Fallen may indeed be on its way to a redemption arc, reclaiming the favor of players and regaining a positive reputation.
With the release of a major performance patch, Lords of the Fallen has taken significant steps towards addressing the technical issues that plagued the game upon its release. By tackling crashes caused by outdated drivers and graphics card problems, as well as implementing various gameplay improvements, developers Hexworks have managed to improve the overall gaming experience for players. The positive response from the Steam community suggests that Lords of the Fallen is well on its way to redemption, changing its reputation from a troubled Soulslike to a game that offers an engaging and enjoyable experience for its players.
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