Lords of the Fallen 2 Doubles Down on Heavy Metal Soulslike Vibes—But Can CI Games Deliver?

As a long-time follower of soulslike games and an unashamed metalhead, “Lords of the Fallen 2” instantly caught my attention-not just because CI Games loudly declares its “heavy metal soulslike” ambitions, but because they’re almost painfully aware of the original game’s rocky launch. The first Lords (and more recently, Lords of the Fallen 2023) carved out a cult audience but stumbled hard on bugs and a muddled identity. Now, CI Games says they’ve learned their lesson and are doubling down: more personality, a “darker, Old Testament” atmosphere, and a creative litmus test that involves comparing their visuals to Metallica album covers. But is this real progress, or just marketing riffage?

• CI Games promises a “players first” philosophy, taking community feedback seriously-at least most of the time.
• The sequel’s tone and aesthetic lean heavy and biblical, channeling fire, brimstone, and big album-cover energy.
• They’re patching reputation wounds after 50+ updates to the last game, aiming for a smoother launch in 2026.
• The “player-focused” talk is real, but sometimes veers into questionable territory, raising eyebrows about what feedback actually gets prioritized.

Why This Heavy Metal Approach Matters Now

There’s a reason CI Games keeps banging the “heavy metal soulslike” drum-it’s legitimately the most memorable thing about their messaging. After a tepid, if ambitious, reboot in 2023, Lords of the Fallen needed something to set it apart from FromSoftware giants and a field of increasingly crowded, moody action RPGs. This isn’t just edgy marketing. The team is apparently running every visual and design choice through what I’d call the “Would Metallica put this on an album?” filter (seriously, Metallica logos slapped on in-progress builds is their actual process). As a gamer sick of “next-gen darkness” meaning mud-brown everything, I respect the clarity. Lords of the Fallen 2 wants to roar, not mope—and that’s refreshing in a genre that sometimes forgets it should be fun.

Learning From the Past—Or Just Papering Over It?

What sets this sequel apart is how blunt CI Games is about the original’s screw-ups. Fifty patches in less than a year is wild—even Cyberpunk 2077 got memed less for post-launch fixes. Version 2.0, released ahead of schedule, was a clear effort to salvage credibility. Creative portfolio strategist David Valjalo doesn’t sugarcoat things: the original reboot “didn’t have the strongest start,” but the promise is that they’re listening now. What’s genuinely promising—and a bit risky—is their commitment to blending player feedback with their own vision. Soulslike fans are vocal (sometimes brutally so), but the best games rarely emerge from design by committee. CI Games claims to “aggregate” advice rather than bend to every whim, but as a gamer, I know how slippery that slope is. Will we get a genuine vision, or just a crowdsourced checklist?

This philosophy extends to some unfortunate places, too. CI Games has gotten heat for including questionable polls (like stereotypes about gender) and for CEO Marek Tyminski’s comments about avoiding “social or political agendas” supposedly ruining player enjoyment. This player-first mantra feels shaky if it means filtering community feedback through retrograde takes. Plenty of us play these games for the challenge and world-building, not to reenact 1980s metal magazine debates about “real gamers.”

The Real Gamer Impact: Tone, Identity, and Confidence

What does all this mean for those of us obsessed with parries, boss patterns, and the sheer vibe of our next action-RPG obsession? For one, if Lords of the Fallen 2 actually delivers on its promise of personality—”more dangerous,” “declaration of war,” as Valjalo puts it—it could finally give the series a clear identity. The biblical, fire-and-brimstone mood teased in early trailers has me optimistic for an experience that pushes its lore and visuals in bold, memorable directions.

The confidence is welcome. The first Lords, for all its ambition, never felt sure of what it was. This sequel is staking its ground, and that’s how you get something lasting. (Look at how Blasphemous and Remnant won over fans: unforgettable art, strong tones, and no apologies about doing their own thing—even when they trip up.) The biggest risk? That the “personality” CI Games leans into ends up as empty posturing if they keep hedging around feedback controversies instead of just making the badass, brutal, unapologetically weird game they clearly want to make.

Looking Ahead to 2026 (and Beyond)

With a planned release sometime in 2026, CI Games has time to get this right. My advice as a longtime soulslike fan: keep letting your artists and level designers off the leash, don’t get lost chasing every trending outrage, and please, stick to your “heavy metal album cover” test—it’s the best branding you’ve got. With games like Elden Ring locking down the “prestige” end of the genre, there’s space for something rougher, punchier, and genuinely heavy.

TL;DR

Lords of the Fallen 2 talks a big game: more metal, more danger, and more player-driven design. If CI Games balances community input with their own vision—and backs it up with the technical polish fans expect—this could finally be the soulslike that stands out for the right reasons. 2026 can’t come soon enough, but I’ll be watching for whether it’s true innovation… or just another loud riff on old mistakes.