The relentless Goddess with fiery red locks is back, now stronger than ever before.
Fiery red locks, unparalleled elegance, swiftness akin to the wind, and a power that rivals the blades of a thousand soldiers. Is it a case of déjà vu? A recurring nightmare, perhaps? Not at all. It’s truly her. Lords of the Fallen has chosen to pay homage to Elden Ring by FromSoftware, introducing in the gameplay trailer a character who bears a remarkable resemblance to the formidable Goddess of Rot from the iconic Lands Between.
Well, you’ve figured out who we’re talking about, haven’t you? Indeed, we’re referring to Malenia, the character that undoubtedly caused you the most anguish and rage in Elden Ring, and one of the most challenging boss encounters ever conceived by Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware.
Banished eternally from the Lands Between, the Empyrean stands poised to make its dread-filled resurgence in the realm of Lords of the Fallen.
However, let’s take a step back. What is the reason for the inclusion of a character so truly similar to Malenia in the new project by HEXWORKS and CI Games? Let’s delve into it in more detail.
As you may already be aware, the HEXWORKS development team has never hidden their deep admiration for the work of FromSoftware and Miyazaki.
During an interview with Edge Magazine, Creative Director Cezar Virtosu divulged captivating revelations about their upcoming video game, shedding light on captivating behind-the-scenes anecdotes encountered throughout the game’s development.
The developers emphasize that the development of Lords of the Fallen began prior to the announcement of Elden Ring, and, as Virtosu explains, the team was shocked when they discovered that the flail, their breakthrough weapon, was also showcased in a promotional footage for Elden Ring. “That killed us inside,” confesses the Creative Director.
But that’s not all. During the character design phase of one of the game’s boss encounters, the team unintentionally discovered that they had created a boss that bore a striking resemblance to Elden Ring’s Malenia. Creative Director Virtosu himself described it as “nearly identical.”
While I agree with this specific detail, I find another resemblance quite intriguing that catches my attention. Remember Knight Artorias, “The Abysswalker,” from Dark Souls? Recall his distinctive armor? Am I truly the only one who notices the striking similarities between him and the mysterious boss in Lords of the Fallen?
Imagine the fusion of Artorias and Malenia into a single formidable boss. While it might be a daring comparison, I am confident that Dark Souls fans would have had the perceptiveness to notice these captivating details.
Moving on, what are other details that confirm HEXWORKS’ “unexpected homage” to Malenia and FromSoftware? Creative Director Virtosu reveals them once again, expressing words of admiration towards Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team. He explains that this boss will be “almost identical to those of Malenia because Miyazaki is everything to us. The importance of his work is such that we can easily define Miyazaki as a second father or grandfather to all of us developing Lords of the Fallen. Without him, I guess we wouldn’t even have a job!”
We must acknowledge that Malenia posed quite a formidable challenge, possibly ranking as one of the toughest encounters in Elden Ring and among the most demanding and hardest boss fights crafted by FromSoftware. In this regard, we hope that the boss designed by HEXWORKS will present a slightly less arduous and challenging experience to overcome, although we certainly embrace the thrill and excitement of the battle.
We would like to remind you that Lords of the Fallen will be released on October 13, 2023, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Stay tuned with us for more upcoming details.
That’s all for today. Talk to you soon.
