In a title bringing its own unique flavour to soulslike games, Lords of the Fallen looks to establish itself as one of the best 2023 releases for the genre in a stacked year for fans. An essential component of your journey through Mournstead is travelling between the realms of the living and the dead, so you'll need to wrap your head around the concept. Find out here how to travel between realms in Lords of the Fallen!
Following on from the 2013 title of the same name, you'll take control of your own customisable Dark Crusader as you try to put an end to the demon god Adyr once more. It will require you to step foot among the dead as much as you do the living, so let's take a look at how realm travel works.
For more info on the next big 2023 Soulslike, Lords of the Fallen, take a look at our dedicated guides hub! It includes a wealth of information, such as how long Lords of the Fallen takes to beat and if there is New Game Plus. Additionally, we've got you covered on fundamentals with our breakdown of the starting classes and the different magic types in the game!
Lords of the Fallen realms explained
Lords of the Fallen features two interlinking realms that you'll need to jump between to progress through the story and explore everything there is to see in the semi-open world of Mournstead. See below what these realms are called and how they differ.
Axiom
There is little to be said about Axiom compared to its undead counterpart, but it will nonetheless provide more than most can handle as far as challenges are concerned. Rife with a plethora of enemies, environmental hazards, and unforgiving boss battles, the land of the living has become a gruelling place after centuries of war. Those who are slain in Axiom will join the dead in the realm of Umbral.
Umbral
Umbral is the rotting world of the dead. In Lords of the Fallen, you're actually granted two lives; one in Axiom and one in Umbral. If you die in Axiom, you are sent to Umbral, but if you die in Umbral, your death becomes permanent. There are some areas in Axiom that can only be accessed in the ruins of Umbral and vice versa, so you'll need to be able to jump between the two and avoid losing your life in the realm of the dead. Beware, the longer you spend in Umbral, the higher the dread meter rises, which could spell doom for your Dark Crusader.
How to travel between realms in Lords of the Fallen
You won't be able to get through your quest to stop the resurrection of Adyr without travelling between realms. There are some parts that exist only in one realm and not the other, such as walls, platforms, and gates. Fortunately, travelling between realms requires an understanding of how to use the relic you receive at the start of the game: the Umbral lamp.
How to travel to Umbral
Travelling from the realm of the living to the dead is a far simpler process than going the opposite way. There are two ways you can do it:
- Perform an Umbral Rift
- Die
An Umbral Rift requires holding up your lamp and activating it. By doing this, you are plunging your soul and physical body into the realm of the dead, which will allow you to freely explore it. To do this, you'll need to raise the lamp using L2, L-Ctrl, or LT on your PS/PC/Xbox respectively, and hold Square, X, or Q to complete the transition. It is worth noting that the transition will inflict withering health damage, which can be recovered.
The alternative way to travel to the realm of the dead is to become dead. This may or may not be a voluntary transition, but it's actually a second chance for players to vanquish the foe that felled them. While travelling to Umbral is relatively easy, getting back to Axiom can be far more complicated.
How to travel to Axiom
Travelling to the realm of the living is far more difficult if you're in Umbral, which makes sense or all of the dead would easily resurrect themselves. There are two main ways of doing this, both of which require you to find the right points of interest to perform:
- Resurrecting at a Vestige
- Using an Emergence Effigy
Vestiges come in two forms: Ancient Vestiges, which are permanently placed, and Vestige Seedlings, which you can grow yourself. You'll encounter Ancient Vestiges at different points in the game, which allow you to heal, level up, and fast travel. In contrast, Vestige Seedlings act as a temporary camp, which you can set up by planting a seedling in a blue flowerbed. You'll know one is nearby as the Umbral lamp will glow.
The process of travelling to Axiom is the same for both Ancient Vestiges and Vestige Seedlings. All you need to do is interact with the checkpoint and select the "Rest" option. This will bring up a loading screen as your character recharges their batteries and returns to the realm of the living.
Emergence Effigies are the alternative way to return to Axiom. These look much like checkpoints and will instantly transport you back to the realm of the living when you interact with them. They are identifiable as a fallen soldier in a crouch position surrounded by small flowers, with their face becoming a bold white colour when in Umbral.
That's all there is to know about realm travel in Lords of the Fallen! For more intel on the highly-anticipated Soulslike, check out if the game supports crossplay and if you'll be able to play with friends in multiplayer mode or against other players in PvP! Additionally, we've also got the full trophies list for the game, as well as an explanation of the game's difficulty system.