Hexworks Studios has released another patch for Lords of the Fallen which aims to address performance issues.
Version 1.1.203 is now live and as the developer explains in the latest Steam post, it was able to implement "substantial performance improvements" that were aimed at freeing up VRAM on PCs to "provide additional headroom for GPUs that are operating at the limit of their capabilities".
The patch notes provide more detail - which you can read in full below - with the soulslike game receiving reworked UI elements to free up memory, a reduced memory allocation for environment interaction "to free up approximately 16MBs", and adjusted Soulflay texture sizes and materials to make them manageable for the GPU to handle VRM-wise.
Alongside some much-needed performance updates, the latest patch also sees a ton of changes across the board, including stability and issues with frequent crashes. There's also a wide array of bug fixes pertaining to 3D photo mode and VFX, as well as some balance adjustments for New Game+ bosses and regions.
Lords of the Fallen version 1.1.203 patch notes
Stability
- Fixed a crash that could occur when an NPC was talking, under very specific conditions.
- Fixed a rare crash that could happen when enemies were targeting players when using some of their abilities.
- Fixed a rare crash that could occur when interacting with certain in-game elements.
- Fixed a crash that could happen with some Niagara particles that left a trail behind them.
- Fixed a crash that could occur when running out of ammo and trying to perform an action that consumes ammo.
- Fixed a rare crash related to player spawning in multiplayer by the host when the client is still not fully ready.
- Fixed a rare crash that could occur when resurrecting at an anchor.
- Fixed a crash when being invaded by a player who happens to lose connection at the right frame.
- Moved two parameters from local saves to settings save to provide more configurable options to GeForce Experience.
Performance
- Adjusted Soulflay texture sizes and materials to make them easier for the GPU to handle VRM-wise.
- Reworked some UI elements to free up memory.
- Reduced memory allocation for environment interaction to free up approximately 16MBs of memory.
- Anchor images are now loaded only when interacting with vestiges.
- Fixed several textures used throughout the game to reduce VRAM consumption by approximately 10MBs.
Bosses
- Crimson Rector's parasites will no longer trigger heavy reactions on the player.
NPCs
- Sparky has received some additional lines of dialogue.
Balancing
- Balancing adjustments have been made for NG+ bosses and regions, especially in the almost end-game stages of NG+. We felt we were too enthusiastic and the previous curve was too steep.
- Molhu has decided to reduce the price of seeds in his store from 2,500 vigor to 1,200 vigor.
Gameplay
- Fixed player behavior during interactions with NPCs and vendor screens, which could lead to weird orientations.
- Modified Vestige interactions to allow camera movement while interacting with the vestige.
Collisions
- Fixed a small collision bump that could cause AIs to get stuck near Agatha's vestige.
- Fixed a missing Umbral navmesh in Pilgrim's Perch East section that would make umbral inhabitants stop pursuing players.
- Fixed a small ground issue at Skyrest bridge.
VFX
- Umbral nail attack from a secret boss has been optimized for AMD cards.
- Adjusted banners FX angle that could sometimes be rotated too much.
- Reworked both poison and Umbral mists to look better, addressing issues with pixelization observed on some streams.
- Optimized Barrage of Echoes spell.
- Steps VFX now disappear when off-screen instead of being frozen but still calculated.
- Improved the Lightreaper jump attack particles to make it even more spectacular.
- Fixed skinning issues for the sword of a very important person.
- Crossbowmen now have more noticeable and persistent arrow trails for increased visibility and directionality.
UI
- Modified the maximum length for online session passwords to 8 characters, as players typically use 4-6 character words.
- Added additional sounds to the splash screen.
- Now, if you equip ammo or a spell that cannot be used, the (X) button is also displayed in the widget.
- Fixed a bug where the character name pop-up couldn't be closed with the gamepad when spamming (A) or (B) while opening it.
- Reverted the "any button shows (A) to skip" in cinematics, as it wasn't working well on some devices.
3D Photo Mode
- Fixed an issue where the camera of a saved 3D scene in 3D Photo Mode could be in the wrong position, adding failsafes to prevent this from happening.
- Fixed a bug where the state of doors (opened/closed) and a few other interactables was not being saved in the 3D photo.
We gave Lords of the Fallen a four out of five stars, which Rhys Wood called "a confident soulslike with fresh ideas". The game is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
For more, check out our list of the best RPGs you can play right now, as well as our essential guide to every upcoming game for PC and console of 2023.
