What is the Umbral Realm in Lords of the Fallen?

While Soulsborne veterans will be familiar with many elements in Lords of the Fallen, CI Games has added numerous features to its gameplay to make it a unique entry in the genre. Perhaps the most prominent of these additions is the Umbral Realm and the lantern you use to interact with it. Here is everything you need to know about the mirror world.

How to enter the Umbral Realm in Lords of the Fallen?

Entering the Umbral Realm from the real world – known as Axiom in Lords of the Fallen – is fairly easy. First, equip your lantern and hold it out. You will now have the option to activate it, giving you access to the Umbral Realm. On PC, this is done by clicking 1, holding down CTRL, and pressing Q. Of the many functions your lantern will have, its main feature is a “flashlight” that allows you to peer into the Umbral Realm before entering.

More importantly, whenever your HP reaches zero in Axiom, you will not be immediately sent back to to the last Vestige (the “Bonfires” of Lords of the Fallen) you rested at, but you will instead be banished to the Umbral Realm.

What is in the Umbral Realm in Lords of the Fallen?

The Umbral Realm is a dark mirror connected to Axiom that is overgrown with menacing flora. While in the second dimension, players will find passages through obstacles not present in Axiom and vice versa. Because of this feature, the Umbral Realm is a vital tool for traversing the labyrinthian dungeons in Lords of the Fallen. Your character essentially becomes a “ghost” while inside the mirror world and as a result is unable to be affected by objects in Axiom.

What are the dangers of the Umbral Realm in Lords of the Fallen?

Your character faces several dangers while traversing inside of the Umbral Realm. One of these challenges is your Dread meter, which builds up the longer you stay in the mirror world and is marked by an eye icon that appears on your screen. The higher your Dread meter gets, the more dangerous it becomes as more enemies will start to appear in the overworld. As such, it is important to be ready to leave as soon as possible. If you die in the Umbral Realm, you will lose all your vigor and your character will also be sent back to the last Vestige you rested at. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, you will then have to retrieve your dropped vigor from where you fell. However, like Dark Souls, you will lose your experience points if your character dies while on your journey back to your corpse.

How do I leave the Umbral Realm in Lords of the Fallen?

Although easy to enter, exiting the Umbral Realm is another matter altogether. There are two main methods of leaving the Umbral Realm which include: Emergence Effigies or Vestige Points. Emergence Effigies appear as chained corpses, and you will find them throughout the Umbral Realm. After interacting with them, you will then activate an exit back to Axiom.

Vestige Points, as mentioned above, are the “bonfires” of Lords of the Fallen and serve as the checkpoints where your character respawns when killed. Simply rest at any Vestige Point you find in the Umbral Realm to immediately return to Axiom.

Lords of the Fallen is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.