In a saturated gaming market, carving out a distinct identity is a monumental challenge. The development team behind the action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 is actively leaning into this struggle, albeit in a polarizing fashion. On Monday, Hexworks took to social media to unveil new armor designs for female characters, claiming these aesthetic choices were directly informed by fan feedback. The studio seems quite confident in these results, labeling them “provocative” in a 20-minute behind-the-scenes deep dive.
“Provocative” is certainly a choice, but “derivative” might be more accurate. If viewed in isolation, the designs feel indistinguishable from the output of a generic AI prompt tasked with generating dark fantasy archetypes. Perhaps this level of homogeneity was inevitable, given that the game itself has yet to establish a truly singular visual identity.
Image: TheBackgroundNPC/YouTubeThe showcase was presented by influencer TheBackgroundNPC in a YouTube video titled, “We need more devs like this.” Her argument posits that Western developers are largely failing to address the preferences of their core audiences. To support this, she highlighted several recent shooters that underperformed. Notably, she didn’t critique the quality of their character designs—which would have been the logical comparison—but rather argued that the market for those games is overcrowded. While that may hold some truth, it bears noting that Lords of the Fallen 2 operates in an entirely different genre.
Given the video is a sponsored collaboration, the enthusiastic tone is hardly surprising. TheBackgroundNPC details a workflow where the Lords of the Fallen 2 team supposedly refined character designs in real-time, based on input from herself and the community. “They are a studio that refuses to be lectured or gaslit into making a different game than the one they have set out to make,” she claims, framing the studio’s responsiveness to external opinions as a form of defiance.
Later in the video, the creator lists what she perceives as systemic flaws in Western character design that Lords of the Fallen 2 allegedly avoids, citing “desaturated color palettes,” “overly tactical outfits,” and a perceived “distancing from femininity” that she feels borders on embarrassment. She argues that traits traditionally associated with feminine designs—such as specific proportions—are frequently diminished or “dialed back” in modern titles.
Her critique echoes broader debates, such as the discourse surrounding Overwatch, where character model adjustments made in response to fan feedback sparked intense scrutiny. Similar friction occurred regarding the muscular character design of Abby in The Last of Us 2. The topic remains a volatile lightning rod in gaming circles.
Judging by the video’s comment section, many viewers are eager to embrace the narrative that Lords of the Fallen 2 is championing a special cause. Regardless of the actual creative intent, this rollout has proven to be highly effective marketing for a title that has struggled to capture significant mainstream attention.
“Who would have thought that developers who give players what they want are much more appreciated,” reads one of the top-voted YouTube comments.
While my take remains skeptical, aesthetic preferences are ultimately subjective. If the armor sets appear to mimic the output of an AI image generator, it’s likely because such models are trained to collate and synthesize the most popular, generalized aesthetics. Pandering to the masses is an effective way to avoid risk, but it rarely produces something genuinely distinct. While Lords of the Fallen 2 may be successfully appeasing a specific segment of the player base, it’s a stretch to label their cookie-cutter designs as “provocative” in an industry landscape already saturated with overt sexualization.
Source: Polygon
