Lies of P is very close to rivaling that of FromSoftware’s own titles but comes up a bit short. The combat is done to near perfection. It is often compared to Bloodborne or Sekiro, but I think it also adds a bit of classic Dark Souls spice into its mixture as well. Parrying is extremely satisfying and highly rewarding if executed properly much like how it feels in Sekiro. Dodging is a mixture of quick-steps which can turn into rolls that evokes Bloodborne. But the way certain bosses and enemies are designed also encourages a bit of that “turtle shell” gameplay many find themselves in with Dark Souls, slowly poking and prodding your enemy as you patiently watch and analyze their attacks from afar before going in when the time is right. If you put this game in my hands and told me nothing about it, within the first couple of hours I would be convinced this was just a new FromSoftware game I had never heard of before, and that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give it. However, the deeper you get into your adventure in the unique, puppet-filled world of Krat, the more cracks begin to appear.
The world of Lies of P is unique and beautiful. The music, locales, graphical fidelity, art direction, and character designs all create a world truly unique not only in the souls-like genre but in gaming as a whole. It evokes late 1800s to early 1900s Europe in a way not many other games do. Splash in some jittery creepy puppets, zombified humans, and an odd monster here and there and you’ve got a world in Krat that is truly one to remember. At the Grand Hotel, the central hub of the game, there is even a record player in which you can listen to various songs that you find throughout your adventure, all of which are a feast for the ears and takes that extra step to make this world feel truly real. Sure, most of it is dead, but you can tell what it used to be, you can imagine how it used to look with bright lights, bustling streets, and grand ideas. The dreary yet gorgeous world of Krat elevates Lies of P in ways that can’t be understated and helps separate it from a crowd of souls-likes that is ever growing and ever blurring together.
An essential part of any game emulating a soul-like formula is in choosing your build. How you choose to spend your experience, what stats you choose to increase, what weapons you choose to use and upgrade, they are very important choices. A lot of times you will end up needing to make a definitive decision one way or the other due to scarcity of resources. You are only afforded a certain amount of upgrade materials and so making the most of them tends to be key. Lies of P is a mixed bag in regards to builds and RPG mechanics. On the one hand, I think the weapon system is absolutely brilliant. Being able to take almost any weapon and break it into two pieces, the blade and the handle, was genius. Being able to customize almost any weapon you want in this way allows for unique thought processes and build considerations. Do you want a weapon that has a long reach? Do you want one with your preferred favorite weapon ability? Do you want one that is lighter? Have you considered scaling? All of these things and more really put you in control of your build and allow for diversity which is always a plus. However, the rest of the customization options are lackluster. Armor is just a slow progression of finding better things to replace your worse pieces with. Sometimes one piece may resist a certain element more than another, sometimes you will need to consider slashing versus piercing damage, but by and large these considerations are secondary. The armor system could use some expanding and more customizability.
The weakest portion of the game and the reason why it still stands out as a tier below FromSoftware proper, is in its level design. Outside of the last handful of hours, exploring the world of Krat is generally streamlined and quick. Each level can be summed up as a fairly straight line with some branching paths here and there that never go too far off the golden path and are never too hard to find. If you put any effort into exploring whatsoever, you are bound to find almost every secret, optional area, and unlock every shortcut without too much thought. This is where FromSoftware separates itself from the rest. Part of the magic of FromSoftware titles is in how each area of the world feels connected. Shortcuts are so magical in these games because they aren’t just a faster way to get back where you were, they also serve to connect one part of the world to the other. To make the levels one coherent entity rather than multiple separate parts connected by a hallway. Lies of P fails at capturing this magic. By the time you reach the final area, you will have gotten used to the general structure of how levels are designed. I stopped thinking, “hmmm how do I get there?” and started thinking, “Oh, I guess I’ll make it there later.” Some might prefer this more streamlined, almost railroad approach to level design, but I personally find it lacking and is the key reason why Lies of P doesn’t quite hit at the same weight class as FromSoftware.
Lies of P is the first game since Nioh and Nioh 2 which actually challenges FromSoftware in their own arena. It goes toe-to-toe with the best FromSoftware has to offer and holds its own fairly well. It has a unique identity, world, and vibe which is hard to find in other games, especially of this genre. Its combat is right up there with the polish that the best the genre has to offer. However, there is just a sort of secret magic missing from it that keeps it from fully cementing itself on the same level. While combat, world design, art direction, music, and weapon builds all elevate Lies of P, its lack of armor and streamlined, simplistic level design keep it from reaching truly enormous heights. The potential for improvement is there and with DLC coming soon and almost certainly a sequel coming later down the pipeline, I could see Studio 8 really patching things up and nailing it. For now, Lies of P deserves a spot in the conversation as a challenger to the greatness that FromSoftware is known for and should be played by any and all players who are as addicted to this genre of game.
The world of Lies of P is unique and beautiful. The music, locales, graphical fidelity, art direction, and character designs all create a world truly unique not only in the souls-like genre but in gaming as a whole. It evokes late 1800s to early 1900s Europe in a way not many other games do. Splash in some jittery creepy puppets, zombified humans, and an odd monster here and there and you’ve got a world in Krat that is truly one to remember. At the Grand Hotel, the central hub of the game, there is even a record player in which you can listen to various songs that you find throughout your adventure, all of which are a feast for the ears and takes that extra step to make this world feel truly real. Sure, most of it is dead, but you can tell what it used to be, you can imagine how it used to look with bright lights, bustling streets, and grand ideas. The dreary yet gorgeous world of Krat elevates Lies of P in ways that can’t be understated and helps separate it from a crowd of souls-likes that is ever growing and ever blurring together.
An essential part of any game emulating a soul-like formula is in choosing your build. How you choose to spend your experience, what stats you choose to increase, what weapons you choose to use and upgrade, they are very important choices. A lot of times you will end up needing to make a definitive decision one way or the other due to scarcity of resources. You are only afforded a certain amount of upgrade materials and so making the most of them tends to be key. Lies of P is a mixed bag in regards to builds and RPG mechanics. On the one hand, I think the weapon system is absolutely brilliant. Being able to take almost any weapon and break it into two pieces, the blade and the handle, was genius. Being able to customize almost any weapon you want in this way allows for unique thought processes and build considerations. Do you want a weapon that has a long reach? Do you want one with your preferred favorite weapon ability? Do you want one that is lighter? Have you considered scaling? All of these things and more really put you in control of your build and allow for diversity which is always a plus. However, the rest of the customization options are lackluster. Armor is just a slow progression of finding better things to replace your worse pieces with. Sometimes one piece may resist a certain element more than another, sometimes you will need to consider slashing versus piercing damage, but by and large these considerations are secondary. The armor system could use some expanding and more customizability.
The weakest portion of the game and the reason why it still stands out as a tier below FromSoftware proper, is in its level design. Outside of the last handful of hours, exploring the world of Krat is generally streamlined and quick. Each level can be summed up as a fairly straight line with some branching paths here and there that never go too far off the golden path and are never too hard to find. If you put any effort into exploring whatsoever, you are bound to find almost every secret, optional area, and unlock every shortcut without too much thought. This is where FromSoftware separates itself from the rest. Part of the magic of FromSoftware titles is in how each area of the world feels connected. Shortcuts are so magical in these games because they aren’t just a faster way to get back where you were, they also serve to connect one part of the world to the other. To make the levels one coherent entity rather than multiple separate parts connected by a hallway. Lies of P fails at capturing this magic. By the time you reach the final area, you will have gotten used to the general structure of how levels are designed. I stopped thinking, “hmmm how do I get there?” and started thinking, “Oh, I guess I’ll make it there later.” Some might prefer this more streamlined, almost railroad approach to level design, but I personally find it lacking and is the key reason why Lies of P doesn’t quite hit at the same weight class as FromSoftware.
Lies of P is the first game since Nioh and Nioh 2 which actually challenges FromSoftware in their own arena. It goes toe-to-toe with the best FromSoftware has to offer and holds its own fairly well. It has a unique identity, world, and vibe which is hard to find in other games, especially of this genre. Its combat is right up there with the polish that the best the genre has to offer. However, there is just a sort of secret magic missing from it that keeps it from fully cementing itself on the same level. While combat, world design, art direction, music, and weapon builds all elevate Lies of P, its lack of armor and streamlined, simplistic level design keep it from reaching truly enormous heights. The potential for improvement is there and with DLC coming soon and almost certainly a sequel coming later down the pipeline, I could see Studio 8 really patching things up and nailing it. For now, Lies of P deserves a spot in the conversation as a challenger to the greatness that FromSoftware is known for and should be played by any and all players who are as addicted to this genre of game.