It’s been about eight years since From Software program launched us all to Bloodborne and its horrifying blood-soaked streets, and I don’t thoughts telling you I’ve spent each waking minute since then occupied with its world, and ready for information of a sequel. Whereas there have been many choices by different builders of video games that search to seize the “Soulsborne” vibe in varied methods, few handle to seize the whole bundle. After spending a number of hours with the Lies of P demo, I got here away with the conclusion that I’ll have lastly discovered one thing to scratch that itch I’ve had for therefore lengthy.
I’ll admit, having Pinocchio because the protagonist wouldn’t have been my first decide, but it surely’s additionally apparent that developer NeoWiz isn’t precisely taking many cues from the Disney animated adaptation. Geppetto appears to be answerable for inventing much more puppets than simply Pinocchio, as town of Krat is full of automaton servants, police, canines, and extra. Nonetheless, all of the puppets appear to have gone loopy, turning town right into a nightmare the place deranged puppets that after served the folks now stalk the streets, and proceed to pulverize the bloody corpses of its former residents.
To this point, Krat has completed a reasonably good impression of Bloodborne’s Yharnam — and even hints of Bioshock’s Rapture — as an unnerving (but graphically spectacular) depiction of a once-prosperous and decadent utopia fallen into spoil and slathered in gore. Our bodies are piled all over the place, seemingly as a consequence of each the savagery of the puppet rebellion in addition to some mysterious plague that’s hinted at a number of occasions. I loved taking my time exploring town’s varied alleys, courtyards, and damaged interiors that juxtaposed properly with the nonetheless shining and spotless Resort Krat, which serves as your essential base of kinds to return to and degree up. Greater than as soon as I discovered myself stopping to stare on the carnage and ask, “What the hell occurred right here?”, which I keep in mind doing very often whereas exploring in Bloodborne.
Past its creepy setting, Lies of P additionally capabilities as a well-realized action-RPG that nearly appears to encapsulate a “best hits” of mechanics present in From Software program’s staples. There’s a prosthetic arm you’ll be able to swap out with totally different modifications paying homage to Sekiro, giving me the selection between utility and energy in restricted doses. Every of the main-hand weapons I discovered had their very own particular “arts” which jogged my memory of the weapon arts from Darkish Souls 3 and Elden Ring. Lies of P additionally appears to favor barely faster-paced fight that attracts near Bloodborne (though stopping to parry feels important), and even borrows the power to get well well being misplaced by urgent the assault. To this point, it looks like Lies of P is mixing these options in a approach that hasn’t made issues too convoluted, although I’m unsure including gear load to the combo was the correct transfer when dodging already feels very difficult to get the cling of.
Greater than as soon as I discovered myself stopping to stare on the carnage and ask, “What the hell occurred right here?”
The place fight is worried, I used to be truly very excited to seek out that Lies of P has not solely captured the sensation of mobility, but in addition an actual weight to its weapons, which regularly will get neglected by these trying to iterate on From Software program’s formulation. I began Pinochio’s journey with a rapier, dancing out and in of vary with lunges and thrusts, however quickly discovered a heavy policeman’s baton excellent for smashing puppets. With it, I used to be capable of sacrifice vary for energy, and overpower foes with heavy bashes that might have left me weak had they not related. Lies of P has additionally thrown its personal twists into the combo, letting you mix and match the top of 1 weapon to the deal with of one other. This let me tweak much more elements like managing weight, weapon vary, and the humanities of each components of my weapon, and left me considering of different weapon combo potentialities.
Although the demo solely included two essential bosses, every of them have been robust and satisfying in their very own proper, and left me hungry for extra. Equally unnerving and unpredictable, they put my talents to the check in understanding their assault patterns, and I ended up with an appreciation of how Lies of P handles weapon degradation. Your weapon sturdiness will degrade quicker than you would possibly count on between resting at checkpoints, however Pinocchio has the power to show his left arm right into a whetstone to revive misplaced sturdiness — making you extremely weak within the course of. This added one other layer to the fragile dance of boss fights, as discovering a second to restore was simply as vital as backing off to heal within the brief home windows between deadly assaults.
The malfunctioning and bloodthirsty puppets have been nice adversaries to this point, and whereas I’m not so positive Lies of P will go the cosmic horror route of Bloodborne, I do get the sneaking suspicion there’s extra happening than a number of haywire clockwork enemies. I solely caught a number of glimpses throughout my time with the demo, however there have been some grisly scenes that pointed to one thing extra unnatural at play, and it jogged my memory of the delicate cues sprinkled in Bloodborne’s early hours that set the stage for a terrifying realization afterward.
the ominous notification that my “strings have been tightening” gave me the sensation that abusing this mechanic may need darker implications than my nostril rising a few inches.
These clues even have me questioning simply how a lot the precise lies in Lies of P might have an effect on what occurs within the story. The few occasions I used to be given the choice for Pinocchio to lie didn’t really feel a lot like the alternatives with branching penalties that different RPGs usually promote after which wrestle to make significant, however as an alternative felt extra like a character-focused second in selecting between a tough fact and a simple lie. I didn’t precisely really feel unhealthy about mendacity, however the ominous notification that my “strings have been tightening” gave me the sensation that abusing this mechanic may need darker implications than my nostril rising a few inches. Even when Pinocchio’s story in Lies of P isn’t being manipulated by cosmic previous gods that flip folks into slugs, the eye to element in recapturing Bloodborne’s magic has received my full consideration, and I’m wanting to know the place this nightmare leads.
Brendan Graeber is IGN’s Senior Guides Editor.