Lies of P frustrates me. The primary Soulslike from builders Neowiz Video games and Round8 Studio, this gothic action-RPG retains kicking my ass irrespective of what number of instances I degree up. It’s aggravating. And but, I preserve pulling myself from the consolation of my Starfield spaceship to descend into the chaos of “Pinocchio Souls” for one motive: The South Korean duo has achieved way more right here than simply rip off the alluring FromSoftware vibes. They really perceive what makes the Japanese studio’s sport design so compelling, and Lies of P’s wonderful gameplay proves it. It might not reinvent the wheel, but it surely does sufficient to face out among the many crowd whereas nonetheless scratching that persistent Bloodborne itch.
Learn Extra: Lies Of P’s Dodge Roll Shouldn’t Be This Dangerous At The Begin
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Loosely based mostly on the story of Pinocchio, Lies of P is a couple of world gone mad. A puppet frenzy has killed most people within the metropolis of Krat, a once-prosperous city teeming with life and opulence, and a plague referred to as the petrification illness is popping the remaining of us into blue bulbous monsters. Buildings are burning. Houses are ransacked. Streets are soaked. And to high all of it off, the creator of all of the puppets, Geppetto, is lacking. As P, your job is to search out your dad and cease the rampaging puppets whereas unraveling the thriller behind the viral an infection coursing by town.
That’s the story setup and, not like FromSoft with its penchant for vagaries, Lies of P’s narrative is surprisingly straightforward to observe. There are cutscenes firstly and finish of most chapters. Once you return to Lodge Krat, the hub space the place you’ll be able to improve your character and tinker along with your gear, NPCs will give exposition dumps about modifications to the world and your subsequent mission goal. Characters react to your selections—each when it comes to dialogue responses and outfit selections—and sure bosses are conscious of what you’ve gotten into in Krat. You’ll be able to completely learn merchandise descriptions to select up on among the nuances—what occurred to a few on Elysian Boulevard, why a carpentry store was vacated, and so forth—however Lies of P presents a transparent and concise narrative so that you can observe.
FromSoftware’s storytelling is fascinating as a result of it leaves a lot to the creativeness. Lies of P does one thing comparable, however as a substitute of merely stringing you together with breadcrumbs within the hopes that you simply’ll piece collectively the story your self, it offers you a narrative, then asks that you simply spend a while unraveling its many knots. It’s refreshing, as the sport establishes its characters’ motivations off the rip with out requiring you to scroll by copious menus studying small textual content simply to know the intricacies of the setting you’re combating your approach by.
To make sure, combating is what you’ll spend a lot of your time in Lies of P doing, and each encounter is brutal. It is a Soulslike, in spite of everything, so you’ll be able to count on to respawn on the nearest Stargazer (this sport’s model of bonfires) again and again. You’ve got your customary moveset right here: a block, gentle and heavy assaults, a dodge, and a few particular strikes known as Fable Arts which have their very own rechargeable gauges. You’ve additionally received stamina and weight to fret about, each of which have an effect on the way you assault.
In that approach, Lies of P is an everyday outdated Soulslike. Nevertheless, whereas it attracts plenty of comparisons to Bloodborne, significantly for its visuals, you must deal with it extra like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice which, like this sport, places appreciable emphasis on exactly timed guards. You’ll need to grasp its excellent guard with a purpose to negate all harm and, after sufficient excellent guards, break your opponent’s weapon. The window on this maneuver is tight, although. Miss it and also you’re in for a beating, particularly for the reason that animations for many actions—attacking, dodging, utilizing consumables, and the like—are lengthy. However get it down and the proper guard will grow to be your bestie as you battle in opposition to the sport’s many no-bullshit boss encounters.
And there are an array of formidable bosses simply ready to stomp your fairly doll face in. From a hulking parade grasp that beats you to demise with its head to a Lovecraftian-looking slug beast that solely needs to present you poison kisses to a gang of 4 extremely educated masked warriors to a roided-up human monstrosity, Lies of P has no scarcity of powerful foes, every extra spectacular than the final. In true Soulslike trend, these enemies are the toughest of talent checks, coming on the finish of every of the sport’s 11 chapters. Some are cheaper than others. A couple of have an even cheaper second section that left me questioning if the sport sucked or I simply wanted to “git gud,” and truthfully, it looks like an amalgam of each.
An enormous downside right here is animation restoration, which sees P taking eternally to get again to a impartial place earlier than performing one other motion. That mentioned, I additionally went in with a Bloodborne mindset as a substitute of a Sekiro one. So, I received bodied. So much. One boss specifically, the King of Puppets, which comes across the midway mark, rattling close to made me give up the sport fully. After 20 or so tries and expending actually each consumable in my stock, nevertheless, I lastly killed the bastard. This is the reason I preserve coming again to the sport. Regardless of the frustration I typically really feel with its sluggish mechanics, the exhilaration the sport elicits after these tough fights is gratifying, particularly after spending a while taking within the fantastically various locales.
Lies of P takes place in Belle Époque-era France, so naturally the sport options tons of cobblestone streets and grand cathedrals to discover. There are additionally dilapidated villages and underground chasms ripe for spelunking. Blended in are steampunky aesthetics and gory visuals, which create one thing that nestles in between the bloody horror of Bloodborne and the mechanical fantastic thing about Steelrising. Blood and oil soak the alleys. Human corpses and dismembered puppets line the buildings. Every little thing in all places is trashed. Among the many rubble are wilting flowers. It’s all depressingly beautiful, and this juxtaposition between the grotesque and the opulent is enrapturing. The sport does like to ship you to cathedrals a couple of instances, although, and their similarity could make it really feel as if Krat isn’t that huge.
Nonetheless, the eye to element and strict degree structure—this can be a extra linear affair akin to Demon’s Souls’ interlocking pathways than an open-world epic like Elden Ring—give Lies of P an unparalleled sense of place. The world Neowiz Video games and Round8 Studio have constructed right here feels each alive and lived in, with characters reminiscing about what was whereas deriding what’s. It’s an evocative setting that’s as simple as it’s mysterious, one that can depart you useless lengthy sufficient to bask within the glow of the road lamps and the chandelier lighting.
Apparently, Lies of P can also be one of many few non-FromSoft video games that doesn’t simply superficially mimic the studio’s video games, however actually understands its design philosophy. The style is understood for interconnected ranges and punishing fights, however greater than that, Soulslikes elicit a way of delight and accomplishment only for making it to the following stage. FromSoft’s video games heighten these feelings with their fine-tuned fight and complicated world-building, leaving you breathless after a tense boss encounter or when coming into a shocking new space.
Learn Extra: Lies Of P’s Weapon Customization Certain Is One thing Particular
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Lies of P isn’t as fine-tuned or as intricate as a Darkish Souls, however Neowiz Video games and Round8 Studio have gotten fairly rattling shut right here. When you instructed me this was a FromSoft sport, I’d completely imagine you. It wears its inspirations on its robotic arms with dignity, and though it isn’t wholly authentic, the sport continues to be a piece of spectacular ambiance and design. On the very least, it may possibly fill that Bloodborne-shaped gap that grows with every passing day.