there are no strings on p
Is 'Lies Of P' The Next Great Soulslike? Here's What The Reviews Say
As it turns out, there's a staggering amount of jargon needed to be a gamer. For example, knowing that an entire subgenre of video games — called Soulslikes — is inspired by "Dark Souls" is only a fraction of it all.
A new Soulslike, called "Lies of P," is eerily reminiscent of "Bloodborne" from video game developer FromSoftware, in both its art direction and gameplay design — except instead of fighting monsters, you're Pinocchio and you're killing robots.
The makers of "Lies of P" are a relatively unproven indie team, and this has the look of a real AAA title. So while people have been hyped for this title, and we all got to play a demo, the reviews are finally out. It's looking like a success. Here's what the critics have to say about this game, which comes out on September 19, 2023 for Xbox, PlayStation 4 and 5, PC and Mac.
The premise
In "Lies of P," you play the role of the puppet "P" in the Belle Époque-inspired city of Krat; a once prosperous capital that has collapsed into ruin as a result of the Puppet Frenzy, leaving Krat with bloodsoaked streets, murderous puppets and a mysterious plague. In this dark and bloody re-imagining of the 1883 children's tale, P must fight through in order to find his creator and become human.
The setting and levels are excellent
While the story lacks some pizazz, the scale and warped beauty of Krat go some way to make up for it. The aforementioned Vengini Works showcases the game's impressive variety, taking you from a factory floor to a subterranean network of pipes that house torrents of green, corrupted water. Further on in the level, the factory grows increasingly industrial, with blaring red sirens and yellow and black hazard warnings ramping up the tension ahead of the inevitable boss fight. While Krat is sprawling, what's perhaps most impressive is how it's all woven together, with levels looping back on one another with a variety of different shortcuts and twisting, interconnected passages. There are very few loading screens to interrupt your traversal, too, meaning that each zone feels well-constructed and expansive, encouraging more exploration over a mad rush from point A to B.
The bosses are stellar
Of course, there's a third feature of Souls-like game design more critical than levels or individual features: bosses. This is something "Lies of P" makes special. Only the basic philosophy of boss design remains, and no boss feels like a From Software rip-off.. Interestingly, the skill ceiling for some of these fights is actually higher than that of many Souls bosses. The Parade Master is a fairly tough tutorial boss, and the Scrapped Watchman after it an electrifying engagement. Sometimes they do turn out a little rough — King’s Flame Fuoco could've done with a bit more work — but on the whole, these boss fights are a largely positive highlight for the game, encouraging true mastery and utilization of its many mechanics to win.
It tries to have a real story, but maybe isn't the focus of the game
In this story, puppets have repelled against their makers, broke their moral code and started attacking people. The few left are in hiding, but as P, you're the only sentient puppet that's seemingly not gone berserk. There's great distrust between people and machines, which the game presents as justification for lying/telling the truth to matter. Occasionally, certain conversations will offer two choices, one is clearly a lie and the other the truth. The game suggests that your decisions change the ending, but the choices I've come across all seem perfunctory, leading to the same outcome and only changing the dialog. I've yet to see any real effect of my lies, but maybe that's some secret the game is keeping for players to discover on their own. I just didn't care to.
This is really just 'Bloodborne' 2.0
Ergo serves as the souls equivalent. The similarities continue, straight through the interface design and Krat's distinctly Yharnam vibe. I won't lie: the borrowing from its Souls forebears is stark. At one point, while descending into some spooky woods after a boss fight in a church against a giant mutated priest, I couldn't shake the awareness of how closely it matched the sequence of beats I'd played in "Bloodborne."
For better or worse, much of "Lies of P's" combat draws clear inspiration from "Bloodborne" specifically, with a couple minor tweaks. You can't restore health lost from direct attacks by striking back at your enemies like in "Bloodborne," but you are given the ability to partially block some of that incoming damage then counter to restore the chip damage you absorbed. The result is a similar meta where aggressive gameplay is encouraged, and that keeps fights moving along at a quick pace — but it also discourages more defensive playstyles, which tend to be my go-to in soulslikes. That feisty combat is extremely fun, balanced, and well-tuned, but you're definitely boxed into playing in a specific way instead of allowing you the freedom to craft diverse builds, like a ranged magic user in "Dark Souls," for example.
TL;DR
"Lies of P" is a staggering achievement for Neowiz, and one of the very best "non-FromSoft" Soulslikes I've ever played.
"Lies of P" exceeds its SoulsBorne inspirations and is easily one of the best games of the year.
"Lies of P" is an incredible demonstration of what can be done with a public domain IP and is an exercise in creativity.