After looking at the first trailers released for Lies of P, many people couldn’t help but compare to Bloodborne or Dark Souls. At the same time, they say that imitation is one of the sincerest versions of flattery. With the Soulslike subgenre becoming more popular nowadays, especially after Elden Ring won The Game Awards in 2022, more and more video game developers tried to recreate that success.
Many have failed this task, but Lies of P saw a spectacular success. From the punishing combat scenes to grim art, flexibility to build your character, and exquisitely designed boss fights, this game seems to check every box in the genre. In this review, we will learn more about the Lies of P review and whether the story of the wooden doll managed to reach the Soulslike rank.
Overviewing
The story is based on the classic Pinocchio tale, written by Carlo Collodi, only with a darker twist. In this story, P, a puppet given life by its master, awakens in a chaotic city. Our main hero finds himself in a Puppet Frenzy, a phenomenon in which the puppets have turned against their masters. The act itself is defiance against the Grand Covenant, who set the seemingly unbreakable rules that puppets could not lie to or harm humans.
P has no ties, nor is he bound to the Grand Covenant. This means that the lying moratorium does not apply to him either. As a result, he is given a series of tasks to save the city of Krat, where the Puppet Frenzy currently tears down.
The main character needs to save different important figures in the game, including Geppetto, his master. Walking through Krat, P also has to find a way to end the Puppet Frenzy, along with the solution to the Petrification Disease, a continuously spreading illness.
The gameplay may be conducted on the following platforms:
-PS5
-PS4
-PC
-Xbox Series X|S
-Xbox One
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A Soulslike Gameplay
Lies of P held its ground as a game aspiring to be a Soulslike one. The mechanics of the game remained consistent from start to finish. Plenty of gamers felt like the game was reminiscent of Bloodborne but eventually became a combination of Bloodborne and Sekiro. For a game to be Soulslike, it needs to meet certain features, including the following:
-High difficulty levels
-Focus on environmental storytelling
-Dark fantasy setting
-Answers revealed through item description and exploration
-Sparse checkpoints
-High-risk combat with difficult-to-overcome enemies
Lies of P has every feature necessary to offer players a Soulslike experience. The mapping section is similar, and the controls are mostly the same, whether you use light or heavy attacks.
When you level up, points are assigned to certain stats in your gameplay. To upgrade your weapons, you also need to use different materials. We saw this in Elden Ring, which brought more popularity to the Soulslike subgenre in the first place.
Big Bosses
Lies of P has inconsistent difficulty levels that are very common in games. Depending on the character that you build, these difficulty levels may change. For example, playing with Motivity (Strength Stat) is often less difficult than playing with a Technique (Dexterity). This is because when you are playing technique, your weapons may not have the strength to stagger your enemies. Your ability to prevent any damage from an upcoming attack is also limited. As a Technique player, you must rely on countermoves and other parries. When reaching the game's big bosses, the best way to win against them is to learn their attack patterns and gather as much information as possible about them. Each boss is different and comes with their strikes and rewards. The table below contains some of the big bosses and where you can find them:
| Krat Central Station | Parade Master | |
| Krat City Hall | Scrapped Watchman | |
| Elision Boulevard | Mad Donkey | |
| Venigni Works | The Survivor | |
| Venigni Works | Puppet of the Future | |
| Venigni Works | Fuoco, King’s Flame | |
| St. Frangelico Cathedral | Andreus, the Fallen Archbishop | |
| Malum District | Black Rabbit Brotherhood Eldest | |
| Rosa Isabelle Street | White Lady | |
| Estella Opera House | King of Puppets | |
| Rosa Isabelle Street | Mad Clown Puppet | |
| Grand Exhibition | Champion Victor | |
| Barren Swamp | Green Monster of the Swamp | |
| Barren Swamp | Owl Doctor | |
| Collapsing Krat | Corrupted Parade Master | |
| Collapsing Krat | Walker of Illusions | |
| Collapsing Krat | Robber Weasel | |
| Relic of Trismegistus | The Black Rabbit Brotherhood | |
| Arche Abbey | Laxasia the Complete | |
| Arche Abbey | Nameless Puppet | |
| Arche Abbey | Arm of God, Simon Manus | |
| Black Seaside | Door Guardian |
Fast-moving weapons are often necessary to break these bosses, along with a well-established strategy. The entire process is often enjoyable but, at the same time, unforgiving if you are a technique player.
On the other hand, as a Motivity player, you can use your weapons to stagger the bigger bosses. While the blow may not always be able to destroy the boss, it can stun them enough to make them wide-open. Even though it may not be as demanding as in the technique mode, it is certainly much easier.
One thing that makes Lies of P different from other Soulslike games is that you don’t lose all Ergo (i.e., your collected souls) once you die. Instead, you lose a certain amount of it whenever you take a hit, the souls replenishing your currency. Ergo may also be used for levelling up your character so that you don’t have to rest at a checkpoint.
Audio and Graphics: Hauntingly Exquisite
Soulslike games are mostly known for their dark fantasy graphics that make you hold your breath while still in awe. Lies of P meets that standard to a tee. The graphics are reminiscent of Bioshock Infinite, featuring neoclassical vibes common in British Columbia.
Some of this game's luxurious and gothic areas also remind us of Yharnam from Bloodborne. Combining classic elements with machinery (i.e., live puppets) gives you a game with a steampunk flair with everything it takes to be a Soulslike game.
Each boss comes with an unforgettable design. The bosses are much bigger than you, a common tactic in this type of game to induce fear. Whether you are fighting a puppet boss or a Krat being infected by the plague, each boss has an intricate design you likely haven’t seen before.
The music is also perfectly fitting for a dark fantasy game. Music can trigger various psychological processes that reflect emotion, which Lies of P relied on quite a lot. Depending on the scene you are playing, the music can evoke feelings such as sadness, nostalgia, dread, and/or excitement. The fame does an excellent job at invoking the Soulslike dream present in other similar games.
Conclusion
Lies of P is often compared to different Soulslike games, but it is like a puppet with no strings. Its qualities differentiate it from others in the genre while maintaining a common pattern. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most entertaining Soulslike releases of the year.
