Lies of P Review
Short summary for the game
Like the story of Pinocchio it is based on, Lies of P is a game about self-discovery, and what it means to be human. It is a dark and twisted version of the original stories by Carlo Collodi that dances on the fine line between the original and the reimagined. You play as P(inocchio), who is woken up and tasked to save the city of Krat from a puppet uprising. On his journey, he is presented with many opportunities that either pull him closer to humanity, or have him remain a puppet. What ultimately happens is player choice, where my own P (spoiler!) gave humanity to puppets, becoming human in his own way.
Performance
To preface this section, the version of the game that I played was 1.5.0.0, which is pretty far away from release. Played it at max settings, 1440p with DLSS set to Quality because the temporal anti-aliasing was too blurry.
Performance on my RTX 3070 was like a hot knife through butter. I experienced no stutters or noticeable drops in FPS across my 32 hours of gameplay. For the entire duration the framerate remained high enough to experience increased smoothness from a high refresh-rate display.
Gameplay
Lies of P is a soulslike through and through. It is a faithful addition to the not-by-FromSoftware soulslikes, with its own identity. I truly felt like I was playing a new game by FromSoftware, and not some poorly executed knockoff. The developers have taken everything that’s good in the originals, polished it, and applied their own thick coat of paint over it, in a very successful effort to make it unique. It’s a testament to how much love they have for the genre, and the games that pioneered it.
The good
An aspect of the game that I think is a standout is the intricate level design. Every area feels meticulously designed with backtracking in mind, with each branching path always leading back to the resident Stargazer (the bonfire of this game). Another similar thing is the sense of direction: the player is clearly pointed in the right direction, with no ambiguity present. I have to compare this with the Dark Souls games, in which I would frequently get stuck not knowing where to go.
Another great feature are the P-Organ upgrades, which provide very meaningful upgrades to P, ranging from simple increases to Flask uses, to entirely new mechanics, such as making enemies stagger from being perfect-parried.
The combat also deserves a deeper dive. It’s definitely parry focused, with rolling being more of a supplement than bread-and-butter like in Dark Souls. It features a rich set of weapons, each one with its own unique moveset. Daggers feel slick, hammers SMASH, swords cut deep and you can feel all of it. The blade and handle system lets you mix and match (with exceptions!) different weapon blades and handles to further customize your combat experience. You want a giant wrench that you poke people with? Go ahead! A dagger blade on a pickaxe handle? Why not!
The fast travel menu is another standout feature, showing NPCs you can talk to in order to progress their story, and indicating which key items are usable where. This is a wonderful quality-of-life feature that would have been immensely helpful in the original FromSoftware games.
The storytelling expertly balances player discovery and narrative delivery, prompting players to read item descriptions and uncover the world’s mysteries without confusing them by not directly exposing key points in the story. This approach keeps the narrative engaging and makes exploration feel rewarding, without hiding key points behind exploration.
The bad
Despite its many strengths, the game has a few drawbacks too. After playing Elden Ring, having stamina drain even when out of combat feels frustrating, although I get why they chose to do it that way.
Weapon durability, while easily manageable, adds a sometimes unnecessary challenge to fights. I will admit, though, that by the end of the game I got used to it and naturally found the right moments to sharpen my blade.
I have to talk about the boss runups. They were a very significant issue for me, as dying after a boss and having to run through long, empty stretches to get back to the boss gate just wasted my time and broke my immersion. They posed no challenge since the did not have any enemies or traps along the way.
Furthermore, the lack of early-game respec options hinders experimentation with different builds, and the scarcity of special weapon upgrade materials limits the ability to explore various weapons fully. Additionally, I found the lack of enemy variety disappointing. Throughout the game, there were only a limited number of enemy types: small human, medium human, big human; small monster, medium monster, big monster; small dog, med- I think you get the idea. This lack of variety made encounters feel repetitive and less engaging.
Additionally, I felt like the Legion Arms were not as impactful as they could have been. I found myself rarely using them, unlike the Prosthetic arms from Sekiro, which are the obvious inspiration.
Lastly, the final area, Arche Abbey, is particularly disappointing, with unnecessary ganks, treacherous pathways, and a drawn-out ascent that feels more tedious than grand.
Art
Set in a gothic steampunk environment, Lies of P is a trove for those who enjoy good visuals, audio, and writing. Each of the environments was rich in detail, making it come to life on-screen and immersing the player even further. The game scatters a fair amount of readable items to further expose the deep lore that Neowiz and Round 8 have crafted, on top of the main story. I’m not the best at interpreting meaning behind art, which is why I am not talking too much about that.
Visual Design: The visual aesthetics are striking, blending gothic and steampunk elements to create a unique atmosphere. Each environment is meticulously detailed, contributing to the overall immersion.
Audio: Audio is what really caught my attention. Subtle mechanical sounds underscored the tension in combat, while ambient noises enhanced the eerie emptiness of the city of Krat, making every moment in the game feel vivid and alive. The voice acting was phenomenal. Not one line felt out of place in the hands (voices, actually!) of the voice actors. The only problem with it that I had was that it felt like the NPCs were speaking to me directly in my ears, as opposed to speaking to P. This slightly broke immersion, but was definitely saved by the beautifully conveyed emotions by the voice acting team.
Writing: The narrative and dialogue in Lies of P are thoughtfully crafted. The game’s story is delivered through a combination of direct dialogue and cutscenes, environmental storytelling, and scattered readable items. This approach kept the story easy to follow, but also made me wanting more, which led me to read a lot of item descriptions, a thing I seldom do! Not all characters are fully developed, but they didn’t need to be, which in a way adds to the mystery. Themes of humanity, choice, and self-discovery are woven throughout the narrative, creating a compelling backdrop for the player’s journey. The main story and side quests were interesting and well-written, featuring emotional moments and plot twists that kept me invested and wanting more.
Verdict
Lies of P offers a compelling journey through a dark and twisted reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, blending elements of gothic steampunk with the challenging gameplay of the soulslike genre. The game excels in several areas, including its intricate level design, the meaningful upgrade system, simple but effective combat mechanics. Each area is meticulously crafted with backtracking in mind, ensuring that exploration is rewarding and intuitive. The weapons system allows for deep customization of combat, enhancing the replayability and personalization of each playthrough.
The storytelling strikes a perfect balance, making exploration and narrative discovery engaging without without leaving the player confused. Audio and visual design are standout features, with detailed environments and immersive soundscapes that bring the world of Krat to life.
However, the game is not without its drawbacks, although they are few and far between. Stamina draining outside of combat and the need to grind the weapons are just nitpicks, and some people enjoy these features. The main thing that detracts from the experience is the lack of enemy variety.
In conclusion, Lies of P is a must-play for fans of the soulslike genre, or people who want to explore it and are intimidated by its reputation. While it has its flaws, the game’s strengths in level design, combat mechanics, and immersive world-building make it a worthy addition to any player’s library.
Rating: 9/10