The 'Soulsborne' genre can be a crowded space, with a plethora of titles keen to offer unique and excruciating challenges to players willing to test themselves. Few, however, are well-designed and memorable enough to take on FromSoftware's iconic style and deliver something special.
Neowiz Games has not only created an addictive and challenging playground in Lies of P, but one so full of character that we’re excited to see the franchise develop in the now-confirmed upcoming sequel.
Set in Krat, which has a distinct European flavour that will make hardened Bloodborne fans feel at home (the team themselves have described the Belle Époque period as a big inspiration), you take on the animatronic body of Pinocchio in a techno-reimagining of the classic fairy tale.
Geppetto created you, alongside a city of similar puppets, promising to usher in an age of technological wonder and industrial revolution. However, misfortune has struck and all of the puppets — except for you, his exceptional and most lifelike creation — have malfunctioned and begun destroying the town, killing the townsfolk. So starts your quest to understand why.
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As you’d expect from the genre, you’ll meet NPCs along your journey. They help tell the tale of Krat's seedy underbelly. While industry has brought things along, poverty and disease are rife and there’s a tussle between some gangs too, for good measure.
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Being the infamous puppet, Pinocchio comes with an interesting story twist. As you move through the world of Krat, you’ll have the option to tell certain NPCs the full truth (sometimes some hard ones) or lie to get what you need and perhaps avoid a fight. However, every time you lie, you’ll be told Pinocchio's gears are shifting and starting to change.
What this means in practical terms is branching NPC quests, which are quite intricate, change somewhat. Locations, rewards and opportunities shift. But also, over time, Pinocchio himself begins to change, becoming more human and subtly shifting appearance as he tells white lies.
Which ending you get is heavily impacted by these choices.
Combat is tight and frenetic, forcing you to keep your wits about you and check every corner for enemies ready to surprise you. There’s a wide array of puppets to face off but there’s also a distinct eldritch flavour that sweeps through the world, resulting in some difficult-to-tackle and equally gruesome-looking enemies to handle.
Lies of P is littered with iconic boss fights. One memorable and testing encounter has you fight against a gang of murderous cockneys, with each member requiring their own strategy, all while their daunting brother sweeps through the battlefield with an almost comically large sword.
Weapons are treated slightly differently in the game. While you’ll discover them in the world or be rewarded with one after key battles, each has a distinct handle and blade which can be detached and combined with another, giving you some freedom to create a bespoke killing tool. It’s a seemingly small addition but one you’ll find yourself tinkering with before going into each battle.
Being a puppet, you have some non-human capabilities to toy with. Your left arm is interchangeable and with it comes some interesting powers. Kicking things off with a powerful punch, you’ll unlock more interesting ones as you go — including a hook-shot of sorts that will pull your enemies in close and opening them up to some powerful combos, as well as a veiny horror that spits acid and your classic flamethrower.
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As you’d expect, the difficulty curve is fairly steep and you’ll be challenged from the start, but thankfully Lies of P never feels mean-spirited and offers a lot of chances to learn along the way.
It’s a somewhat linear experience, so you won’t have the chance to explore elsewhere while you build yourself up to face a particularly sticky boss as you would in a title like Elden Ring, but if you explore all the nooks and crannies, you’ll always find yourself equipped with the tools you need to tackle the toughest of bosses.
Lies of P is an addictive Soulslike with a unique take on the genre and is certainly one not to be missed (especially if you have Game Pass).
Platform reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Lies of P is out now on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Mac.
