Man, this game just perfectly exemplifies how big the divide is between a 4 star score and a 4 ½ star score, because Lies of P is slap bang right in the middle. Too good for the former, but not quite hitting the heady heights that one would attribute to the latter. The quintessential 8.5 outta 10 if you will.
Lies of P takes heavy inspiration from From Software and the Soulslike genre that Miyazaki and co are recognised for creating. I say "inspiration," but really, that's just a polite way of saying that developer Neowiz have copied the Bloodborne formula wholesale, added a pinch of Sekiro, and used their own nonsensical retelling of Pinocchio as the main means of distinguishing their game from its forebearers. In terms of story, this dark fairytale aesthetic is some bobbins that can safely be glossed over from the onset. NPCs have several longwinded (and very one-sided) conversations with the titular 'P', often droning on long after the player's attention has drifted elsewhere. I was quite happy to ignore the narrative stuff for the most part. Where that aesthetic really comes into its own though is in the visuals and locations. Lies of P has a level of polish and fidelity scarcely seen in a From game. There's little of the technical inadequacies like Bloodborne's infamous frame-pacing issue blighting the experience here. The city of Krat is often handsome to behold, from the glossy and Art Deco-esque hub location to the atmospheric, Parisian cityscapes of the initial chapters. Without resorting to hyperbole, Lies of P could pass as a generation ahead of Elden Ring, but maybe that's not the most fair of comparisons. Point being, it looks pretty dang tight for a game of this genre.
But where the game truly shines is, unsurprisingly, in its core gameplay. As established, Lies of P is cribbing from a long-established formula, but we've seen other developers try and fail to capture that From magic before. Neowiz don't fall victim to being a pale imitator however, and have managed to replicate the much-adored Souls experience to a tee. It's a game that feels inherently satisfying to play on all levels. There's a myriad of different mechanics here, and they all feel good to use after sufficient time spent in the trenches, from the Fable Arts to the Legion Arms to the overall movement. The parrying system is less forgiving than the one found in Sekiro, and the player will quickly realise that spamming the block button isn't a fast track to victory, but put in the practice and learn the enemy combos and it becomes a very viable way of removing huge chunks from your opponent's health bar. It's a tough game, but it's fair (mostly), and in true Souls fashion, it's the boss fights are the undisputed highpoint, frequently straddling the line between exhilarating and stress-inducing and delivering that huge dopamine rush that only comes after toppling a big baddie and removing the barrier to progressing onwards.
It's enough to make you quickly forgive the fact that Lies of P barely has an original bone in its entire body. Rather, there's something oddly heart-warming about a studio, with an unproven track record and hailing from a country that's more known for its MMOs than strong single-player experiences, tackling a genre that's new to them and absolutely knocking it out of the park. South Korea's gaming industry appears to be an emerging international market at this particular point in time, and Lies of P gives me hope that Stellar Blade and Little Devil Inside (and hopefully more of their ilk) will deliver on the expectations set by their strong promotional material once they finally see the light of day.
But seriously though, Little Devil Inside is so cancelled.
Lies of P takes heavy inspiration from From Software and the Soulslike genre that Miyazaki and co are recognised for creating. I say "inspiration," but really, that's just a polite way of saying that developer Neowiz have copied the Bloodborne formula wholesale, added a pinch of Sekiro, and used their own nonsensical retelling of Pinocchio as the main means of distinguishing their game from its forebearers. In terms of story, this dark fairytale aesthetic is some bobbins that can safely be glossed over from the onset. NPCs have several longwinded (and very one-sided) conversations with the titular 'P', often droning on long after the player's attention has drifted elsewhere. I was quite happy to ignore the narrative stuff for the most part. Where that aesthetic really comes into its own though is in the visuals and locations. Lies of P has a level of polish and fidelity scarcely seen in a From game. There's little of the technical inadequacies like Bloodborne's infamous frame-pacing issue blighting the experience here. The city of Krat is often handsome to behold, from the glossy and Art Deco-esque hub location to the atmospheric, Parisian cityscapes of the initial chapters. Without resorting to hyperbole, Lies of P could pass as a generation ahead of Elden Ring, but maybe that's not the most fair of comparisons. Point being, it looks pretty dang tight for a game of this genre.
But where the game truly shines is, unsurprisingly, in its core gameplay. As established, Lies of P is cribbing from a long-established formula, but we've seen other developers try and fail to capture that From magic before. Neowiz don't fall victim to being a pale imitator however, and have managed to replicate the much-adored Souls experience to a tee. It's a game that feels inherently satisfying to play on all levels. There's a myriad of different mechanics here, and they all feel good to use after sufficient time spent in the trenches, from the Fable Arts to the Legion Arms to the overall movement. The parrying system is less forgiving than the one found in Sekiro, and the player will quickly realise that spamming the block button isn't a fast track to victory, but put in the practice and learn the enemy combos and it becomes a very viable way of removing huge chunks from your opponent's health bar. It's a tough game, but it's fair (mostly), and in true Souls fashion, it's the boss fights are the undisputed highpoint, frequently straddling the line between exhilarating and stress-inducing and delivering that huge dopamine rush that only comes after toppling a big baddie and removing the barrier to progressing onwards.
It's enough to make you quickly forgive the fact that Lies of P barely has an original bone in its entire body. Rather, there's something oddly heart-warming about a studio, with an unproven track record and hailing from a country that's more known for its MMOs than strong single-player experiences, tackling a genre that's new to them and absolutely knocking it out of the park. South Korea's gaming industry appears to be an emerging international market at this particular point in time, and Lies of P gives me hope that Stellar Blade and Little Devil Inside (and hopefully more of their ilk) will deliver on the expectations set by their strong promotional material once they finally see the light of day.
But seriously though, Little Devil Inside is so cancelled.
3 Comments
@Ghost_Of_SAS The dodge was definitely a bit borked in the demo, but I think they adjusted it for the final release. Also, there's an upgrade you can get relatively early on that lets you dodge twice in a row. It's essential, and lets you alternate between dodging and parrying as you see fit.
As someone who relied solely on dodging in Bloodborne and mastered the parrying enough in Sekiro to get the platinum, I'd say Lies of P does a good job of encouraging both mechanics to be used. Parrying is really going to help you out towards some of the later stage enemies in this.
As someone who relied solely on dodging in Bloodborne and mastered the parrying enough in Sekiro to get the platinum, I'd say Lies of P does a good job of encouraging both mechanics to be used. Parrying is really going to help you out towards some of the later stage enemies in this.
@acquiescence That's very good to hear. I think I'm burned out on soulslikes, but if I go back to a game in the genre it'll probably be this one.
Ghost_Of_SAS
3 months ago