When it comes to games I play nowadays, they have to hook me relatively quickly for me to play them all the way through. This part about my playing habits is especially true for soulslikes. I am of the opinion that VERY few games can approach FromSoftware's souls games in terms of quality. Prior to finishing Lies of P, the only game that ever came close was Nioh 2. Lies of P now joins Nioh 2 in being the only two soulslikes that are up there with FromSoftware.
Lies of P feels more like a FromSoftware game than any other soulslike I've ever played. The combat, world design, music, and (something I rarely see mentioned in games like this) cutscene direction feel, sound, and look like FromSoftware made them. If your basis on how good a soulslike is completely based on how alike it is to games that FromSoftware make, then this will be your favorite without a doubt. I still think Nioh 2 is the best soulslike because of how it evolves the formula (read my Nioh 2 review for more!), but this is an excellent beginning for a studio that only had one other game under their belt prior to this.
The most important parts of soulslikes are level design and combat. Despite being important to how these games feel and play, many soulslikes are not able to nail either of them; however, Lies of P succeeds in both of these (albeit to varying degrees). Lies of P understands soulslike combat better than most soulslikes that have emerged since the genres inception. The team at Round 8 gets the intricacies of what makes these games feel so good to play. The cool boss fights and flashy moves are not what people play these games for (or at least it's not what I play them for). This isn't me undermining the game's bosses--most of them are incredible, but some are laughably bad (Black Rabbit Brotherhood and Victor). Sure, they both play a part, but the build customization and encounters are what make these games shine. Each of the main parts (combat, presentation, bosses, story) need to work together to create an experience. If even one part is bad, it sours the experience.
Being able to take apart most weapons is amazing. Looking at each blade's move set and damage with different handles was something I constantly looked forward to each time I found a new weapon. It really leans into the idea that all weapons and playstyles are valid--which is something we haven't seen in this genre since Bloodborne. I also enjoy that it marries the aggression of Bloodborne with the parrying mechanics of Sekiro. The only downside to this is that I feel that the parry window is just barely too tight. The enemy encounters in each of its levels are mostly well thought out, but some encounters feel unfair to an extent. I think level design is Lies of P's main flaw. These levels are NOT bad (barring Collapsed Krat), but they don't have any of the inventiveness that FromSoftware titles have. I feel like this is completely due to the game's linearity. It doesn't really feel like you're making your way through a world, but it instead feels like you are going through the motions.
The music, art direction, and cutscenes are also a standout. Each of these stand toe-to-toe with FromSoftware's best. I think the records you collect have some of the most beautiful arrangements this genre has to offer. Bloodborne is an easy comparison to make here, but I think Demon's Souls also has a say here with the Shrine of Storm and Tower of Latria feel like heavy inspirations for Lies of P's art direction. And now there are the cutscenes. The cutscenes that introduce each of the game's main bosses as well as major story beats are incredible too. I can't really describe why I feel so drawn to the cutscenes here--I haven't actively thought about any other soulslike's cutscenes before--but the ones here just jump out at me as well made.
Saying that Lies of P is just an imitation of FromSoftware's work with a Pinocchio spin really discredits a lot of what Lies of P does right, but I can understand where it is coming from. Lies of P wears its inspirations on its ever-growing nose, but it can stand on its own as something truly remarkable.
Lies of P feels more like a FromSoftware game than any other soulslike I've ever played. The combat, world design, music, and (something I rarely see mentioned in games like this) cutscene direction feel, sound, and look like FromSoftware made them. If your basis on how good a soulslike is completely based on how alike it is to games that FromSoftware make, then this will be your favorite without a doubt. I still think Nioh 2 is the best soulslike because of how it evolves the formula (read my Nioh 2 review for more!), but this is an excellent beginning for a studio that only had one other game under their belt prior to this.
The most important parts of soulslikes are level design and combat. Despite being important to how these games feel and play, many soulslikes are not able to nail either of them; however, Lies of P succeeds in both of these (albeit to varying degrees). Lies of P understands soulslike combat better than most soulslikes that have emerged since the genres inception. The team at Round 8 gets the intricacies of what makes these games feel so good to play. The cool boss fights and flashy moves are not what people play these games for (or at least it's not what I play them for). This isn't me undermining the game's bosses--most of them are incredible, but some are laughably bad (Black Rabbit Brotherhood and Victor). Sure, they both play a part, but the build customization and encounters are what make these games shine. Each of the main parts (combat, presentation, bosses, story) need to work together to create an experience. If even one part is bad, it sours the experience.
Being able to take apart most weapons is amazing. Looking at each blade's move set and damage with different handles was something I constantly looked forward to each time I found a new weapon. It really leans into the idea that all weapons and playstyles are valid--which is something we haven't seen in this genre since Bloodborne. I also enjoy that it marries the aggression of Bloodborne with the parrying mechanics of Sekiro. The only downside to this is that I feel that the parry window is just barely too tight. The enemy encounters in each of its levels are mostly well thought out, but some encounters feel unfair to an extent. I think level design is Lies of P's main flaw. These levels are NOT bad (barring Collapsed Krat), but they don't have any of the inventiveness that FromSoftware titles have. I feel like this is completely due to the game's linearity. It doesn't really feel like you're making your way through a world, but it instead feels like you are going through the motions.
The music, art direction, and cutscenes are also a standout. Each of these stand toe-to-toe with FromSoftware's best. I think the records you collect have some of the most beautiful arrangements this genre has to offer. Bloodborne is an easy comparison to make here, but I think Demon's Souls also has a say here with the Shrine of Storm and Tower of Latria feel like heavy inspirations for Lies of P's art direction. And now there are the cutscenes. The cutscenes that introduce each of the game's main bosses as well as major story beats are incredible too. I can't really describe why I feel so drawn to the cutscenes here--I haven't actively thought about any other soulslike's cutscenes before--but the ones here just jump out at me as well made.
Saying that Lies of P is just an imitation of FromSoftware's work with a Pinocchio spin really discredits a lot of what Lies of P does right, but I can understand where it is coming from. Lies of P wears its inspirations on its ever-growing nose, but it can stand on its own as something truly remarkable.