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Feels like the spiritual successor to Bloodborne | Full Review - Lies of P

2K View2023-09-17

Lies of P

9.0

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Ever since Dark Souls' success in 2011, there has been no shortage of these so-called Souls-like games. And now, we have another game with Lies of P, and it's one of the most promising entries yet in the Souls-like genre.

📌Pros and Cons

📖Story

Lies of P offers a fresh twist on the classic story of Pinocchio, set against the backdrop of the enchanting 19th century Belle Époque era. The game plunges players into the city of Krat, a place powered by the mysterious mineral Ergo but now plagued by a frenzy that has turned its puppet inhabitants against humanity. The game weaves a dark and compelling tale of a city torn apart by greed and the lust for power. As the silent Pinocchio, the player is tasked with navigating this perilous world while concealing and “lying” his true identity as a puppet.

Lies of P introduces a unique “Lying” dialogue mechanic where player decisions during specific moments in the game impact the storyline, as well as Pinocchio's character development. These choices can lead to different outcomes and shape the reactions of characters and the world itself. The concept of lying versus telling the truth is central to this system and adds flavor to the gameplay experience.

The game's narrative, while based on the classic tale of Pinocchio, takes unexpected twists and turns that keep players engaged. The storytelling is one of its strongest assets, and the ability to influence the course of events through choices adds a layer of freedom. It’s approach is similar to other Soulslike games with its environmental storytelling and its silent protagonist against a non-linear backdrop narrative.

🎨Graphics and Art style

Lies of P draws players into a bewitching, dark, and atmospheric world that evokes strong similarities to the acclaimed PlayStation game Bloodborne. The game's graphics and aesthetics are strikingly reminiscent of Bloodborne, with intricate and gothic-inspired architecture that exudes a sense of foreboding. Just as Bloodborne is known for its nightmarish creatures, Lies of P instead substitutes them with puppet robots that are equally eerie and menacing, adding a unique twist to the familiar Soulslike formula. In many respects, Lies of P feels like a legitimate spiritual successor to Bloodborne, capturing the essence of its dark and macabre world while introducing its own evolved captivating narrative.

🎮Gameplay

As a Souls-like game, Lies of P lives up to its genre's reputation for challenging gameplay. Combat is at the forefront, requiring precision, timing, and a keen understanding of enemy patterns. If you're familiar with the Souls-like games, you'll find yourself in familiar territory, with death lurking around every corner.

The game offers three character classes, known as "Paths," each with its own unique strengths, weaknesses, and playstyles. The Path of the Cricket is balanced between strength and dexterity, suitable for versatile "quality builds." Starts with the "Puppet's Blade" weapon. The Path of the Bastard focuses on dexterity-based combat, excelling in speed and agility. High stamina allows for a flurry of attacks. Starts with the "Wintry Rapier" weapon. Lastly, Path of the Sweeper is a strength-based combat style with high Vitality and powerful attacks. Starts with the "Greatsword of Fate" weapon but lacks stamina for sustained attacks. Furthermore, Lies of P features a wide range of weapons, including swords, axes, and unique mechanical arm gadgets. Each weapon type offers a distinct set of moves and abilities, allowing for varied and rich combat strategies.

In terms of weapons and customization, Lies of P offers a rich array of options. Alongside traditional Soulslike weaponry like swords and axes, Pinocchio's mechanical arm can be equipped with various gadgets, from grappling hooks to flamethrowers. The game boasts an impressive 30 different weapon types with 100 possible combinations, giving players plenty of room to experiment.

However, there's a catch. Once players discover a weapon or gadget combination that suits their playstyle, there's a temptation to stick with it and “not fix what ain’t broken”. While experimentation is encouraged, the game's design may inadvertently discourage players from diversifying their approach to combat.

⬆️Progression

Lies of P features a leveling system centered around the game's currency known as Ergo. This currency is earned by defeating enemies, particularly puppets and bosses, as well as through item sales. Ergo serves as the means for character progression, allowing players to invest in various attributes and skills to customize their character's abilities. This mirrors the character development found in traditional Soulslike games, where players make strategic decisions about how to improve their character. The use of Ergo aligns seamlessly with the Soulslike format, providing a familiar yet engaging pathway for character growth.

Additionally, Lies of P incorporates Stargazers as a checkpoint and progression system, which is another straightforward adaptation of the Soulslike format. These Stargazers, basically Bonfires from the Dark Souls series, serve as essential save points and respawn locations. They not only offer a means to preserve progress but also grant various effects and customization options, adding depth to the gameplay experience. Stargazers encourage exploration by revealing lore and hidden elements in the game world, reinforcing the immersive storytelling aspects often seen in Soulslike games. Overall, Lies of P effectively integrates these systems into its gameplay, providing a satisfying adaptation of the Soulslike format, complete with challenging combat, character progression, and atmospheric exploration.

⚔️Combat

While the game successfully captures the essence and challenging difficulty of Souls-like combat, it does come with its set of challenges. Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to moments of frustration. There is an over reliance on the parry mechanic, which can leave the dodge mechanic pretty useless. Dodge in particular, has a noticeable delay between initiating the dodge and actually executing it, which can be problematic when facing powerful foes. This can leave players feeling somewhat at the mercy of the game's blocking and parrying mechanics.

The absence of animation canceling exacerbates these issues. The inability to interrupt certain actions with others can make combat feel less fluid than desired. However, it's worth noting that the combat system, despite its quirks, has an oddly addictive quality. Achieving a perfectly timed parry or landing a series of attacks feels immensely satisfying, creating a love-hate relationship with the mechanics.

📉Performance

What sets Lies of P apart from some recent releases is its exceptional optimization. Unlike many contemporary games that suffer from poorly optimized states, Lies of P runs beautifully on my PC, delivering an almost locked 144 FPS experience on my high-end system featuring an i7-8700k and an RTX 3080. Remarkably, Even with the last-minute addition of Denuvo, Lies of P’s performance comes without any noticeable stutters or frame drops, resulting in a truly buttery-smooth gameplay experience.

⚖️Conclusion

Lies of P is a game that deserves recognition for its unique narrative mechanics and storytelling. While its combat may feel clunky at times and animation mechanics could be smoother, these issues don't overshadow the overall experience. The character progression system and customization options add depth, and the game's narrative is an evolved version of the souls-like style of narrative storytelling. In many respects, Lies of P feels like a legitimate spiritual successor to Bloodborne, and it’s also on PC.

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Lies of P

9.0

Action

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