Zach Hiserote
zeh001@marietta.edu
Lies of P is an ambitious souls-like from indie developer Neowiz. If you don’t know what a souls-like is, think of it as an extremely difficult action RPG much like its namesake Dark Souls. Just without the trademark of FromSoftware on the box.
Essentially you can expect difficult mobs of enemies and bosses, as well as platforming elements in its game design. Its purpose is to test your reflexes and problem solving. As well as test your ability to craft your own identity in its mechanics when it comes to perfecting your character build.
With a near identical system to the likes of Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you can set your expectations to be a bit more fast paced and to require perfection when committing to the bosses.
Now that you understand the mechanics and how it plays, the most impressive part of Lies of P is that it carries a unique twist on the classic tale of Pinocchio. Of course the dark and macabre themes lie underneath the innocent tale, yet offers that much more in an enjoyable plot that will keep you guessing and the revelations from twists and turns are both refreshing.
When you start the game, a soothing voice and a blue butterfly fill you screen commanding you to awaken. When you come to, you are filling the shoes of a puppet that looks very human-like, named “P”. You start your journey in a train car of the Grand Central Station of Krat, the games mysterious dystopian city that boasts wonderful and illustrious environments to get lost in. Unfortunately, the city’s inhabitants have all been ruthlessly murdered by crazy puppets or contracted a serious disease that changes people into grotesque monsters.
Along your adventure you can expect to meet a certain fairy godmother, cricket, cat, and fox with their appearances twisted to fit this unique tale. If you know how the original Pinocchio plays out, you can probably guess the outcomes and themes present in each storyline, but there are a lot of unpredictable outcomes present in Lies of P.
Much like the original Pinocchio telling the truth and telling lies will impact your playthrough and ending. Not necessarily in the way you imagine with “P”’s nose growing every time he lies, but instead he will become more human. You choose, keep your springs oiled? Or do you want flesh with a beating heart?
Keeping all of this in mind, Lies of P boasts an adventure filled with excitement and engaging gameplay over the course of the 30 plus hour play through. It is very likely you will rage, you will want to break your controller, but where souls-likes truly shine is in how they boost the players confidence and offer a rewarding self-soothing affect after beating that insanely difficult boss. Regardless, Lies of P will most likely be a timeless title much like FromSoftware’s own games that started the trends present in the genre.
