Lies of P

Lies of P is a staggering achievement for Neowiz, and one of the very best "non-FromSoft" Soulslikes I've ever played.

The sum of Lies of P's parts is grand, but it manages to be even more than that. Despite frustrating "gotcha" moments and a few cheap enemy encounters that feel out of place in something so finely crafted, the whole experience holds a level of polish you'd expect only of seasoned veterans. Truth be told: I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this was a side studio of a certain, well-known developer, and I don't think I can be more glowing than that. Even in the end, after I fawned over the combat system and its dichotomous weaponry, happily sought out bits of information to expand upon the engaging story I was involved in, and felt the ecstasy of conquering a multi-hour boss, I wanted to go back for more. And despite the already unique pitch of "gothic, horrific Pinnochio adaptation," the developers are keen to let you know their future plans are even more ambitious (and tailor-made for me), which somehow elevates Lies of P even further beyond face value.

Take our word for it, this is the best soulsborne clone we have until From Software does better. This is a great game that has done its homework and successfully applied its own touch to the genre without being lazy.

Lies of P feels like a greatest hits Souls cover album by a band that is amazing at improvising and making everything fit in perfectly. It feels like the closest you can get to an actual FromSoftware game by an external developer, and it is one of the best games of the year if you’re up for the challenge. Lies of P is polished, fun, and punishing through its levels and bosses with a gorgeous aesthetic. I want to see this team tackle more themes like Pinocchio in the future because they nailed it here, and it feels so good on Steam Deck.

It’s a tale as old as time, retold story about a naive lie. But this one’s bout a laggy metal boy, who swings a huge sharp sword and not a toy. Who stood up to an army of puppets mad and faced great monsters, what a wonderfully adapted lad. Using Fable Arts and Legion Arms, he collects Ergo to do some charms. Invest thy knowledge to prevent further damage and pay the creators your homage. Seek the secrets and discover what is there to be, of off the brilliant world, created by the somehow not impactful Lies of a naive boy named P!

While I do think the audio mixing could use a little tweaking, I really enjoyed all of the music, voice acting, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees in certain areas. Little touches like that really elevated the overall experience.

This is definitely a lucky time for soulslike lovers, and Lies of P is no exception. Nice to look at and well thought out in terms of gameplay, the criticisms to be leveled at the creation of Round 8 Studio are very few, and all of them have little impact. It also manages to be an interesting reinterpretation of the Pinocchio opera, think about it.

Calling Lies of P derivative is both obvious and misses the point. It’s is a love letter to FromSoftware, but one that quite often matches or even exceeds its inspiration. Lies of P doesn’t quite attain the elegance of Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or Bloodborne’s best level designs, but its art, graphics, and combat are possibly the best of any Soulslike not developed by Miyazaki and company. Lies of P is addictive, challenging, and rewarding, and a must-play for fans of action RPGs.

Despite some frustrations and hiccups in my experience, I cherish Lies of P out the other side. The bosses were infuriating but fun, and if anything, it left me wanting — nay, itching — to click the NG+ button.

More than just a meme game with a meme name, Lies of P is a thrilling Souls-like that delivers on its promises. On offer is a charming and over-the-top dark Pinocchio story, made all the more impactful by its blunt environmental storytelling. Genre fans also get to have their cake and eat it too, having functions from a lot of the titles in the crowd that work together in tandem to create a thrilling and delightfully challenging combat experience with memorable and grandiose environments and boss design. There are small mechanical additions such as breaking foes’ weapons and a morality system explored through lying or telling the truth that are both valuable in distinguishing itself just that little bit more. Topping it all off is a thorough journey with meaningful upgrades and a changing of world states to have you coming back for more. I cannot believe this silly little game actually pulls it all off, providing one of the better action games we’ve had this year. Lies of P isn’t just a wannabe. It’s a real game standing with giants.

Lies of P offers a sincere homage to its origins, remaining faithful to the genre's conventions while retaining its unique charm. With a blend of familiarity and innovation, it appears poised to delight Souls-like fans worldwide, further heightening our anticipation for what the future holds.

Lies of P is the best Soulsborne game that wasn’t made by FromSoftware. The gameplay and design of the game are great and have a little signature of their own but the density of inspiration is a bit too much. The steampunk design of the game truly fits with its story and the music helps to convey the mood but I wish the story had more depth.

Lies of P is a fantastic soulslike game with strong homages to Bloodborne. The combat is fun, with the upgradability of the weapon feeling unique in how it impacts gameplay more than simply increasing damage. Resource management can be challenging, and if you can endure the inconsistency in combat, it is worth checking out. Lies of P feels familiar, yet distinctly unique, with a wonderful story and a dark aesthetic.

When you play Lies of P, you often have the feeling of playing a FromSoftware game. Enough to highlight the qualities of the games while exacerbating its faults. They are few in number and minimal but still demonstrate FromSoftware remains a cut above and above all the undisputed master in the field. However, Neowiz and Round8 deliver an excellent copy. We remember the nervous and jovial boss fights, a permanent reflection of one's build as well as the multiple choices of possible customization. Furthermore, this rewriting of the tale of Pinocchio shows easily and in an accessible manner how our choices and our responses can have consequences on the world around us. With Lies of P, Pinocchio is no longer a wooden puppet dreaming of being a young boy since he is clearly in the big leagues.

Lies of P is a solid Souls-like title that benefits from being one of the first to emulate parts of the Bloodborne vibe and style that people have been clamoring for since that title was released. The time period and Belle Epoque style give the game a fresh identity of its own, and the title tones down some of the elements from the From Software hit, while still retaining the high level of difficulty that fans enjoy. The combat can be deep due to the weapon variety, and the secrets to be uncovered are numerous, which partially makes up for the lack of online functionality. As long as you don't try to look too much into the story, you'll find Lies of P to be an enjoyable experience all around.

While some elements of the puppet aesthetics aren't necessarily original, and those who have played Bloodborne will see similarities, Lies of P is a gorgeously grim experience that offers difficulty and magic through immersive and dynamic gameplay with enough content baked in to make replayability a must.

Lies of P is a stylish game with clever ideas and original solutions. It lacks words at times, but this is not a big problem for an action/RPG.

An extremely tough Soulslike in the tradition of Bloodborne that borrows a lot but shines through creative weapon variety and challenge.

Lies of P draws heavily from the Soulsborne formula, but gradually carves out its own identity through impactful combat, tactical upgrades, and a steadily growing sense of power. While the game initially falls a bit short, it evolves into a rewarding and meaningful experience that mirrors its protagonist's journey, and is well worth your time.

A well-executed take on Soulslike genre, which draws inspiration from various sources while also incorporating its own unique elements into the mix. It stands out as a technically excellent and visually stunning game that holds its own in this eventful year.

Although derivative in its approach to the Soulslike formula, Lies of P stands out from so many other games in the genre thanks to a captivating world setting, satisfying combat and an in-depth weapon and customization system that lets you let your imagination run wild.

This hack-and-slasher clings to its Soulsborne heritage too tightly, but does creative things that no other Soulslike until now has managed to pull off.

By completely tampering the Souls formula and disregarding all of its conventions, Lies Of P is a very bad game. Or maybe I just loved this game so much that I'm still immersed in its main theme and I'm completely lying to you!

Lies of P emulates FromSoftware's games with skill, style and just a hint of originality. Nevertheless, it sometimes inherits the rigidity of the old titles it takes as a model. It might have done better to move away from this to offer more distinctive gameplay, and to avoid distracting the player with a patchwork of familiar elements and references - it gets to the point where it's just too much. It does manage to stand out in other ways, however, as the game looks great, with settings and characters bursting with personality, as do the music choices. Overall, the result is really good, and it's an excellent game in this specific genre, and we'd highly recommend it if difficulty doesn't scare you.

The deeper I delved into Krat, to the source of the puppet uprising, the more I realized that the adventure was slowly captivating me.

Despite its unique weapon system and generally friendlier structuring, Lies of P hews a little too closely to its inspirations to rise above feeling like something of an also-ran. But even also-rans can be polished, attractive, and exciting experiences in their own right. Every time I left a successful fight with my heart rate up and a sense of actual accomplishment brimming, that felt I experienced a bit of bit of Lies of P’s own truth.

In the Souls-like genre, Lies of P definitely stands out. It skilfully captures the unique essence of the Dark Souls series and expands on it with features such as the weapon modification system. However, the level design and boss fights play it fairly simple, and the lies that should have been a core element don't shine as brightly as expected.

Lies of P is a masterclass in utilising passion and inspiration to create something distinct. While its execution isn’t perfect, the enthralling grimdark world of Krat and the overall excellent gameplay make for a fun experience many Souls-like fans are sure to enjoy.

Inventive, challenging, and deliciously dark, Lies of P retains the core structures of similar action RPGs while adding new surprises to the mix. The potential for richer character builds and depth of choice for the player is bolstered by a haunting narrative that, despite the clunk of certain new mechanics, cements the experience as a powerful contender on the Soulslike scene.

Lies of P is a worthy entry into the soulslike genre of gaming, particularly when the game allows its own unique elements to truly shine, such as its unique spread of weaponry and combat mechanics or its impressive story twists that can have you rediscovering what it means to be human. Top those parts off with large, well-designed levels with a ton of stuff to discover and terrific visuals in both beautiful scenery and terrifying monsters, and you have a great game in general that, despite occasional frustrations, is worth checking out, and that’s no lie.

Lies of P neatly combines the most important elements of soulslike games while retaining its own style and personality. Satisfying combat system, unique world and high difficulty level will satisfy the most ardent fans of the genre, while a set of well-thought-out simplifications will help less experienced players find their way in the dark alleys of Kratu.

For the most part, however, Lies of P is content to adorn existing mechanics and ideas with its own story and aesthetic. This may be a derivative approach, but it nails the core Souls-like experience, with each of its various mechanics seamlessly coalescing to create a thrilling action game that's challenging, varied, and dripping with atmosphere. It's easy to be reductive when a game wears its influences on its sleeve as boldly as Lies of P does, but plenty of other games have tried and failed to recreate the same magic. It's not an easy endeavor, and while it doesn't shake up the formula or reinvent the wheel, Lies of P is still one of the genre's most accomplished and enjoyable entries--and that's the truth.

Lies of P is more than just a wooden facsimile of a soulsborne game. It gets the foundational stuff right and tweaks it just enough in combat and exploration to make things more interesting.

Lies Of P is a love letter to the genre. Neowiz really gets what is excellent about the genre, and it’s a fun take on an old classic. There’s hints of more classic tale spin-offs in the future, and I’ll be there at Day One to try them.

Lies of P is a competent Soulslike if you can shrug off its flaws.

Lies of P has got a unique setting and the uncanny atmosphere shows the influence Bloodborne had on the game. But it doesn‘t feel as good as it looks and seems to have misunderstood what makes the difficulty in Soulslikes so rewarding.

Lies of P is a game that draws inspiration from a handful of things that have remained within the popular consciousness for good reason, and at the very least attempts to set out and build upon the foundations set by those inspirations. And while it will more than likely please those looking to scratch the itch Bloodborne left behind, its lackluster localization and generally narrow playstyle may leave some wanting. Especially after the release of Armored Core VI, which is hard to hold a candle to by comparison. That said it’s a game that has a lot of ideas, some that manage to hit and others that sort of slide off. Ultimately, Lies of P is an interesting spin on an age-old fairy tale and attempts to fill the hole Bloodborne left behind, and it really tries its best to do so.

Lies of P plays well enough with a world that's reasonably captivating but it struggles to find an identity for itself and follows in the footsteps of Dark Souls and Bloodborne without managing to step out from their shadow.