Lies of P is a third person action adventure game developed by South Korean studios Round8 and Neowiz that proudly shows its Dark Souls influence on its sleeve. This ranges from its combat to its level design to the despair filled atmosphere. But at the same time, the game has aspects that set it apart. These range from small quality of life improvements to the unique world and engrossing story about what it means to be human. It is a darker, more gothic take on the Pinocchio picture book that stands up there with games like Elden Ring and Bloodborne as one of the best in the genre.
The Inspirations
You can tell Lies of P takes inspiration from Dark Souls. The combat contains the typical dodge roll and parry system, along with status effects like fire, electricity and acid. There’s a level up system involving the souls equivalent, ergo, which scales the higher level you are. And there are different classes of weapons like daggers, swords and greatswords. If you’ve ever played a From Software game before, Lies of P is an almost seamless transition. The level design is great as well. Each level is filled with unique enemies, traps and gimmicks that keep players from getting bored, such as a turret that continuously shoots projectiles. Later parts of levels consistently wrap around to the beginning. Aside from a couple of weaker sections, the level design of Lies of P is consistently excellent.
Then there’s the atmosphere. The game is set in the city of Krat after two separate horrific events happen. It turns the city into a post apocalyptic wasteland that fits right at home with any From Software game. Corrupted puppets and disease riddled humans roam throughout the city. They only get more terrifying the deeper into the game you get. Death, decay and despair are in every level, creating the quintessential Dark Souls experience that isn’t by From Software. However, Lies of P isn’t just a shameless ripoff.
The Differences
There are tons of gameplay differences. For example, there’s no armor durability. When it comes to weapon durability, it repairs at every checkpoint, and instead of using currency to repair them, there’s a dedicated repair tool. You also have access to a weapon called a legion arm. It has various effects, such as shooting out fire or blocking attacks. But the biggest difference is the P-Organ. You can collect a rare currency called Quartz, which comes from mini boss fights, side quests and chests in hard to reach places. You can then spend the quartz to permanently upgrade your abilities. This ranges from consuming less stamina while sprinting to enhancing attack when your weapon is at full durability. And once you fill enough spots , you’ll unlock even bigger upgrades, such as being able to dodge within another dodge. It gives an incentive to explore that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Then we get to the story and world. You play as the puppet Pinocchio, and just like in the original story, he has the unique ability to lie. You can lie at various points throughout the game to gain humanity and turn more into a human. The characters you interact with have their own character arcs, like a weaponsmith who is searching for her long lost brother, or a puppet concierge who loves the woman he takes care of. The city of Krat has fallen into ruin due to a petrifaction disease and a puppet uprising happening at the same time. As you explore the city, Pinocchio learns what it truly means to be a human. Seeing his growth from an emotionless puppet into someone who can laugh and cry is a true joy.
The Conclusion
Ever since Dark Souls released in 2011, there have been countless games released that are inspired or influenced by it in some way, shape or form. And yet, I’ve never played a game that feels so similar to that, yet so distinct at the same time, as Lies of P. The teams at Round8 and Neowiz respect Dark Souls from every pixel and cutscene. And yet they aren’t afraid to break new ground and take the genre in bold new directions. I had a blast from the moment Pinocchio woke up to when the credits finished rolling. Lies of P is an incredible game, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in seeing how the Dark Souls formula can reach new peaks.
