Lies of P

Lies of P is an action RPG/souls-like game released in 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It was published and developed by the Korean company Neowiz, in collaboration with Round8 Studio. The game has achieved surprising success, emerging as one of the best titles in its genre, despite the development team being new to the souls-like genre. The notable aspect of Lies of P is its lore, inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio.

PLOT

The city of Krat needs to be saved. Its inhabitants are dying from a mysterious illness, and the puppets that once served the people are inexplicably out of control, killing anyone they come across.
The remaining hope for the people of Krat is pinned on Pinocchio, a special puppet with human-like traits. We are thus called to guide Pinocchio through this very dark adventure, where the main characters are inspired by Collodi’s novel but, as you might have guessed, set in a completely different context.

CONSIDERATIONS

Lies of P takes the formula of games developed by From Software (Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, etc.) and enriches it with some original ideas, offering an experience that is somewhat derivative but still of high quality. Unlike many other titles of this kind, Lies of P is not a poorly executed copy but rather a game with a distinct identity.
The technical/artistic aspects are of good quality, particularly the designs of the weapons and enemies, which are highly appreciated. The atmosphere within Lies of P is certainly one of its strongest points: immersing oneself in this “dark,” occasionally gothic world is truly enjoyable.
The famous lies are also present within Neowiz’s work. During some dialogues, we will be asked to choose whether to lie or tell the truth, a decision that could even influence the game’s ending.

IN CONCLUSION

Lies of P is highly recommended for all genre enthusiasts. All the fundamental features of souls-likes have been meticulously detailed. It can only be criticized for having a very linear progression, but considering the development team’s inexperience, it was a wise choice not to overextend and risk overreaching.
As always, the advice to others is to try it, keeping in mind that the challenge level is very high and could quickly lead to frustration for inexperienced players.