As a fan of the soul genre, I played not only hits from FromSoftware, but also games from other developers such as The Surge, Nioh, Remnant and Steelrising. They are decent projects with their own characteristics, but they are all below the level set by Miyazaki.
Surprisingly, it was Lies of P from the little-known studio Neowiz that came closest to Bloodborne and Dark Souls. This is definitely the best game in the genre that FromSoftware had nothing to do with creating. The best, at least until the release of Lords of the Fallen.
The video is available on the PlayStation YouTube channel. The rights to the video belong to Neowiz.
P Lies: Release Details
The game will be released on September 18 at 18:00 Moscow time, but buyers of the enhanced edition will have access 72 hours earlier, on the 15th. Xbox Game Pass subscribers on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series will have access to the game for free through the service.
P’s Lies Poster for Game Pass
Photo: Microsoft
Loan game, but not bad.
At first, Lies of P is daunting due to its prohibitive amount of debt. This is not the usual concept, where the villains hit hard, the hero loses his “souls” after death, and the enemies and healers recover after resting by the “bonfire.” All this has been familiar to us for a long time and is perceived as an integral part of the genre.
The developers at Neowiz went further and copied too many ideas from Bloodborne. Do you remember the people at the windows who told stories and occasionally asked for help? How did you invite the survivors to the shelter and were afraid they would do something stupid? Maybe Yharnam residents jumping from corners are still the stuff of nightmares?
Lies of P has all of this, with exactly the same implementation. What is true is that even HP recovery occurs when, after a failed hit, a successful counterattack is carried out.
However, after joining you don’t think about borrowing. Why criticize clichés if the game works? The hero is a pleasure to control, the Victorian style is fascinating, the enemies are cool, and delving into the mysteries is fun. Over time, all of this becomes so compelling that you would recommend Lies of P to any gamer waiting for Bloodborne 2 or a port of the original for PC.
This street was once busy
Photo: “Championship”
Pinocchio in a fading world
The idea of making Pinocchio the hero of a dark game seems crazy only at first glance. In fact, the fairy tale character adds to the charm of Lies of P.
The events take place in the city of Krat, which was built by puppets. All of them were created by the brilliant Giuseppe, who earned respect and wealth. Krat prospered, but one day everything went wrong. First, the population was wiped out by a mysterious stone disease. Then the puppets got out of control and started killing everyone.
As a result, only one safe place was left in the city, where the potential saviors of the world gathered. Among them, Pinocchio is the best puppet of Giuseppe, for whom the creator feels special.
View of the city of Krat
Photo: “Championship”
The objective is simple: destroy the robot production plant, reach the evil puppet king and find out what happened. It sounds banal, but diving into mythology and reading notes is tremendously interesting. How did hot spots decrease? What was done to treat stone disease? Why did locals sometimes marry robots? Why did ancient guards wear animal masks? I want to know everything.
The parallels with the work of Carlo Collodi are also surprising. Do you remember the Fox and the Cat, who constantly tricked Pinocchio? They also offer dubious offers in the game. You know that those in front of you are scammers, but it is impossible to reject them: they are very interesting guys. Also present are Talking Jiminy, the black rabbits, the good fairy and other important characters.
Unpleasant but very interesting guys.
Photo: “Championship”
And don’t forget the main feature of Pinocchio. In Lies of P, the hero’s nose doesn’t grow, but the lying mechanic works. From time to time we need to make important decisions. For example, the passage is guarded by a warrior who will only let one guard pass. Impersonate a lawyer or fight? It’s up to you, just keep in mind that the ending depends on your choice.
At the same time, deception is not presented as an unequivocal sin. Take, for example, the side quest where a resident asks to bring his dead wife’s things. Silently give her the engagement ring or lie about what the lady said about her love for her husband before her death? After a warm response, the man will smile at least for a moment. Is it bad?
Of course, the story lacks the development of Bloodborne. There, fans wrote essays on the mythology of the world, the life of Father Gascoigne, and the structure of the Mensis school. Lies of P has an interesting plot, but after completing it I don’t want to go to the forums.
The puppet is stronger than any hunter.
At first, Pinocchio is not much different from the Hunter in Bloodborne. He knocks everyone down with a saber, confidently dodges attacks and skillfully parries them. The only difference is the whetstone on the mechanical arm. After a tough battle, the weapon loses its properties: then it is worth taking it to the device and repairing it.
But over time, the hero will find allies and, with their help, discover new abilities. He takes materials to a local rich man and creates a new mechanical arm that fires explosive projectiles, converts into a flamethrower, or replaces a shield. He then gives the quartz to Giuseppe and upgrades: for example, he learns to dodge twice. And don’t forget the money tree! Its fruits can be exchanged for special power-up cubes.
You have to be careful with flamethrowers.
Photo: “Championship”
There are also many weapons. Huge swords, daggers, sickles and a giant saw – these items greatly change the style of play. However, it is quite possible to go through the entire game with the starting saber; That is what I did. The main thing is to update the object on the workbench.
This set makes the game fun, but it doesn’t turn you into a killing machine. Most of the time you feel comfortable, but then you find yourself in a difficult situation and spend dozens of attempts to overcome it.
The point is a solid variety of enemies. Are you used to standard puppets? Now fight the metal giant, who breaks Pinocchio with a couple of blows. Have you mastered hand-to-hand combat perfectly? They are already shooting at you with rifles and throwing grenades at you. Are you no longer afraid of robots? Meet mutants who quickly run across the sand and turn their hands into shields. All of these guys are annoying.
The bosses are also decent, but nowhere near the level of Ludwig, Herman, and Maria from Bloodborne. Fighting the big ones is usually fun and requires a lot of nervous attempts, although there are also creatures that die after mindlessly crashing into each other. Perhaps the main difference between Lies of P and Miyazaki’s works is the quality of the bosses.
You can call a ghost to fight the boss.
Photo: “Championship”
A beautiful world with almost no swamps
Lies of P has earned the title of the most beautiful game in the genre outside of FromSoftware. Beautiful gothic streets, burning squares, rooftops with a luxurious view, evocative forests, majestic cathedrals: these are the places where Pinocchio is the hero. Everywhere you will want to stop and carefully examine every detail: pictures on the wall, trash on the bed, a broken robot.
Although it was not exempt from the typical annoyances of the genre, such as swamps and walking on thin beams. Just look at the cathedral dungeon, where the hero advances across a narrow bridge. There is an abyss under your feet, obstacles on the way, enemies on the sides throwing projectiles and persistently pushing you down. After the third fall it is no longer a laughing matter. Fortunately, those places are few.
There is a beautiful cathedral ahead.
Photo: “Championship”
P lies: is it worth playing?
If you love the genre, be sure to check out Lies of P. The game has good graphics, interesting enemies and a gloomy atmosphere – all this makes the new product the main competitor of Dark Souls and a worthy replacement for Bloodborne 2.
Appreciated
Excellent combat. Beautiful world. Intriguing environment.
I dont like him
Not all bosses are impressive, there are some congested places.
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