Ever since FromSoftware released the action RPG Demon Souls in 2009, the rest of the video game industry has been (lovingly) copying it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as the saying goes. Amongst a wealth of solid takes on the genre, last year’s dark fantasy title Lies of P stands out as one of the best. Not only does the game expertly emulate what fans love about the Souls genre, but it also iterates on its formula in exciting ways. Though one year after its release, what I find most charming about Lies of P is just how enthralling its absurd premise actually is.
I guarantee if you only know one thing about Lies of P it’s that the game is “dark Pinocchio.” That was all anybody could talk about in the lead-up to its 2023 release—well, that and how much the protagonist looked like Timothée Chalamet. Yet after reviews came out and people got the game in their hands, it turned out that Lies of P wasn’t just a discount Bloodborne (the 2015 masterpiece from FromSoftware), but rather it was actually…good.
That has a lot to do with the game’s iterations on ideas often considered core to the Soulslike genre. One example is in Lies of P’s guarding, which plays off of parrying in FromSoftware games. In Lies of P, guarding feels like an essential skill you must learn along your journey, but not one that’s absurdly difficult to master. It excels, though, in its innovation. That is best illustrated by the weapon crafting system. Sure, in a Souls game, you are likely to collect a number of weapons, some of which may even have multiple forms. But Lies of P takes that idea to the extreme. Every weapon in the game is made up of two parts: a handle and blade. The ability to mix and match your weapon components makes for a fascinating customizable gameplay loop with incredible depth.
But the greatest joy of Lies of P comes in its world, which is a shockingly impressive retelling of the Pinocchio story. The game transforms the familiar tale into a gothic horror story about identity and free will. Pinocchio is still a puppet, but in the world of Lies of P, this story investigates how the ability to choose our fate makes us human. Everything about the world, from its gritty takes on the Blue Fairy and Geppetto to its killer automatons, is extremely silly out of context. But Lies of P weaves a compelling narrative with all of these pieces.
It’s one of the reasons I can’t wait for the sequel which, as the game teases, will involve The Wizard of Oz. I’m already sold.
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