Lies of P

I almost quit gaming after being a nerd gamer for about 25 years. Why? Because the gaming industry is what it is today, utter and pure garb if you know what I mean.

I had not played any singelplayer game for about one and a half years. I only played MOBAs here and there to pass time.

I Was very disappointed in Elden Ring. . Yes give me hate you blind fan boys. I finished ER and it was forgettable and worst game Fromsoft has made to day IMHO.. and I have played all their games.

I decided to try Lies of P as I heard good things about it. Right from the beginning you know this is a good game.

I won't go into details because this is not a review. I just want to say its a mix of Bloodborne, Sekiro and Demon Souls. It takes everything good and makes it even better.... Believe that yes!

Every weapon is cool you can finish the game this most of them. All abilities are real good and cool. You can play as a perry player or a dodge player or mix both. The game has good balance and cool boss fights. The world was good and the story good two. Graphically beautiful and has good world design.

Responsive and amazingly satisfying combat and gameplay. Very addicting game indeed.

Not once I thought they made a flaw in the game. Perry is kinda very tight they could have made the perry window a bit bigger but then the game would have been very easy. You either master the perry or the dodge and play as that.

They did such a good job and brought many new thing to the game.. whilst Fromsoft brings same old combat and puts it into unbalance and empty openworld which is called ER..

Probably the best Soulslike ever made, Lies of P takes heavy inspiration from Bloodborne and Sekiro with its intense, precise combat and gothic-steampunk aesthetic. The bosses like any other souls like are challenging, memorable, and rewarding. But if you are struggling you can summon a npc character to fight along side you, however this is totally optional much like mimics in Elden ring.

The stunning graphics and rich world-building create an immersive experience. With a wide variety of build options and multiple endings, there's plenty of replay value. If you're tired of waiting for a Bloodborne remaster or PC port, Lies of P is the closest thing to it and it truly stands on its own as a must-play masterpiece.

As a souls fan I was skeptical about playing this game, and the game dragged me in by its fangs and took me to places I could never predict in my adulthood gaming experiences.

Let's start with the story, its a dark and grim adaptation on the well known Pinocchio story, with nice little twists and adaptations. Won't spoil anything here but it sure does it well. With the dark world and adult themes, and great voice acting as well.

Now for combat. It is polished and pretty tight, don't expect to go into the game and brute force it all the way, sure you can do that for the early game bosses, but eventually they will throw all the mechanics into to the game and you will be forced to adapt. It is not a combat I'm used to therefore I struggled with the game, but it was sooo satisfying beating that one boss you died 30 times because you mastered it and all its moves.

Overall it's the best soulslike I have ever played and it seem like the developers truly put their heart and souls into the game. I would go even as far as saying its better then a few souls games itself. So go ahead and try the game out its worth every penny and you will learn to be good at games again.

'Lies of P' is a hauntingly beautiful game, a macabre twist on the story of 'Pinocchio'. It's like 'Bloodborne' meets 'Steelrising' meets 'Detroit: Become Human'. It's gorgeous, with a stunning atmosphere, and incredibly fun (and challenging) to play. There are numerous weapon designs and builds to choose from, and the battle system is quick-paced but fairly easy to learn.

My only issue is with the story development. I see what they were trying to accomplish, but I feel that the story could've benefitted from tighter writing; it felt as if they were trying to do too much at once, which made the plot feel somewhat convoluted. Tightening up the story would've strengthened it, making it more cohesive and coherent, and it would've eliminated some of the plot holes (there are several). One of the endings, especially, would've benefitted greatly from this, and it would've given a stronger resolution to the main character's story.

Also, if they had given the main character dialogue and had him speak, it would've profoundly elevated the narrative and made the game unique amongst other souls-likes. Silent protagonists work well for those games, but it just feels strange for this one, considering the story centers on a character discovering his humanity.

Other than those issues, it's a truly fantastic game, and the developers should be proud of the work they've done.

With their first-ever triple A title, Neowiz has raised the bar for non-Fromsoft soulslikes. Pinocchio's journey through the world of Krat is inspired and mesmerizing, coupled with a narrative that seems genuinely invested in its driving themes. The combat is fine-tuned and weighty, with many standout features that blend together into a riveting mesh of hack and slash glory. While at times the difficulty can seem insurmountable, there's always new strategies to experiment with.

Combat takes center stage in Lies of P, built around the blueprint established by the Souls series. The usual fare of invincibility frame dodges and stamina-focused blocking is well-translated and is nearly indistinguishable from the likes of Elden ring. Where it sets itself apart, however, is the delicious mishmash of other mechanics derived from the other souls greats. Guarding doesn't negate damage, but rather dilutes it and demands that you attack your aggressor to earn it back. Rather than sitting behind a greatsheild while your enemy tires themselves out, the player is forced to engage. The peak of this engagement is the game's perfect parry system, which demands that the player time a guard to the very point of connection with an enemy blade. Rewarded with total damage negation and some useful stagger buildup, it's a high-risk, high-reward mechanic that rewards attentive players. With such a wide variety of enemies and bosses to fight, these duels are varied and consistently fun.

The art direction is also commendable, featuring many noteworthy settings full of unique enemies and set pieces that help to immerse the player. The standouts include a level set in a lavish Victorian opera house, a world's fair exhibition, and a ruin-littered junkyard. Though some of the settings feel a bit awkward gameplaywise, such as the extremely wide streets of Krat's urban sprawl, the dressing of this fantasy world is inspired and suitably melancholic.

The story is also impressive. Without spoiling much, it's a very introspective take on the classic Pinocchio tale that takes plenty of risks. Dynamics between characters evolve in natural ways, and you'll leave the experience with things to ponder. The traditional narrative vagueness that is so emblematic of the souls genre is dialed back to an approachable degree, allowing more casual observers of the story to glean its messaging. The characters are well-voiced and dynamic. While some of the "dark twist" character moments are a bit sudden and feel a bit forced, I'd say that for the most part the narrative is well-crafted.

It's not without flaws, however. Here's some objective gripes:

• There's a message at the start of the game that tells you that the red "fury" attacks are undodgeable, while what that really means is that they cannot be I-framed. There are certain red moves in the game that are far easier to evade than they are to parry.

• The "true" ending is locked behind one decision that you make towards the end of the game. Without spoiling anything, I picked the "wrong" option, thinking that exploration might yield a more amenable solution given the fantastical circumstances of the problem. As a result, I got dumped into the "neutral ending", which was profoundly unsatisfying.

• The weapon crafting system has some odd caveats that, while they service realism, inhibit experimentation and player fun.

• The difficulty feels a bit unfair at times. I think that the perfect parry window could be extended by a frame or two to help counterbalance some of the more peculiar enemy attack timings without sacrificing the game's challenge.

All in all, though, I think it's a fantastic game that's worth checking out for any fan of the souls genre. More like this, please.