Lies of P by Korean Round8 Studio is the latest project inspired by FromSoftware’s Soulslike works, managing to be one of the best efforts derived from this masochistic formula that unexpectedly became so popular worldwide. Like Team Ninja’s NiOh series, it offers masocore action for those willing to face despair in hopes that practice will eventually lead to a glorious victory.
Lies of P draws heavy inspiration from Bloodborne, with touches of Sekiro mixed in, a game of highs and lows that shines when it manages to captivate, but often stays out of the spotlight and fails to show its best without requiring some patience. Despite delivering commendable work, the Lies of P team clearly struggles to conceal their lack of experience, the savoir-faire of studios like FromSoftware and Team Ninja, who have dazzled us for decades with their masochistic action.
Is Lies of P a bad game? Not at all, it deserves praise and I would say that outside of the main genre houses, it is the best Soulslike I’ve played. While lacking the demanding strategic action and wonderful level design that keeps you glued to the controller from those renowned teams, Round8 has achieved some of the best results by closely following the formula without injecting much of their own, only aesthetics.
Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s work “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” Lies of Pi transports you to the city of Krat, plunged into chaos with rampaging robots. Playing as Pinocchio, you must find Geppetto and help save the city. Along the way, you must be wary of lies and strive to fulfill Pinocchio’s desire to become a real boy, a theme that permeates the game.
With a city reminiscent of the Belle Époque era with a steampunk twist, Lies of P adds a darker tone to Pinocchio’s story. Despite the obvious attempt to create a hostile and chaotic atmosphere similar to Bloodborne, with the player awakening in a desolate city, Round8 manages to deliver an appealing and engaging experience. The narrative serves as a guiding thread through the levels, bosses, and unexpected conversations among supporting characters.
Lies of P is an Action RPG Soulslike, requiring strategic gameplay as Pinocchio’s stamina depletes, leaving you vulnerable to enemy attacks. Any foe can be your downfall, demanding careful analysis of enemy attack patterns and the best possible response, whether parrying or dodging. It’s a cruel balance between risk and reward, where taking more risks brings you closer to destruction but may lead to victory.
Round8 heavily borrows gameplay elements from Bloodborne, almost to the point of plagiarism. While lacking originality in gameplay, this decision ensures a solid and well-received experience. Attacking with various weapons affecting stamina wear, deciding which enemies to face or avoid, progressing cautiously through environments where danger lurks around every corner is part of the experience. The studio focused on borrowing ideas rather than injecting new elements.
At the Hotel Krat, the hub where you must travel to level up or upgrade weapons, various NPCs offer support services to unlock new abilities, improve and modify weapons, or acquire new skills. While the constant back-and-forth between the Hotel and your current location can be tedious, it’s necessary to enhance Pinocchio and increase the chances of defeating bosses.
Through weapon customization, cables, and Pinocchio’s metallic arm, you have a wide range of possibilities to better tackle challenges. Regularly switching arms or equipping a weapon with a special attribute to deal extra damage to enemies adds depth to the gameplay.
Lies of P features relatively simple and linear level design. In the second half, Round8 shows more creativity, taking more risks and achieving better results, making the thrill of discovering a new shortcut more rewarding. However, the first half may not impress as much.
In terms of difficulty, Lies of P is not particularly challenging, with only a few bosses presenting a true test of skill. Round8 also includes clichés from FromSoftware games, such as rolling boulders or enemies appearing unexpectedly. Most bosses were defeated on the third or fourth attempt, without XP farming to level up, and only a few posed a serious challenge. Ergo, the XP you earn is left at the boss room entrance for easy retrieval, reducing the stress of the experience. Additionally, you can summon a Specter for assistance and enhance its potential through equipable cubes for added support.
### Graphics
Developed with the Unreal Engine 4, Lies of P transports you to the Belle Époque with a beautiful effect. The Epic engine is used to achieve high-quality lighting and despite the linear design featuring many simpler locations, overall you have numerous moments and landscapes that will make you stop to capture the moment.
There is an incredible amount of detail in the scenarios, in the NPC models, and in the enemies, capable of creating strong immersion. The 60fps performance mode allows for strong fluidity and the visual quality remains very attractive. Abandoned cafes, desolate cinemas, traces of destruction and blood in shop windows, empty factories, and galleries of shops in ruins, are some of the places you will pass through and feel that the Belle Époque has been captured perfectly as a stage for sinister events.
### Sound
Korean Companies Going Global
Lies of P is yet another project highlighting the desire of Korean companies to put their name on the global stage. After the Chinese efforts in games like Genshin Impact, we are now starting to see Korea seeking global conquest and revealing unexpected levels of quality, capable of rivaling the most prestigious studios.
Immersive Audio Experience
I say this because Lies of P shows a strong care in its components and if the visual quality contributes greatly to a good atmosphere, capable of creating immersion, the sound element also does a lot for it. Playing Lies of P with a good sound system or headset means a superior involvement, with sound coming from various directions and creature noises creating intensity.
After playing the initial part of Lies of P with the TV sound, I decided to put on the headset and the experience was enhanced. In addition to a soundtrack with good moments, the atmosphere of the locations gains a lot with the help of audio and I even felt discomfort in some places, thanks to this element.
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