FromSoftware has rightfully earned its praise now with as many fans as it has ever had after the release of Elden Ring. FromSoftware was certainly popular beforehand and celebrated for its masterful world-building in linear games without a rigid narrative structure, but the Souls franchise inadvertently created a niche subgenre predicated on how unabashedly difficult its bosses are. This trend continues explicitly in FromSoftware games like Bloodborne or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and even in Elden Ring, though its open-world approach is far more lenient in comparison.
Try as they may, there are rarely ever any Soulslike games inspired by FromSoftware that have come close to what Dark Souls or Elden Ring have to offer. There are different characteristics of common Soulslikes that can help gain them attention, but usually what makes them unique is what distinguishes them from other traditional Soulslikes. That said, it would seem that an exceptional amount of polish, photorealism, and a hearty helping of Bloodborne comparisons have helped to distinguish Lies of P from other Soulslikes, and its release this year could fill a potential hole left by Elden Ring’s DLC.
The Long-Awaited Elden Ring DLC Might Not Release This Year
Fans are hoping that Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will be released this year, but that may not come to pass. Because only a single abstract image and a title for it have been shared thus far, there is currently no reason to expect that it will indeed release this year, with a release in early 2024 seeming much more likely. Of course, FromSoftware could suddenly shadow-launch the expansions and completely overtake 2023 with a possible release for Shadow of the Erdtree and Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
However, that absolute FromSoftware monopoly becomes more and more unlikely to happen as days go by, even though events such as Summer Game Fest are right around the corner and could bring more news soon. Elden Ring’s DLC releasing in 2024 would probably be upsetting for many fans, but Lies of P’s Day One Xbox Game Pass launch this summer could make up for the lack of any FromSoftware Soulsborne titles releasing in 2023.
Lies of P Has the Chops to Be a Great Soulslike in Elden Ring’s Absence
Lies of P is currently slated for a release in August, but some fans have been able to play the game already at conventions such as GDC. Gameplay has been floated around on the internet since, and with only positive remarks shared about it, it seems like Lies of P is the Soulslike game that will finally meet or exceed the expectations that FromSoftware fans have from the imitation subgenre.
Lies of P is not the only game bitten by the Soulslike bug to release this year—however, Bleak Faith: Forsaken has soured its reputation with the whole “stolen assets” debacle, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is much more akin to Nioh than a traditional Soulslike, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is highly anticipated but not fully a Soulslike since it also relies on myriad other narrative-driven action-adventure trappings.
Meanwhile, Lies of P is a much more unabashed take on the Soulslike formula with resemblances to Bloodborne that have made its polished art style stand out. Lies of P is no Bloodborne clone either, though, with the puppet protagonist’s Legion Arms resembling Sekiro’s Shinobi Prosthetic. Lies of P’s Bloodborne comparisons have been a boon for it nonetheless and could cement it as the perfect FromSoftware surrogate this year if fans are again left without Elden Ring DLC.
Lies of P is scheduled to release in August 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.