Gamers are always hungry for interesting new IPs, and Round8 Studio's Lies of P certainly looks like it could pack quite a punch. The upcoming action-RPG, published by Neowiz, caused a stir when it was first announced in May 2021. Although much of the game still remains a mystery ahead of its launch this year, the developer has piqued player interest with trailers and other visuals released so far, which have drawn comparisons to other popular titles that might either work in Lies of P's favor or create a few hurdles to its success.
From the first glimpses of the game, Lies of P's similarities to FromSoftware's genre-defining hit Bloodborne were apparent. Lies of P's moody settings, gothic overtones, and macabre themes draw clear parallels to elements of Bloodborne, and fans of the latter will surely be keen to check out this upcoming title. However, Lies of P could also be compared to BioShock given recent images. With BioShock 4 going quiet and a Bloodborne sequel looking more unlikely by the day, Lies of P could be the game that bridges the gap between these two behemoths.
Lies Of P's Influences are Clear
Establishing a new IP can be fraught with risks, from not finding the right audience to unintentionally misleading players regarding what the title is about ahead of release. With sequels, these risks can be minimized with players having an idea of what they might be in for, and there's already an established audience to rely on. Although Lies of P might technically be based on Carlo Collodi's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, the game would be very much a reimagining of this children's fantasy novel. Using the premise of a humanoid puppet brought to life, Lies of P takes a darker turn than its already dark source novel, following Pinocchio through the dangerous streets of Krat as he searches for his creator Geppetto.
Source material aside, Lies of P has some other influences. Lies of P will join a long list of Soulslikes that have given FromSoftware's memorable format their own twists, like SteelRising and Thymesia. Stylistically, Lies of P feels like it could easily be Bloodborne's twin, but there seem to be enough differences that the upcoming RPG can still stand out as something completely unique.
How Lies Of P Bridges The Gap Between Other IPs
It's hard to measure the impact that games like BioShock or Bloodborne have had. One way to quantify this is to see how many different titles have been influenced by 2K Games' sci-fi series or FromSoftware's darkly gothic action-RPG. Not all of these games can live up to the titles that they're shaped by, but the DNA of Bloodborne and BioShock is undeniably present in many releases that have cropped up after they launched. This isn't surprising given the success of each IP, and it can be a great way for fans to find new titles that they know will have a similar vibe.
Images released by Lies of P's official Twitter account have more than a passing resemblance to the worlds in BioShock, with a contrast of light and dark reminiscent of the underwater city of Rapture, as well as crumbling Victorian-inspired architecture looking like it could be found in the floating state of Columbia. Although Lies of P has yet to release, it seems like the game is taking the best parts of BioShock and Bloodborne and stitching them into a compelling, creepy, fantastic new thing all its own.
Lies of P is set to release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
