Lies of P is brimming with a passion for the Soulslike genre. With a unique take on the story of Pinocchio, players can find themselves immersed in the dangers awaiting them in the puppet-ridden city of Krat. Luckily, players can experience some of that right now with the Lies of P demo.
As a demo, the gameplay featured in Lies of P may not reflect the final product, and the studio behind this Soulslike game could benefit from the fan reception and feedback. There are a few things in the Lies of P demo that could improve the final game, but by no means does that deter from the great experience in the Lies of P demo, and the dark lore that remains to be fully explored.
6 Improved Parry Window
Lies of P doesn’t just take inspiration from Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but the influence from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is quite strong. This is shown in regards to the parry feature, as Lies of P does not feature shields, meaning that players will either have to dodge attacks or parry them with their weapon, like in Sekiro.
As fun and satisfying as it can be to pull off a parry, there isn’t a strong safety net that one can find in Sekiro’s posture mechanic. If players misjudge a parry in Sekiro, their Posture Meter will increase, whereas Lies of P just see the player lose health. This can make fighting enemies especially difficult, especially when there is no shield to rely on to block attacks.
5 Fable Attack Invulnerability
One of the newest features that players can experience in Lies of P is the Fable Arts. This ability will see players build up a special meter through combat. Then, players can use their Fable Arts to create a Fable Attack, which is unique to each weapon. When it comes to some weapons, Fable Attacks are a violent and quick flurry of strikes.
Players only have a brief window of attack to utilize their Fable Attack, so it would be great if there was some level of invulnerability as a reward for pulling off a Fable Attack. The mechanic is fun, but being hit out of such a focused fury of strikes deters from the exhilarating combat of Lies of P.
4 Clearer Health Steal
The clearest influence for Lies of P is in Bloodborne. Although players might not get a Bloodborne2 anytime soon, Lies of P is looking like the closest and best game to play for Bloodborne fans. One of the mechanics in Bloodborne that features in Lies of P is health-stealing, an ability that will see players reclaim their lost health after getting hit by an enemy.
However, in Lies of P, health cannot be stolen back on just any hit. Players need to block with their shield to then activate a health-steal window, but the window isn’t very generous, nor is the health bar very clear on showing how much health can be regained. Players will need to keep their health if they are to survive with their Ergo, which is this game's version of Souls.
3 Monad’s Lamp Uses
Once players begin their journey in the Lies of P demo, they will immediately find Monad’s Lamp in the tutorial area. The use of this device is to lighten up dark areas and to find dimensional traveling butterflies. Yet, Monad’s Lamp could be used for more, especially since the game boasts how the cricket inside will provide the player with a guide.
It would be great if Monad’s Lamp could guide players on where to go. Whether that’s to the next Stargazer, boss, or story path. A guide on where to go in Lies of P could separate it from other Soulslike games that lack a waypoint direction.
2 Quicker Recovery Time
Some enemies in Lies of P can pull off some devastating attacks. Not every player can successfully dodge or parry each attack to remain on their feet, and the more powerful enemies will certainly make the player fall over. Yet, it feels as if in this state, players are vulnerable for far too long, and the game needs a quicker recovery time.
In many of the Soulslike games that players can enjoy when the player is knocked down, they can simply roll back to their feet, interrupting the window of vulnerability. To keep players engaged in the fight, players should be able to get back to their feet, and fast, so the fight can resume.
1 Fury Attack Safety
There’s versatility when it comes to Lies of P’s combat. The demo already features an array of weapons and styles to fight, yet enemies have plenty of other ways to battle. The variety of enemies in Lies of P is promising and challenging, and some enemies can use a Fury Attack, and the hardest bosses in the demo love to use them.
A Fury Attack is far more dangerous than ordinary attacks. It cannot be dodged or blocked; players can only parry it. Yet, the parry window is far too brief, and even if players are a millisecond or a frame out from the parry, they will be punished greatly. There should be some level-up or upgrade that can help against the Fury Attack, especially since this red highlight attack is so hard to dodge. Although, as a Soulslike game, players enjoy the challenge of difficulty.
Lies of P launches September 19, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.