Developer and publisher Neowiz has been heavily active recently when it comes to showing off the upcoming Lies of P, which initially gained notoriety online for appearing to be an indie response to Bloodborne. However, from the look of the secondary weapon shown in the recent Lies of P gameplay, there could be a different FromSoftware title that might be a larger inspiration.
Specifically, it's the tight combat of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice that Lies of P appears to draw from for the secondary weapon that can be brought into each fight. While it appears that Lies of P will have a wider build variety with the primary weapons, the Legion Arms seem to relate closely to the Prosthetic Arm in Sekiro.
What the Prosthetic Arm Brought to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Fans of Sekiro often comment on the tight combat and rhythmic parry system as the highlights of the game. However, some criticisms often levied against the game is the way that it abandons the FromSoftware trend for build variety in exchange for better designing combat around the use of Sekiro's katana. The counter to this criticism, then, is to look at the Prosthetic Arm, which gives players the ability to mix and match secondary weapons that are collected throughout the game.
This design initially introduces players to Sekiro's grappling hook, but eventually gives players the chance to use different tools like fireworks, a shield, and even an axe that can break defenses. Each of these tools not only has a direct use against specific enemies, but each one can also be worked into a more general build, being able to dish out damage, block, or stagger any enemy. To this degree, the Prosthetic Arm in Sekiro is able to make up for some of the lack of build variety the rest of the combat suffers from. Still, the requirement to use consumable Spirit Emblems for Prosthetic Arm tools and the need for the katana to deal the most damage ensures that the game is much less flexible than other FromSoftware titles.
What the Legion Arms Appear to Bring to Lies of P
From what has been shown of Lies of P's gameplay so far, it appears that the Legion Arms go beyond the more general combat inspirations of Bloodborne, housing more than just a firearm. Instead, the Legion Arm is the name for the mechanical device that has replaced the entire left arm of the player character and houses a whole set of tool in and of itself. It almost appears to be a direct response to Sekiro's Prosthetic Arm, with one of the first tool options being a type of grappling hook that can draw the player toward enemies and vice versa.
The result is then that Lies of P will be bringing the tool made popular in Sekiro into combat that holds much closer to the faster, hyper-aggressive style of Bloodborne. Naturally, as was the case for Sekiro, this Legion Arm can only prove to bring in extra depth to combat that was more prevalent in Bloodborne's trick weapons rather than its off-hand firearms. So, in a way, it appears that Lies of P might be able to fuse the best parts of both FromSoftware titles together to bring more depth to the indie title than many of its AAA inspirations had themselves.
How the Legion Arms can Evolve the Prosthetic Arm
As mentioned before, the Prosthetic Arm was the main source of build variety in Sekiro, offering more customization than the more general leveling and skill point system. So, bringing that level of customization to the off-hand on top of the already interchangeable main weapon could introduce a wide range of player choice when it comes to engaging in combat. This could then push Lies of P to be more than just the next Bloodborne or even another developer's take on the combat of Sekiro, but instead a combination of the two.
However, there is one improvement that fans can see from some of the gameplay footage that has been released from Lies of P already. It's the fact that the Legion Arms don't share the limitations of the Spirit Emblems that existed for the Prosthetic Arm in Sekiro, replenishing when resting instead of requiring a consumable and non-replenishing currency. Having this tool's energy replenish like Dark Souls' Estus Flask gives players the freedom to experiment with different Legion Arms equipment and burn through their tool uses without having to worry about farming after a few boss attempts.
This replenishing tool usage is itself a marked improvement on both of the FromSoftware titles that appear to be the most closely related to Lies of P. Considering that Bloodborne's firearms also make experimentation a grind by requiring the consumable quicksilver bullets to use, this one addition manages to address complaints from several games. What's most impressive is that there are still the different models of Legion Arms themselves to address, and the ways that each one can enhance gameplay.
The Legion Arms Seen So Far
At the time of this writing, there are a few different Legion Arms that have been shown off by the developer, including the Puppet String, Falcon Eyes, and Fulminis. Of these three seen in early gameplay, the Puppet String stands out for leaning into Lies of P's Pinocchio inspiration and being the most visually impressive, being able to zip the player around fights quickly and letting them grab lighter enemies to draw them in for a follow-up attack. That being said, the buff offered by the Fulminis is perfect for melee fighters who would rather not have to rely on trick tools or firearms. The Falcon Eyes weapon is just plain cool and fun, firing a delayed explosive at a distance.
Considering that these are only a few of the early Legion Arms from the Lies of P, it's likely that as players progress through the game, there will be plenty more to find. However, even if the Legion Arms are limited to what has been shown so far, there will still at least be three options for customization that offers different levels of range and action. Hopefully that won't be the case, though, and Lies of P makes good on both its Bloodborne vibes and Sekiro inspiration with a wide variety of weapons to use.
Lies of P is set to release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.