Though the comparisons between Lies Of P and FromSoftware's recent games were inevitable, the upcoming title from Round8 Studio has more than enough unique elements to make it stand out. Based on the recently released demo, the city of Krat is a wonder to explore despite its decrepit state. The tidbits of story that can be unveiled hint that the current puppet uprising was the result of a breaking of The Grand Covenant - a governing set of rules similar to those found in the 2004 sci-fi movie I, Robot. And while the previous examples pertain to the game's story, its combat and weapons are just as special.
Lies Of P is more similar to FromSoftware's Bloodborne when it comes to gameplay. The scarcity of defensive options and the inclusion of an aggressive health mechanic means that players will be more likely to survive if they get into the thick of combat. But when it comes to what weapons players use, Lies Of P is in a league of its own.
Lies Of P Allows Players To Dismantle And Remake Weapons
There are a total of five obtainable weapons in the Lies Of P demo. The Puppet's Saber, Wintry Rapier, and Greatsword of Fate can be obtained when players choose their starting builds, but they can also be purchased later on with Ergo, the game's currency. The Electric Coil Stick is buyable much later on whereas the Krat Police Baton requires players to defeat a certain difficult enemy. All five weapons are composed of their respective blades and handles which allow players to use and repair them with their handy Grinder.
This is where Lies Of P's weapon depth begins to show. By interacting with a Stargazer (the game's equivalent to Dark Souls' bonfires) or talking to the NPC Eugenie at the Hotel Krat, it is possible to dismantle weapons and use their blades and handles to create something entirely unique. A weapon's blade dictates its attack and guard stats, attack type, and primary Fable Art which can be used in battle. Handles, on the other hand, determine the weapon's moveset, stat scaling, and secondary Fable Art. Players can also provide Eugenie with upgrade materials to strengthen their weapons and alter their scaling based on their particular Pinocchio's Motivity, Technique, and Advance stats.
Weapon Crafting Addresses The Lack Of Armaments In Bloodborne And Limited Customization Options Of Dark Souls' Weapons
While upgrading weapons and altering their scalings is nothing new in FromSoftware games, being able to dismantle weapons and combine their parts into something wholly unique is what makes Lies Of P's armaments so enticing. Taking the best parts of each weapon and attuning them to a specific build creates nearly endless possibilities for players. In this manner, it is possible to create a weapon made of the Greatsword of Fate's blade and the Electric Coil Stick's handle while scaling it to the Advance stat.
Bloodborne's trick weapons might be able to transform, but there are far too few of them to appeal to everyone. Dark Souls' and Elden Ring's weapons may be numerous, but a lot of them share similar movesets. Lies Of P looks like it will strike a fine balance between the number of available weapons and their customization options. There won't be as many melee choices as those found in Dark Souls or Elden Ring, but what will be available will have more depth and uniqueness to it. This will incentivize players to experiment with all the weapon parts and create their own puppet-slaying tools.
Lies of P launches September 19, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
