FromSoftware’s Souls catalog has had a huge influence on the industry, spawning several Soulslike titles, but there’s nothing quite like a Souls game itself. Whether it’s Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (which is a huge departure, admittedly), or Elden Ring (which is a huge innovation on a Souls game), these games stand out from their counterparts. From within themselves, each game stands out for its own reason, and Bloodborne is no different.
Bloodborne pushes players to approach combat differently, while providing an atmosphere unrivaled in gaming. Indeed, fans have been dying for Bloodborne 2 just to grow on the world FromSoft made, and there have been more calls and "rumors" for Bloodborne 2 than any other potential sequel in the catalog. It remains to be seen if an Elden Ring sequel is ever brought up by fans, as unlikely as it is for FromSoftware to do so, but calls for Bloodborne 2 will never go away. If there’s one game that can perhaps scratch its particular itch, that may be Lies of P.
Lies of P – A True Soulsborne Successor?
When someone says Soulslike, they are referring to the genre as a whole, but for a short time, Soulsborne was a term tossed around. They are basically the same thing, but one can see differences in other Souls games and Bloodborne. There have not been any major Soulsborne successors, at least in the way Bloodborne approached the genre, but Lies of P seems to be right there.
Bloodborne takes place in a Gothic Victorian city, overall known as Yharnam, and brings in a lot of gothic/Lovecraftian horror to accentuate all of this. Indeed, Bloodborne arguably has the best setting and atmosphere of FromSoft’s entire catalog. Lies of P also takes place in a dark Belle Epoque world, where that beautiful era was twisted, warped, and deprived of humanity. These are obvious differences, but the atmosphere is seemingly striking the right cord.
This is a huge detail, but a lot of minor ones come into play too—the enemies, exploration, weapon choices, and so on all put Lies of P and Bloodborne on similar pedestals. However, what’s worth mentioning is Bloodborne has already released and earned its pedestal. It remains to be seen how Lies of P is received, but there’s definitely hope.
Lies of P is Not a Bloodborne Clone
The similarities between the two games are so strong that one Lies of P dev had to say the Bloodborne similarities weren’t intentional, but it’s definitely to its benefit. It can carry itself as well, though, as far as selling points. Based on the story of Pinocchio, the player sets off on this journey to become human, and there is a quest/dialogue system built on lies. Lies will make the character more human, with both advantages and disadvantages coming from that.
Lies of P doesn’t have a release window yet, but many are expecting 2023/2024. Until then, the atmosphere will continue to carry this Soulsborne-like game and keep it in the mind of fans.
Lies of P is in development.