Lies Of P Hands-On Preview – Four Things We Love About The Pinocchio-Inspired Soulslike [Game Informer]
<b>Platform:</b>
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
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<b>Publisher:</b>
Neowiz
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<b>Developer:</b>
Round8 Studio
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<b>Release:</b>
TBA
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You’ve likely heard of Lies Of P after it took the internet by storm after <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/gamescom-2022/2022/08/23/check-out-a-new-trailer-for-lies-of-p-a-pinocchio-inspired-soulslike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gamescom Opening Night Live.</a> If you haven’t, I’ll quickly catch you up to speed: it’s a Pinocchio-themed Soulsborne.
You play as the iconic marionette fighting to become human in a fictional French city inspired by the historic Belle Époque era – a time of abundant affluence for the country. Familiar characters like Geppetto, Pinnochio’s creator and father figure, and Gemini Cricket help familiarize the story, but Lies Of P promises intriguing twists through a dark reimagining.
I was lucky to play Lies Of P in the Gamescom Business Area this week and came away with four things I love about the puppet action game.
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<div class="field field--name-field-list-item-title field--type-string field--label-hidden gi5-field-list-item-title gi5-string field__item">It Feels Like Bloodborne</div>
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<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-copy field--type-text-long field--label-hidden gi5-field-copy gi5-text-long field__item">If I’m being honest, it’s a little surprising how similar Lies Of P is to <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/03/01/the-top-10-soulslike-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloodborne</a>. It’s almost a 1:1 comparison. But I have to hand it to developer Neowiz: its game demo was impressive.
Heavy weapons have more extensive wind-up animations that leave you vulnerable to quick strikes but feel incredible when they contact an enemy. Light thin-bladed weapons unleash a flurry of strikes and inflict copious damage when combined with secondary gadgets called Legion Arms. Dodging and parrying are essential to survival, with the latter opening up opponents to visceral strikes with precise timing.
When you’re not in combat, you can speak with faceless citizens locked behind their doors and windows, complete with the nonsensical, riddle-like dialogue you might find familiar. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.