“Lies of P” by Round8 Studio brings a refreshing spin on a genre dominated by a single studio. The game is part of the “souls-like” genre, which has always been overshadowed by the game studio FromSoftware. In fact, FromSoftware’s games defined the genre, with the name being based on their “Demon’s Souls” and “Dark Souls” series. No other studio had been able to replicate what makes the FromSoftware games so special until Round8 Studio released “Lies of P” last September. The game matches and exceeds the quality of the greats of the genre, while reinventing what made games like “Bloodborne” and “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” so enjoyable: a high level of difficulty, an aggressive combat style and a story that is able to fully captivate the player.
The story of “Lies of P” is loosely based on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel “The Adventures of Pinocchio.” Players awaken as a puppet named P on a train in the fictional city of Krat. Guided only by a disembodied voice, the player quickly discovers the immense bloodshed left by rampaging puppets. The voice gives directions to Hotel Krat, which serves as a shelter for survivors. At the hotel, the voice is revealed to be Sophia, who instructs the player to find the creator of the puppets, Geppetto, in hopes of stopping the puppet frenzy. The story has several twists and turns, with something new being revealed in almost every chapter. Souls-likes often prefer to use a more cryptic method of storytelling, mainly hiding small pieces of lore in descriptions of items. “Lies of P” does this as well, but the story is still understandable without needing to seek out every small detail. This allows for greater reach, allowing even casual players to become entranced with the characters and the world.
Intertwined beautifully with the story, the soundtrack is one of the greatest parts of the game. Most of the music in the game is held in boss themes and collectible records, with environments only having ambient noise. The records are collectible items that can be played at any time while in Hotel Krat, and they show the true amount of passion that went into the game’s atmosphere. Each record feels like a song that could have existed completely separate from the game. Just listening to a few allows complete immersion in the themes of the setting, with most of the songs evoking a somber hopefulness. On the other hand, the boss themes often encapsulate the personality and theming of the boss, while holding a grandiose feeling that would be familiar to most souls-like players. They often include more frantic and fast-paced music, to help players get into the same rhythm as the boss.
“Lies of P” plays like someone decided to merge the best parts of FromSoftware’s “Bloodborne” and “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.” Just like those games, it doesn’t shy away from being difficult: it embraces it. Players are forced to learn the intricacies of the mechanics in order to succeed. Of course, several mechanics will be familiar to most players, but “Lies of P” brings its own ideas to the table. Several minor innovations, like the ability to regenerate healing items or being able to break enemy weapons, keep combat rewarding in ways other than just dealing damage. Additionally, to help combat stand out from their competitors, Round8 Studio implemented one of the most unique mechanics ever seen in the genre: weapon customization. Almost every weapon is split between a head and a handle, with the player being able to mix and match over 800 unique combinations. This allows for different players to have an incredibly unique experience, and gives the option to change up your weapon to keep the game feeling fresh.
“Lies of P” was exactly what the souls-like genre needed. The genre often stays stagnant, with FromSoftware games rising to the top, and other developers poorly attempting to recreate them. Round8 Studio succeeded because they weren’t scared to admit and pay homage to the game’s inspiration. They weren’t scared to take several features directly from well-received souls-likes, which allowed them to focus on innovation. It’s clear how much Round8 Studio loves the genre, and with “Lies of P” being their first attempt at a souls-like, everyone should be excited to see what comes next.
