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"People have no idea so many secrets are buried in Krat."


Introduction

Lies of P is a dark fantasy parody souls-like of the beloved children's tale "Pinocchio". By utilising stunning graphics, beautifully rendered audio, and a familiar formula, Lies of P seeks to join the higher echelons of the genre. But does it succeed at breaking free from its strings, or is it bound to be a puppet forever?


🟩 Positives
🟥 Negatives


🟩 A wondrous story that stokes curiosity with every step and pushes you to uncover just one more secret.
🟩 The combat is the formula foundation in this game. It feels familiar and yet fresh enough that there is a learning curve. And with an array of weapons and items to choose and customise, you can make P your own.
🟩 Graphically, one of the most impressive games I've ever played.
🟩 The audio is exceptionally high quality and envelopes you in the experience as you explore the world.
🟥 Enemy variety is pretty slim, and in the latter portion of the game, you will only really find reskinned enemies from the early stages, who utilise scare and corner tactics to get a free hit in.



Story

You play as a puppet named P, awakened into a world of lies torn asunder by a catastrophe relating to the puppets. The voice that beckons you begs that you travel through dishevelled and blood-soaked streets to reach Hotel Krat, where she promises you answers, and your story will begin in earnest.
Without wanting to spoil anything, as the story becomes quite involved and intricate beyond the point of reaching the Hotel itself, I will leave the basic synopsis there. I will say that amongst all the games I have played in 2023, this is probably one of the best-written experiences I've had, and while it's far from perfect, it falls into the familiar traps of the soul-like genre. It achieves where many of its ilk fail by captivating its audience with an engaging setting, world and a story that unravels as you progress through it. I would highly recommend reading up some information as you go, as the story does become particularly intricate in the latter stages, and I wish I understood it more intimately before I advanced.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3123881898

Gameplay Analysis

Bad children get the stick.
As with most soul-likes, combat is a foundational part of the experience and becoming familiar with it is crucial to your success. Lies of P is no different and probably requires you more than most to learn the mechanics quickly or spend much of your time stuck on bosses who are often relentless in their onslaughts.
The main tools at your disposal are your weapon of choice and the innate ability to either dodge or parry enemy attacks, which can take a bit of practice to adjust to timings. As you progress through the story, more options for fights become available, such as the ability to heal, use wish stones that can buff you during fights and grindstones that add effects to your weapons to boost your damage output.
Your reward for killing almost anything in the world is Ergo, which acts as your currency and experience in this game. You can use it to buy items or level up your character's attributes to increase their effectiveness in a number of different ways.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3123886439
Thankfully, dying in this game isn't a brutal experience, as checkpoints usually aren't that far away, you can unlock shortcuts to make the run back quicker, and even if you were to die again on the way back to your Ergo deposit, you only lose a portion of the total, instead of it all.
Lies of P does an exceptional job explaining the mechanics as they open up, so you shouldn't have any problems unboxing them as you progress through the campaign.
Your lies are a rare ability. You are able to choose your own path.
One of the most iconic mechanics of this title is your ability to guide your own story in an impactful way through the truth or lie implementation. At several intervals throughout the story, you will have the chance to tell the truth or to lie to progress, and both impact what will happen in the short and long term.
To complete the game, you will need to do roughly 2 or 3 playthroughs, so don't feel too pressured to go down a particular path for completion until you have to later.
"Another fine day in the city of Krat, but I wonder my friend, just where have you been...at"
Exploration is pivotal in this game, as many of the best weapons and items are in dark alleys and rundown buildings off the beaten track. There is no practical way to tell what you've missed, so the best method is to be thorough on your travels and explore every inch of the world before you move on.
But items aren't the only reason to explore, as many of the quests during the game require you to delve deep into the world to complete them. Completing these quests will assist you greatly in your adventure by providing you with rare resources you couldn't have obtained otherwise.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3123885971

Audio and Visual

The graphical quality of this game is above the standard I've experienced to date. It is a stunning experience that captivates the heart and mind of the person playing it from start to finish. The world is rich with colour and dynamic effects to keep you enamoured as you explore its many dark pathways and puppet-ridden avenues.
The audio is of the same exceptional quality. From the enthralling soundtrack that perfectly couples with the unravelling storyline and marvellously detailed world to the atmospheric detail as you walk the cobbled streets of Krat and beyond.
It is a truly captivating experience all-round.

PC Performance and Specifications

With the game set to ultra quality and 2560 x 1440 resolution, I never saw the framerate drop below 60 FPS and didn't experience any visual discrepancies during the campaign.
🟨 As with all souls-like games, I played Lies of P with a controller.
RAM: 32GB (Under Load Usage: 43%)
CPU: i9 10900KA 3.70GHz (Under Load Usage: 27.3%)
GPU: MSI Ventus RTX 3080 (Under Load Usage: 43.5%)

Final Thoughts - Excellent

Review chart here.
Probably amongst the best soul-likes I've ever played and rivalled even my beloved Dark Souls in terms of quality and experience. Lies of P is an exceptional experience for veterans and new players of the genre and will provide you with a solid experience regardless. With familiar enough mechanics and a familiar yet redesigned story that many of us would have read or watched at some point in our lives, weighed down only by its limited enemy roster, this is an unmissable experience worth every penny.
Krat has been torn apart by puppets and people lay dead in the street, but if you head to Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, you will receive the sanctuary and salvation you require to survive.