15/12/2024
Finished: Lies of P - 8/10 (Xbox Game Pass)
A great imitation of the Souls games, coming closest to Bloodborne in aesthetics but far from it in tone, narrative, and design.
It’s a much easier, more accessible Soulslike, with a stronger focus on story than gameplay. Where it falls short the most is in its level design, which is rather flat, closed, and linear (though, when viewed from above, they do fit together quite nicely) and its boss battles, which are generally pretty bad—except for a few honorable exceptions that too closely resemble some Dark Souls bosses, especially in mechanics and patterns. Then, for some reason, the game throws in a couple of endgame bosses with an excessively sharp and high difficulty spike (Laxasia and the final boss, who coincidentally are the ones that most resemble certain bosses from Dark Souls 3), which, rather than being fun, are overly frustrating.
If Souls games' stories are the least interesting part for you and you’re more into the pure experience of countless battles, then you might want to look elsewhere. The easy-going combat in this game could ruin that experience.
Now, with that out of the way, here’s what the game does well:
The story isn’t a 100,000-piece puzzle to put together. It tells you what’s happening (they’ve lost control over the puppets, which are now slaughtering all living beings), and the only details you need to connect involve certain factions and what role Pinocchio plays in all of it. From there, there’s the game’s lore and the characters to discover, through collectibles and various side missions, and if you want, you can piece together your own theories about certain details like the Specter, the design of certain areas, ponder the ending of secondary characters, the illness mentioned throughout the game, etc. The important thing is that there’s an opening (the outside), a clear development to follow (the ensemble), and an ending open to sequels (Pinocchio).
The story itself is a bit like Resident Evil, but with a more serious, provocative tone. There are references to the original Pinocchio, yes, but also zombies or something similar, people chasing human evolution, bioweapons, and Geppetto wanting to be the new Frankenstein. It’s at least an interestingly twisted story.
The characters appearing in the game have their own charm, especially the puppets with significant roles in the story (both enemies and allies). It helps that they keep repeating the game’s theme: “puppets can’t feel or lie.” Of course, Pinocchio is the main focus of these themes, but there are a couple of other characters you’re not sure whether to pity or be happy for by the game’s end.
Visually, it’s quite impressive, only falling short when textures fail to load.
Its game systems are implemented more organically. There aren’t hidden NPCs around the world who unlock the next skill (though you can still mess things up and kill one who offers special gear or forget completely about an obvious door next to a recently defeated boss, which might lead to a room where you can reset skills and weapons).
You can experiment with different weapons without worrying about your starting playstyle. There isn’t a recommended stat to equip something, though the best part is you can swap the blade of a weapon with another or do the same with the handle. So, basically, you can turn a spear into something like a halberd, a dagger into a dirk, a hammer into an axe, and so on with the other weapons. As long as you’ve found the parts, you can mix and match as you like. Well, except for special weapons, which are fixed and immovable. It’s novel and could use a bit more depth, but personally, I would have preferred having a type of strike to level up rather than managing each part’s upgrade separately (since we're removing limitations anyway...).
Continuing with something else that’s easier to grasp: the game has markers and hints. Want to change zones? In the next area, you’ll see a marker for a character, a side quest, or something awaiting new information. Not sure what an item is for? No problem; most likely, a character will bring it up later.
The soundtrack is one of the most evocative I’ve encountered in the genre. It fits the game’s aesthetic perfectly.
In terms of gameplay, the game is more aggressive towards the player. The average player has to attack more actively than dodge or block, as enemies regenerate health very quickly. There’s also a system of perfect blocks, counterattacks, and deathblows (the latter marked by a white outline on the enemy's health when they're about to trigger it), which works very naturally (though some hitboxes feel slightly off, or maybe there are invisible frames; you get used to it, but that was my impression with some bosses).
And that’s it, feeling pretty satisfied after nearly 17 hours straight today. XD
