Lies of P

Lies of P takes the Pinocchio story and rebuilds it as a dark action RPG set in a crumbling Belle Epoque city overrun by rogue automatons and twisted creatures. Developed by Round8 Studio and published by Neowiz, the game released in September 2023 and immediately entered a conversation that very few games survive: direct comparison to FromSoftware’s catalog. Most games in this space wither under that scrutiny. Lies of P didn’t.

Community reception has been broadly positive, with the game selling over four million copies and earning praise as the strongest soulslike from a studio that isn’t FromSoftware. Players and critics highlighted its visual design, combat depth, and willingness to carve out its own identity within a well-established formula. The criticisms are real and consistent, centered on boss difficulty spikes and a few design choices that prioritize punishment over fairness. But the overall consensus places this firmly in “worth playing” territory, especially for fans of the genre.

Lies of P’s Greatest Strength: Core Appeal

The setting is the first thing that grabs attention, and it never lets go. The city of Krat draws from the architecture and aesthetics of late 19th-century European design, filtered through a steampunk lens that gives everything a distinct personality. Grand boulevards and ornate facades crumble alongside rusted machinery and broken puppets. The art direction won awards for good reason, creating a world that feels different from the dark medieval and cosmic horror settings that dominate the genre.

Combat builds on familiar soulslike foundations but adds meaningful wrinkles. The weapon assembly system lets you combine different blades and handles, mixing and matching attack patterns, scaling properties, and special abilities called Fable Arts. A heavy greatsword blade on a fast dagger handle creates something that plays differently from either component on its own. This system gives build diversity a creative edge that encourages experimentation across multiple playthroughs.

Guard and parry mechanics sit at the center of combat, demanding precise timing that rewards mastery in a way that’s deeply satisfying when it clicks. Enemy attack patterns are readable without being predictable, and the game gives you enough defensive tools that most encounters have multiple viable approaches. Boss fights are memorable and visually striking, with multi-phase designs that test different aspects of your build and skill set.

Sound design pulls its weight throughout. The soundtrack shifts between mournful orchestral pieces and more aggressive industrial tones that match the game’s dual identity as both beautiful and threatening. Environmental audio builds tension in ways that keep you alert even in areas you’ve cleared before.

Where Lies of P Falters

Boss difficulty is the most divisive element. Several encounters, particularly in the later portions of the game, feature aggressive multi-hit attack chains that require near-perfect guard timing across five or more consecutive inputs. When the system works, it feels like a tense duel. When it doesn’t, it can feel like the game is testing your patience rather than your skill. Some bosses have health pools that feel inflated relative to their mechanical complexity, turning fights into wars of attrition rather than tests of mastery.

Weapon durability adds a layer of resource management that not everyone appreciates. Weapons degrade during combat and need regular attention, which creates situations where you’re managing a repair resource during boss attempts instead of focusing purely on the fight. It’s a design choice that adds tension in theory but often just adds friction in practice, especially during difficult stretches where repeated attempts make the mechanic feel punishing.

Story ambition exceeds the execution at times. The Pinocchio framework is clever and gives the game a narrative hook that most soulslikes lack, but some of the plot threads lose momentum in the middle sections. The lying mechanic, which lets you choose between truth and deception in certain conversations, affects the ending but doesn’t carry as much moment-to-moment weight as the premise suggests. It’s a good idea that needed more room to breathe.

Standing in a Giant’s Shadow

Every conversation about Lies of P eventually circles back to the same question: how does it compare to the games it clearly admires? The honest answer is that it doesn’t reach the same heights in world design or narrative subtlety, but it comes closer than any previous attempt by another studio. Where many soulslikes feel like they’re wearing a borrowed costume, Lies of P built its own wardrobe. The Belle Epoque setting, the weapon assembly system, and the Pinocchio framework all give it something that belongs to it alone.

That identity is what separates a good soulslike from a forgettable one. Players who bounce off the genre’s usual aesthetic might find an entry point here that darker, grittier entries don’t provide. And experienced fans will find enough mechanical depth to justify the time investment, even if a few boss encounters test goodwill more than skill.

Should You Play Lies of P?

Soulslike fans should consider this essential. If you’ve played the big entries in the genre and want something that offers a fresh setting and meaningful mechanical twists, Lies of P delivers on both fronts. Action RPG fans who appreciate tight combat and build variety will find a lot to dig into, especially through the weapon assembly system.

Skip it if high difficulty frustrates rather than motivates you. Lies of P does not offer an easy mode, and some of its boss encounters are tuned for players who thrive on repeated failure. If you’re looking for a narrative-first RPG experience, the story has good ideas but isn’t strong enough to carry the game on its own. The combat has to click for you, or the package won’t hold together.

The Verdict on Lies of P

Lies of P is the strongest non-FromSoftware entry in the soulslike genre, and it earns that distinction through sheer commitment to its own identity. The Belle Epoque steampunk setting is gorgeous, the weapon assembly system adds real creativity to builds, and the boss fights will test even experienced players. Some of those bosses push past challenging into frustrating, and the story doesn’t quite stick the landing on every thread it weaves. But Round8 Studio built something that stands next to the games it draws inspiration from without looking like a shadow, and that’s an achievement very few studios have managed.