With their first-ever triple A title, Neowiz has raised the bar for non-Fromsoft soulslikes. Pinocchio's journey through the world of Krat is inspired and mesmerizing, coupled with a narrative that seems genuinely invested in its driving themes. The combat is fine-tuned and weighty, with many standout features that blend together into a riveting mesh of hack and slash glory. While at times the difficulty can seem insurmountable, there's always new strategies to experiment with.
Combat takes center stage in Lies of P, built around the blueprint established by the Souls series. The usual fare of invincibility frame dodges and stamina-focused blocking is well-translated and is nearly indistinguishable from the likes of Elden ring. Where it sets itself apart, however, is the delicious mishmash of other mechanics derived from the other souls greats. Guarding doesn't negate damage, but rather dilutes it and demands that you attack your aggressor to earn it back. Rather than sitting behind a greatsheild while your enemy tires themselves out, the player is forced to engage. The peak of this engagement is the game's perfect parry system, which demands that the player time a guard to the very point of connection with an enemy blade. Rewarded with total damage negation and some useful stagger buildup, it's a high-risk, high-reward mechanic that rewards attentive players. With such a wide variety of enemies and bosses to fight, these duels are varied and consistently fun.
The art direction is also commendable, featuring many noteworthy settings full of unique enemies and set pieces that help to immerse the player. The standouts include a level set in a lavish Victorian opera house, a world's fair exhibition, and a ruin-littered junkyard. Though some of the settings feel a bit awkward gameplaywise, such as the extremely wide streets of Krat's urban sprawl, the dressing of this fantasy world is inspired and suitably melancholic.
The story is also impressive. Without spoiling much, it's a very introspective take on the classic Pinocchio tale that takes plenty of risks. Dynamics between characters evolve in natural ways, and you'll leave the experience with things to ponder. The traditional narrative vagueness that is so emblematic of the souls genre is dialed back to an approachable degree, allowing more casual observers of the story to glean its messaging. The characters are well-voiced and dynamic. While some of the "dark twist" character moments are a bit sudden and feel a bit forced, I'd say that for the most part the narrative is well-crafted.
It's not without flaws, however. Here's some objective gripes:
- There's a message at the start of the game that tells you that the red "fury" attacks are undodgeable, while what that really means is that they cannot be I-framed. There are certain red moves in the game that are far easier to evade than they are to parry.
- The "true" ending is locked behind one decision that you make towards the end of the game. Without spoiling anything, I picked the "wrong" option, thinking that exploration might yield a more amenable solution given the fantastical circumstances of the problem. As a result, I got dumped into the "neutral ending", which was profoundly unsatisfying.
- The weapon crafting system has some odd caveats that, while they service realism, inhibit experimentation and player fun.
- The difficulty feels a bit unfair at times. I think that the perfect parry window could be extended by a frame or two to help counterbalance some of the more peculiar enemy attack timings without sacrificing the game's challenge.
All in all, though, I think it's a fantastic game that's worth checking out for any fan of the souls genre. More like this, please.
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