"Lies of P" I want to talk about a masterpiece with the best world view and atmosphere. Don't shy away from action because you're not good at it, and immerse yourself in the decadent beauty that mixes sci-fi, gothic horror, and retro

 

I don't think the essence of "Lies of P" has been fully conveyed. It's a waste. That's how I feel.

The game will be released by NEOWIZ on September 18, 2023, and the DLC "Lies of P: Overture" will be released this summer. That's not a mistake. In fact, that's what I'm playing for.

Therefore, the reviews and ratings that are out there are basically from the perspective of people who like Soulslike, and most of them are concluded as "well-made Soulslike".

This article is brought to you by Lies of P.

While Soulslike is insanely appealing to those who like it, it is also a fact that it is a difficult genre to get your hands on, with the image that it is too difficult, impossible, and stressful for those who do not. Therefore, some people may be turned around just by hearing the name of the genre.

But wait a minute. Sure, "Lies of P" is a good Souls-like game, but it would be a shame to talk about it on its own, because of the worldview, art design, and story.

Don't get me wrong, it's packed with elements that gamers and otaku like this kind of thing. As a gamer and nerd, I said, "I ...... like it."

Previous review articles featured "themes hidden behind Soulslike," but this time we delved a little deeper into the story. I want to deliver the magic of this game to as many people as possible, especially those who are not good at action.

Although the main points are avoided, some spoilers are inevitable due to the nature of the project. If you read an article and think, "Oh, that sounds interesting," I want you to immediately go back to your browser and play the game. Let's talk about it at length after playing.

The cityscape of Kratt fascinates with a wide variety of appearances

To roughly introduce the overall picture of the story, it is based on the adventures of "The Adventures of Pinocchio", which most people are familiar with, and the main character is a doll made by Grandpa Geppetto, a puppeteer. However, the worldview is quite different, and it is set in Europe during the Belle Époque period (late 19th century ~ early 20th century), and glamour and gothic horror coexist.

The main character is super beautiful.

The heroine-like older sister who guides the main character is also super beautiful. The scenes that can be touched to level up, and the atmosphere that should not be indulged is amazing.

In the world of Lies of P, a mysterious energy called "Ergo" is discovered, and a self-moving doll, literally an automaton, is invented. With the help of the puppets, the development of Kratt, which is the setting of this work, has developed rapidly.

However, one day, the automatons began to run a mysterious rampage all at once and massacre humans. Humans are also afraid of the dolls and fight back, and as a result, the city collapses, leaving the protagonist in ruins covered in blood and oil...... That's how the story begins.

It seems that the prevalence of automatons was so high that there are many runaway dolls in the city. The only thing moving around the city is a doll, and there are very few people alive.

Why did the dolls go out of control? Why is the main character able to maintain his sanity despite being the same doll? The main scenario of the game is to go around the city of Kratt and help people to find the cause while various questions are presented in fragments.

As you wander around, you will automatically see the cityscape. This is really wonderful. The beauty of the form, reminiscent of its former glory, and the steampunk atmosphere (the image of the steam engine being replaced by the ergo) without the steam full of tin and gears are chillingly beautiful.

The production of light and shadow, the smell that makes you think "something must have happened" when you find a TIPS item, and the characters with quirks try to draw you into the world view. You'll feel a tremendous gravitational pull, so let's just let it go. The moment you are captivated by the decadent visuals, that's where you start.

As you push forward in search of the truth, the gravitational pull becomes even stronger. The story of "Lies of P" becomes increasingly chaotic with the appearance of a mysterious "petrification disease" that hardens the human body and causes death, an "alchemist" who repeats outrageous experiments to cure it, and a doll that clearly has emotions. The battle begins to take on a completely different aspect as it expands to different parts of Krat.

The beauty of Lady Antonia has been won in the previous article. Please take a look at that as well.

I love words like petrification and alchemy because they are simply exciting.

If I dare to compare it to another game, the atmosphere of "BioShock" gradually flows into the city, which is reminiscent of "Resident Evil 4", and at the end, "Elden RingI felt that it was.

In past interviews with the development staff, he has stated that he was influenced by "Dark Souls" and "Bloodborne". If you like the atmosphere around here, I think there will be something to binge.

By the way, the gothic horror atmosphere seems to have stimulated the soft part of the editor in charge, and he said, "I want people who like gothic loli to play it, especially those who admire Alice auaa (*) and Moi Mème Moitier (*), and I also recommend it to those who like Miho Matsuda's (*) princely fashion. If it's a game, people like 'Alice in Nightmare' and 'The Fifth Person.'"

* Alice auaa, Moi Mame Moitier, Miho Matsuda: Names of fashion brands. It forms a unique worldview, which is very cool. By the way, Moi Meme Moitier is a brand of Mana, who is known as the guitarist of MALICE MIZER and Moi dix Mois.

If you explain it in words alone, it may seem like a jumble of various elements. But don't worry. In fact, it gradually sinks into your mind through the production that enhances the sense of immersion and the incorporation of the worldview. Little by little, the face behind Kratt is revealed, as if a clear stream flows, and the fear of dolls shifts from fear of humans to fear of humans.

The method of captivating the player with "fear" that should be disliked is really superb. That's why it's firmly established as an original game that seems similar but not similar.

There are a lot of scientific and occult things.

The story and the direction are two things that stick very straightforward. It's a difficult story, but it's good that the answers are clearly drawn. From the beginning to the middle of the game, there are a lot of mysteries, and the turns are just a few hints, but the end of the game is sprinkled with answers to the truth, as if it were a mystery-solving part. It's cathartic when you realize, "Was that what it was?"

You won't know everything about the main story alone, but most of the puzzles can be solved by sub-quests, collecting TIPS, and playing in the second week. One of the recommended points is that you can refresh yourself without feeling frustrated after playing.

By the way, if you come into contact with the original novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio" or the Disney movie "Pinocchio" after playing, you will be surprised by the many homages, from direct to subtle, so be sure to ask, "Was this the motif?!"

The doll lies. Contrast between the meaning contained in it and the original "Souls-like"

So far, I've mainly talked about the sense of immersion from the beauty of the art, but I would like you to delve into the charm of the story and the production.

The automatons in "Lies of P" have absolute rules such as "don't lie" and "don't hurt people" like Asimov's Three Principles of Robots. So why did they slaughter humans...... It's one of the big mysteries, but even these runaway dolls can't lie.

However, for some reason, the protagonist of Grandpa Zeppetto's masterpiece escapes this bondage and can lie and hit people. Taking advantage of this, he lies to the humans who try to eliminate the doll and proves that he is not a doll as he proceeds. Here is the scene where I lied for the first time.

Absolutely bad things are happening!

Along with
such a message, the sound of moving gears resounds, and a reddish-black effect erupts from Pinocchio. It's a production that makes you think, "What, if I lie about this, is there something wrong?" And the "Lies of P" logo appears.

Smoothly convey the importance of lies and at the same time stir up the player's anxiety. It's the perfect opening staging. To be honest, I was insanely excited.

As the title suggests, there is no doubt that Lie is an important part of the film. So, is it okay to lie, and what happens if you keep lying? This anxiety turned into "Let me play the rest of the game as soon as possible!"

I know it's based on The Adventures of Pinocchio. Does this mean that lying can act in a bad way...... and groping to proceed. The main character, who continues to act like a human despite being a doll, is treated like a human by the people around him and even his enemies.

In addition to the main character, there are other puppets that are not out of control, and they are also clearly awakened to the heart of a person. In addition, a person who married a doll appeared in the sub-episode. Humans love dolls, and dolls are also clearly portrayed as loving their masters. It seems to throw up the theme of "What is the difference between humans and dolls (robots) with a will?"

In the "Soul" series, which was the basis for Soulslike, it progresses by dedicating humanity.
This work is soulslike, but the contrast between the dolls becoming people = the story progresses by gaining humanity is a wonderful homage.

What happens as a result of the main character, who is getting closer and closer to people, continues to lie? I can't talk about that in this article. The author is also a human being. I would like to share with you the surprise and joy of arriving at the truth.

The perfect easy mode to enjoy the story comes!

In that way, the story and atmosphere are the best, and it is full of elements that will stick with various people, so I want everyone to play it, but it is also true that being Souls-like is a hurdle in itself, "But the action is difficult, isn't it?"

But don't worry. Because a two-stage easy mode implementation has been announced. While enjoying crunchy combat and thrills according to your ability, you will naturally be able to immerse yourself in the story.

Although it doesn't say this directly, the fact that it goes to the trouble of lowering the difficulty level in Souls-like, where high difficulty is important, should be a message from the official that "even those who are not good at action should enjoy the story."

"Lies of P: Overture" will take place on the eve of the destruction of Kratto. I'm looking forward to seeing the beautiful and elegant cityscape of Kratt before it collapsed.

If you've been interested in Lies of P for a while, or if you've taken a step back because it sounds interesting but Soulslike, I hope you'll be intoxicated by this beautiful, yet sad, and indulgent story.