Lies of P Review

Combat: Parry-First Design

Lies of P's combat is built around the Perfect Guard — a timed parry that, when landed, deals Stagger damage to the enemy's balance bar. Fill the bar and the enemy enters a Critical State for a devastating follow-up attack. The window for Perfect Guard is generous by Soulslike standards but still requires genuine timing skill. The Guard mechanic (holding block without timing) exists but is a trap: it drains weapon durability and takes chip damage, making it inferior to dodging or parrying.

Boss fights are Lies of P's greatest strength. The Parade Master, Fallen Archbishop Andreus, the Eldest of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, and Simon Manus are all standout encounters that demand pattern recognition and execute it at a level approaching FromSoftware quality. Phase 2 transitions are consistently dramatic and mechanically distinct from Phase 1, avoiding the common Soulslike trap of Phase 2 being just a faster version of Phase 1.

Gameplay and Progression

The weapon assembly system lets you combine any blade with any handle, mixing stat requirements, Fable Arts, and moveset elements. A greatsword blade on a short sword handle creates a weapon with the greatsword's damage profile but the short sword's attack speed — the combinations are genuinely creative and allow meaningful build expression. Ergo (the souls equivalent) is spent on leveling and shopping, and the level-up NPC adds interesting questline involvement.

Story and World

Krat is a beautifully realized Belle Époque city gone wrong — Baroque architecture crumbling under the puppet plague, streets littered with corrupted dolls, and a hotel serving as your hub populated with memorable characters. The Pinocchio retelling hits expected notes (the nose grows when you lie) while subverting others. The lie mechanic — whether Pinocchio tells the truth or deceives characters — affects multiple endings and NPC questlines in meaningful ways.

Graphics and Performance

Lies of P is one of the best-looking games in the Soulslike genre. The Unreal Engine 5 implementation delivers stunning atmospheric lighting, detailed character models, and exceptional art direction throughout Krat's varied districts. Performance on PC and PS5 is smooth at 60fps in quality mode, with rare dips in particularly dense areas.

Verdict

Lies of P is a remarkable achievement for a debut studio. It earns genuine comparison to FromSoftware's work through its boss quality, narrative courage, and mechanical sophistication. Essential for Soulslike fans.

Pros & Cons