A mechanical click. The system thrums to life.
Ba-dump. Tick.
Strong yet intricate fingertips flex, eliciting a soft whirr of mechanics, before wrapping the surprisingly articulate tips around the edge of the chair. Artificial muscles flex.
Ba-dump. Tock.
Ebony eyelashes flutter, parting to reveal cobalt irises. The grip tightens, a boyish frame rising from the plush red velveteen of the chair.
Ba-dump. Tick.
Thoughts, memories, experiences and LIFE course through inner workings, glowing bright and blue. Gears turn and springs flex and release. A mechanical heart beats and thrums in time with the rise and fall of each step.
Ba-dump. Tock.
The partially coagulated blood gives a soft squelch underfoot, pressing deeper into the low-pile, firm carpet. The glowing azure butterfly sings in the distance. Not much farther now.
Ba-dump. Tick.
Car by car- beckoned. Called. Summoned. Pulled by the very essence keeping him alive. A cricket for the belt, and a sword for the hand. Drawn to a source he can scarcely understand.
Ba-dump. Tock.
A mechanical-clock heart strikes the hour, the boys artificial arm grasping the door handle-empowered. Ergo coursing through his veins: PULL! Whirrs and clicks: pistons fire. The door screams as the rust is forcefully dislodged from its hinges in an expulsion of terracotta colored dust.
Ba-dump. Tick.
His shoes grace the pavement, the leather thudding smartly on the stone of the platform, a thin scuff of residual crimson tainting the stonework underfoot. With a graceful, fluid motion, sword is at the ready. The cricket on his belt glows, blanketing the boy in a soft, warm radiance. His face alight with determination, he moves onward.
Ba-dump. Tock. 
Krat awaits. 

Krat, a shadow of its former self.

Lies of P is a beautiful, story-rich Souls-Like RPG brought to life by Neowiz Games with Choi Ji-won at the helm as lead director. Taking place in the city of Krat, you play as P, the “son” of Geppetto. Awakened by a soft, mysterious voice, beckoning you to Hotel Krat- you arm yourself, (find a friend) and depart the train station. Much is still shrouded in mystery as you make your way through hoards of puppets, suddenly in violation of The Grand Covenant- a set of rules inscribed on each puppet upon creation that they are bound to:

First Law: All puppets must obey their creator’s commands.
Second Law: A puppet may not harm a human.
Third law: A puppet must protect and serve Krat.
Fourth Law: A puppet cannot lie.

Amidst the Puppet Frenzy, find your way, find the truth behind who started this revolt, and why. The city of Krat is a beautiful, eerie and mysterious place. There is much to do, and plenty to uncover.

Combat is what one would expect from a Souls-Like: Think fast, or die fast.

When it comes to game play, Lies of P is what you would come to expect from a AAA Souls-Like title. The controls are tight, well defined and responsive- what I could call an industry standard from a game of this nature. As one might guess, you will become very well acquainted with dodging, blocking, and, as one may surmise, dying. Players new to Souls-Like may find this game very punishing in more ways than one- possibly missing access to maps and quest markers, as well as the ease with which you can suddenly meet you end. However, while boasting beautifully detailed maps, Lies of P is actually quite linear- you may take a wrong path, but you can only go so far (and you will usually be rewarded, in the process) before needing to turn back to the more obvious way forward. This leaves little room for the need of any maps, as you can fast travel by way of Stargazers. Conveniently, any side quests you may pick up along the way, and are able to complete, will be marked in the fast travel menu so you have a general idea of where you need to go.

Move through previously visited locations with ease, and refill your pulse cells- at a cost.  Nearly ALL enemies will respawn after use. 

Another aspect new players may be unfamiliar with, is that upon using a Stargazer, nearly all enemies (with select few exceptions) are revived. While some may find this frustrating, this is common place to the genre, and will likely be dismissed over time. As you get stronger, traversing old stomping grounds is a breeze- a simple way to gain additional ergo and grow stronger. Enemies have beautifully haunting design, most bosses boasting a depth of backstory, as well. From train station workers, to factory workers, to water-logged corruption spitting tricksters, you will find puppets in all shapes and sizes. Some move quickly, others slowly- but all have an arsenal at their disposal, and absolutely all are more than willing to kill you, given the chance. While simply dodging may seem to be the easiest path to survival against such enemies, to truly master combat, you will absolutely need to learn how to block. Smaller puppets can easily be disposed of, requiring very little effort. Large enemies, however, will require skill- especially bosses. Graciously, the developers have given players an option to use a Star Fragment outside boss locations, allowing you to summon a Specter into battle to fight along side you. While it won’t carry you all the way through- it will make life remarkably easier.

If boss fights feel too overwhelming, you can always use a Star Fragment to summon a helping hand.

What can help carry you through the dangers of your journey, is a set of reliable weapons, and gear. While there are basic equipment slots for augmentations, you have multiple other options. Customize your frame, converters cartridges, as well as swap out amulets, and change out your Legion arm. Not only are there a slew of options available to you on your quest to separate the Truth from the Lies, but your weapons are able to be customized as well. Nearly every weapon is able to be split into a blade and handle- with some exceptions. Both the blade and handle have unique Fable Arts- specialty moves unique to each piece that will give you the upper hand in battle. Mix and match them to suit your needs, as well as playstyle, which will be more clearly defined based on how you choose to level up your character.

Level up P, shaping how you fare in battle. Builds favoring Technique use speed and finesse over brute strength. 

The city of Krat is beautiful, but dark and forlorn- carnage rampant throughout the once glistening city. Players can easily get lost marveling at the Glory of What Once Was, as it ends up telling a story on its own. Beyond this, the musical score that backs Lies of P is insanely beautiful. Collect vinyl to play at your HUB, Hotel Krat. Rife with amazingly raw emotion, I often found myself immediately setting a new record on the phonograph as soon as I entered. Neowiz has mastered storytelling through every medium available to them, if you are willing to look. Stories are told in the desolate streets, what appear to be inconsequential side quests, music, character interaction, notes, posters and superior overall design. If you love depth and lore with heavy, dark undertones, paired with moral gray, you will find it here, in abundance.

Welcome to the beautiful Hotel Krat- the only safe place left in the city.

While games of this type are simply not for everyone, it seems the brilliant teams behind Lies of P has done it’s best to provide as much balance as possible. Many tools and assets have been made available to give players with varying degrees of skill and experience with Souls-Like games a fighting chance. Specters in boss fights, as well as very convenient, comfortable and “safe” Stargazer are two of the biggest notable graces. Ultimately, this is a brilliant game with vast world building, gorgeous graphics, finely tuned controls and an enchanting musical score. Despite a few choice points in the game being unnecessarily frustrating, it is a title well worth investing in, to both new players and Souls-Like veterans. With DLC slated for the second half of 2024 (likely around it’s one-year anniversary), you can easily expect there to be more high-quality craftsmanship and passion behind it. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us as the next chapter of Lies of P unfolds.

Lies of P is available on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and Playstation 4 & 5.









Shhhh...
Also, don't worry- you CAN pet the cat... Spring is a VERY good judge of character.