Lies of P is a soulslike game that has made waves in the gaming community for its well-polished design and gameplay mechanics. Add to this the fact that it's available on Xbox Game Pass, and I see no reason why anyone should skip on this amazing game.

Overview

Lies of P is inspired by the classic children’s story of Pinocchio and is a dark reimagining of the tale. It was developed by NEOWIZ on Unreal Engine 4, which goes to show that tried-and-tested tools can give better results than newer, shinier objects (looking at you Lords of the Fallen!).

While it takes inspiration from its predecessor souls-like games, one area in which Lies of P differs is the world design. The world is overly linear, there is not much exploration to do outside of the main story and it's almost impossible to get lost. This may look as a downside to many people, but for someone like me who mostly enjoys the boss fights and character development, this game perfectly hit home for those with a busy schedule.

The combat is where this game shines. No weapon/ability is overpowered, builds are highly customizable and still simple to execute, something I rarely see in other games. Combat is perfectly balanced for both casual players and veterans - there is a summon mechanic which makes even the hardest bosses manageable for newcomers to the genre. The combat has a lot of resemblance with Sekiro, and in a good way.

Rich Story and Character Progression

The game’s story is set in the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century of the Belle Époque Era in Europe within a city called Krat. The city of Krat was once a beautiful place whose humanity has been lost to madness and killer puppets. The game follows the journey of Pinocchio, a puppet who is trying to find the mysterious Mr. Geppetto and save what's left of the world.

Pinocchio is a unique puppet in the sense that he stands on the border between humans and puppets. The game has a "lie" mechanic which shifts Pinocchio from one side to other, ultimately deciding the ending of the game. With every lie told, you break free from the strings of a controlled puppet.

Great build variety

Lies of P has a lot of mechanics which can be utilized to create immensely unique builds. Each weapon (excluding boss weapons) has a blade and handle, which can be switched to change not only the stats but also how the weapon will swing.

Your left arm is a prosthetic mechanical weapon which can light enemies on fire, create electric discharges, or even pull enemies. They can be upgraded to unlock really strong abilities capable of destroying enemies in a single blow.

And finally we have P-organs, which can be thought of like the skill tree in RPG games. There are 4 main types of skills, each with their own tier and available benefits.

Linear World

The only aspect where Lies of P falls flat is in the game world design. The world-building may be good, but the level design is extremely linear, it's like going from point A to point B and fight boss - rinse and repeat. There is minimal exploration outside the main story, and no way to access late game areas by mistake (like opening a chest to be transported to hell!). This makes the game a little too predictable and generic, only saved because the combat never gets boring.

Should You Buy?

If you have the Xbox Game Pass, you can directly play the game and enjoy it. If you don't have the pass, I would recommend to get one since we have a lot of exciting games coming up.

Even if the game wasn't on the game pass, it's an easy buy if you like soulslike games. As I said before, there is no reason to skip on this one!