Lies of P, Round 8 Studio’s gothic action game, received a brand new trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live, and instantly became one of the show’s standouts. Lies of P made an impact because it evokes Bloodborne in almost every way. The gameplay, the environments, the enemies, the weapons, the atmosphere – it is unmistakably Bloodborne, “inspired” by it to the point of openly mimicking it. And that’s honestly fine, as long as it can stick the landing.
After playing Lies of P at Gamescom 2022, in what is undoubtedly an early state considering its unspecified 2023 release date, it’s probably fair to say that it hasn’t quite stuck the landing yet, but it just might be up to snuff in time for next year. The problem is that it really does drip the vibe and atmosphere of Bloodborne from every pore, and therefore everything it doesn’t do quite as well is going to stick out like a sore thumb.
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The problem is that a movement and combat system as nuanced and delicate as Bloodborne’s is hard to replicate. Anything that is out of line will be felt by the player. Lies of P, by comparison, just feels a little rough. Everything is in place, but attacks feel as if they’re plagued by the worst disease, input delay, and dodges aren’t just delayed but feel too short to be useful.
But these are minor aspects that can be adjusted in time for launch, and the game deserves to be judged by itself, away from comparisons to its biggest inspiration. In a hypothetical vacuum, Lies of P is incredibly promising. The atmosphere contained within the short demo I played was incredibly impactful, and I quickly found myself memorizing enemy placement at every corner so I wouldn’t be taken by surprise.
You’re quickly introduced to more fearsome enemies or are assailed by groups while Molotov cocktails are being tossed at you from a rooftop, at which point your dodging skills are put to the test. It’s a gradual but fairly swift build-up of difficulty: each time you find a ladder to drop or a gate to open to use as a future shortcut, you’ll find a new, tougher challenge just around the corner.
The game is generous with shortcuts in these early stages, ensuring you’ll fight fewer enemies than you can count on one hand before getting back to where you were, allowing you to save those precious heal items. Yes, heal items restock on death or upon visiting a checkpoint. Does this formula sound familiar to anyone?
The fact is, a game taking this much inspiration from such a popular title can’t avoid comparisons for long. The world of Lies of P looks gorgeously detailed, but also too much like an update of what we already have. Even the in-game menus evoke Bloodborne so much it feels like a walking copyright strike.
Regardless of how much inspiration it’s taking though, Lies of P has the potential to be a really good gothic action game, as long as it manages to iron out the creases and find an identity of its own.
Written by Dave Aubrey on behalf of GLHF.
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