Lies of P carves a singular space out of the Soulsborne genre

polygon.com:

Lies can create illusions. The aristocrats and self-proclaimed pioneers of the city of Krat know this well. Lies of P is built around this premise, breathing new life into an overcrowded genre by allowing you to fabricate your own truth with the characters you meet, shaping the world with your choices.

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Lies of P is the latest addition in the ever-growing lineup of Soulsborne-inspired games. On paper, it definitely dresses the part. It’s a hack-and-slash game with obtuse mechanics; challenging areas delimited by sweet, sweet checkpoints; and dramatic entrances for each and every boss encounter. The standout element is its narrative, which sets the tale of renowned lying apologist Pinocchio against the Belle Époque era.

Ergo, a powerful mineral found deep within the bowels of the city, has turned a coastal town into a mecca for luminaries. It powers the imposing structures and monorail systems that you plunge through, but it also fuels the puppets in the city, which once acted as butlers, police officers, and so on. Now, an unknown frenzy has turned them against humanity. The people behind these machinations task Pinocchio with finding the root of the problem, all while staying safe from harm inside the hotel that serves as the hub for your travels.

Pinocchio, however, is different from most puppets. He’s