Lies of P

Lies of P takes the fairy tale of Pinocchio and transposes it to the dark city of Krat, where puppets have risen up against their creators and disease has flooded the streets. The player controls the puppet P, who is searching for his creator and along the way must decide whether to tell the truth or lie — and it's the lies that bring him closer to humanity, which affects the ending. The gameplay openly draws on Bloodborne: quick dodges, an aggressive pace, and a boss at the end of each area that tests your patience. Its own contribution lies in a mechanical arm with swappable attachments, the ability to combine weapon blades and handles into custom builds, and a perfect-block system that, with the right timing, destroys enemy weapons.

On Xbox Series X|S, the game runs on Unreal Engine, maintains high smoothness, and offers short loading times, which is essential for a game built around constant dying. The art direction is one of the title's strongest aspects overall: Art Nouveau facades, gas lamps, opulent hotels wrapped in grime, and mechanical monsters that come across as both fragile and terrifying at once. The music works with piano, strings, and singing in bars where the player can rest for a moment; the contrast between a calm song and a massacre a few rooms further ranks among its most memorable moments. The game was available on subscription from launch, which helped it spread quickly among players.

Reception was surprisingly strong — critics expected less from a title that openly declares its FromSoftware inspiration, and the game won them over with both its combat and its visual side. Reservations were aimed mainly at the difficulty of some bosses at launch, which later updates smoothed out. Its influence on the genre lies in showing that soulslike is no longer the exclusive domain of one studio and that a game can find its own voice within it. Today, Lies of P is one of the best ways to try the genre, especially for players who enjoy a fast, aggressive combat style.