Lies Of P

Lies of P deserves so much more praise and attention than it got. I truly can't believe this game is as good as it is. Coming from a developer with no experience in the genre and minimal history as a studio this is truly a remarkable accomplishment. The music, the atmosphere, the astonishingly appropriate adaptation of Pinocchio lore. THE COMBAT. Handle-head assembly, grindstones, legion arms, the bosses. This is insanely impressive. The only real Souls-like developer outside of FromSoftware.

Beautiful aesthetic, an excellent OST, and a fun soulslike overall. The early game was easily the hardest part for me, but once I got into the mid and late game, the difficulty dropped off considerably. Progression is fairly linear, and most of the meaningful choices come down to picking one option or the other, so don't expect a huge amount of build-defining decision-making. That said, the combat is enjoyable, the world is visually impressive, and the soundtrack does a great job setting the mood. The game also offers three difficulty levels, which is a nice option for players who want to adjust the challenge to their liking. A solid soulslike that's especially worth checking out if you're looking for a more accessible entry in the genre.

Beautiful, good controls and challenging. My only complaint is how linear it is. I know its a me thing, but whenever I see games with the "souls-like" tag, I think of the combat but also the roaming. This has the combat element but no exploring. The amount of exploring is comparable to your grandparents taking you to a corn maze for an exciting adventure, and it makes the game kind of boring. I waited for it to go on sale and finally got it, but after a few hours I realized that what I had been experiencing was as good as I was going to get. Don't get me wrong, I will finish it eventually. I would also recommend it to friends with a word of caution that its just a combat based, boss-to-boss type game with some customizing.