DLC REVIEW: ‘Lies Of P: Overture’ Is P’s Hardest Journey Yet, Even On Easy

One of the biggest surprises in the soulslike genre is Lies of P. An action RPG by NEOWIZ and Round8 Studio based on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 character, Pinocchio. Instead of being a young naive puppet whose nose grows when it lies, you’re a young robotic man, fighting for his not-life through the city of Krat in the new DLC, Lies of P Overture.

Even with its high acclaim, there were more questions than answers about many parts of its story. And instead of being answered in a sequel, we learn so much more about the fabled Lea, Romeo, and get an earlier look at Krat before the events of the main game in the DLC. 

Given its namesake, Lies of P Overture is a prequel that can only be started about three-quarters of the way through the base game. After receiving a mysterious item, P and Gemini are drawn to an old Stargazer that was passed by on their journey. And with its interaction, they are whisked back to a snowy Krat. One after the petrification disease and robot uprising have pushed Krat to the brink of destruction, but before P awoke on that train. So, P and Gemini explore this earlier Krat to understand why they were sent back in time, and who the mysterious legendary Stalker is.

Surprisingly, the DLC feels pretty straightforward with its story. And you will get more enjoyment out of it by beating the base game first (or watching a lore video) before jumping in. Lies of P, like many soulslikes, feels barebones in its plot, but has rich lore for those who dig for it. Lies of P Overture is much more open about the story it’s telling. Particularly with its highlight of the Legendary Stalker and Romeo. Even the bosses have a fairly clear purpose for being there. Their appearances and backstories make sense just by paying attention to cutscenes.

Lies of P Overture’s story is worth the return to Krat.

What makes the DLC so memorable isn’t its focus on mysterious figures from the base game, but its glimpse at the negative aspect of Ergo. Ergo is the reason why P is alive. It’s also a major reason other animatronics and robots are breaking their code and the Grand Covenant. Until now, Ergo has brought life to the unliving, mostly with innocent or supposedly good souls. Lies of P Overture offers a glimpse of what if a bad soul’s Ergo returns.

Aspects like this and the petrification disease affecting more than humans and dogs are why this DLC is so much fun. It’s more than just additional time with these characters. The DLC expands into new areas and aspects of this world that were previously unexplored, like a Zoo.

One of my all-time favorite soulslike areas is now the Krat Zoo, a massive part of the first chapter of Lies of P Overture. When the disease tore through Krat, the zoo was full of exotic animals. All these animals, from Kangaroos to Apes to even Elephants, were affected just the same as the cursed Carcasses in Krat proper. Wonderfully haunting enemy designs reimagine these animals as Lovecraftian beasts.

Later on, you are walking along icy cliffs and scuttled ships, forced to fight Carcassed fish. These guys are evil, yet so cool when they first hop out of the water. Every area introduces new monsters that provide a clearer idea of how far this disease has spread. And how it really ravaged the world, more than just the humans in Krat’s central city.

The new DLC weapons finally offer long-range combat.

With Lies of P Overture taking place during the winter, a new debuff is introduced: Freeze. Freeze isn’t the most brutal debuff, but it does lead to some challenges in combat. It’s like an Overheat that also slows your movement and attack speeds. Even though enemies using Freeze add more complexity to levels, the fact that no bosses use this debuff against you is slightly disappointing.

Another great addition to the gameplay is all the new types of weapons, like the bow and claws called Death’s Talons. The bow finally provides a ranged weapon. All the times that one would’ve come in handy in the base game instead of using the limited throwing items… but at least we have one now. The bow does have drawbacks, though.

Firing the blow rapidly locks P in place. Rapid fire can be particularly dangerous when an enemy is creeping up on you. Or, if you’re in a duel with a ranged foe. The claws, though, are now my new favorite weapon. They’re a fast, Technique-based weapon that deals so much damage when upgraded. I’m normally a Greatsword or Spear player. Claws may convince me to change my ways.

Death’s Talons combo specifically adds a new thrill to commit to massive damage. Particularly, some later bosses and more difficult level segments became mincemeat with the claws once you upgrade them and respec P to work better with them. The bow and the claws are a dangerous combination. Other fun weapons are also added, like a new gunblade and more.

Even on “Butterfly’s Guidance” difficulty, Lies of P Overture’s bosses are very hard.

Plus, new Arms were added that supplemented the new weapons well. My favorite of the new Arms is by far the Icarus. This one throws out spinning blades that tear through enemies’ health. Especially slower foes and bosses just get torn to shreds with a couple thrown at them. The other, the Cataclysm, is like a more powerful Falcon Eyes. Where, instead of firing an explosive missile, it’s a massive shotgun on your arm. These new arms may quickly become major favorites, supplanting others’ top Arms.

But the most surprising of all the changes and additions are the boss fights. A soulslike’s bosses make or break the game. They are always an ultimate test of your skill that pushes you to try new things or perfect your skills to get through their challenges. Almost every boss in Lies of P Overture is a major highlight. They’re all wildly distinct from not only each other, but also from the base game. Like the first boss, going along with the zoo’s theming, being a massive Carcass Crocodile.

This first boss is so cool from its appearance to the time it eventually dies. Even for being a massive beast, this guy is fast and relentless. Jumping from the base game to the DLC, there is an exponential growth in the challenge from the start. But this boss, in particular, will be the bane of many players.

Even dropping the game down to the newly introduced easy mode, titled “Butterfly’s Guidance” or the less challenging, “Awakened Puppet” difficulty, which are both pitched as modes for those who want to experience the story without being as impeded by combat, the crocodile boss and just about everything in Lies of P Overture still pose as near-insurmountable threats. Playing on easy in the DLC isn’t a walk in the park… or in this case a Zoo, a Carnival, and so on. Several times, I had to respec my P-organ, levels, and grind weapon levels to try out new strategies to make it through.

The difficulty spikes are uneven, especially compared to the base game.

Difficulty jumps would be fine if there were also a consistency to it. But the boss fights range from being pushovers to wanting you to pull your hair out, even from chapter to chapter. Sometimes, there are even new normal enemies that are harder than the bosses that follow. These easier bosses may be complex or fun, but they’re not as memorable if you just walk over them and then hit a massive wall with a different boss 20 to 30 minutes later. The slow curve in difficulty is missing here compared to the base game.

Lies of P Overture is an excellent DLC that adds more brevity and complexity to an already great game. With its new environments, Arms, and weapon changes, once beloved builds will be put to the test. Tested against some great new bosses whose difficulty varies wildly from fight to fight. If you can get through the massive difficulty wall (even on Easy), you’ll find a great addition to the story to give a more complete picture of what it means to be human. Just be ready to fight for your puppet-stringed life to get through it.

Lies of P: Overture is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.