Lies of P DLC is on the way, though it's not totally clear how far it is from release. Fans are hopeful that Lies of P's expansion will be worth the wait, considering how shockingly good the base game is, but it is faced with new expectations now, which may or may not work in its favor.
Based on the scant information available about Lies of P's forthcoming expansion, it appears to be doubling down on the dark fairy tale theming and aesthetic of the base game, possibly drawing upon the mythologies of Peter Pan or The Wizard of Oz instead of just Pinocchio. This alone is enough to set it apart from other soulslike DLCs, but that doesn't mean that comparisons won't be drawn, specifically between Lies of P and FromSoftware's games. The base game was relentlessly compared to Bloodborne, for example, and while that's not truly a fair comparison given everything that Lies of P does differently from the other, it may be hard to escape, especially since Lies of P may very well be the best non-FromSoftware game in this genre.
Lies of P's DLC Has Some Big Shoes to Fill
FromSoftware Is Specifically Known for Its Stellar Post-Launch Content
Comparisons between Lies of P and Bloodborne can be expected to continue, and the DLC will be a particularly poignant venue for it. Bloodborne's The Old Hunters expansion is regularly touted as the best DLC in FromSoftware's portfolio, and one of the best DLCs, full stop. Now that Lies of P has established itself as a soulslike that can actually compete with FromSoftware's output, there will no doubt be pressure, both inside and outside Round8, to rise to the occasion. But with FromSoftware carving out a reputation for itself as arguably the best developer working today, producing impressive and substantial post-launch content in an industry smothered by nickel-and-dime microtransactions, this could be a hard standard to live up to.
It doesn't help that FromSoftware may have outdone itself this year with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, a ridiculously expansive and ambitious DLC that puts many full-priced games to shame. It's not likely that Lies of P's DLC will match Shadow of the Erdtree in terms of scope or scale, and while it shouldn't be expected to, it may serve as a reminder of its quaint nature in comparison to the ever-growing giant that is FromSoftware.
Why Lies of P's DLC Being Compared to FromSoftware's Isn't Inherently Bad
While comparisons between Lies of P and FromSoftware's soulslikes may not always be fair, they also aren't totally off-base. To argue that Lies of P doesn't take clear inspiration from the likes of Bloodborne in terms of its presentation, atmosphere, and combat would be absurd, as the similarities are unavoidable. But this doesn't change the fact that Lies of P is a truly phenomenal game, doing enough to stand side-by-side with its precursors and, in some ways, even surpass them.
Shadow of the Erdtree came under fire upon release for what many considered to be poor balancing and an unreasonable spike in difficulty over the base game, with tertiary criticisms being aimed at issues like poor PC optimization and how the DLC handles loot. Viewing Lies of P's DLC from this angle, it's quite possible that some favorable comparisons could be made between these two expansions, with that of Lies of P being perceived as better than Shadow of the Erdtree in these areas, depending on how it all shakes out.
Then there's the question of how Lies of P's expansion will measure up against The Old Hunters, its more direct relative in terms of tone and scale. Criticism of The Old Hunters is far more muted than the criticisms of SoTE, but Lies of P could nevertheless continue to learn from Bloodborne, taking the best elements of its DLC and using the benefits of hindsight to make them even better.
Lies of P
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
WHERE TO PLAY
Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era.
You are a puppet created by Geppetto who’s caught in a web of lies with unimaginable monsters and untrustworthy figures standing between you and the events that have befallen the world of Lies of P.
You are awakened by a mysterious voice that guides you through the plagued city of Krat - a once lively place that has been poisoned by madness and bloodlust. In our soulslike, you must adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city's elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 35 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
