Finally got to play Lies of P
Probably my favorite Dark Souls rip-off so far. Playing as a Victorian-era Pinocchio who looks like a twink? Count me in!
Most people will say it's actually a Bloodborne rip-off, since it's clearly based on Victorian-era aesthetics and even features an HP recovery mechanic. It also doesn't feature any kind of magic, though it does have attributes and builds dedicated to using a mechanical arm similar to Bloodborne's Bloodtinge stat except here they're actually good and fun to use instead of the train wreck dumpsterfire shit show they are in Bloodborne
When it comes to RPG elements, this game really shines. There are plenty of customization systems, weapons that are genuinely fun to use, and a mechanical arm with unique gimmicks that provide utility and break the boredom of spamming R1+R2 attacks over and over
But after 15 hours, I'm more inclined to say that although the mechanics and aesthetics scream Bloodborne, the actual combat reminds me more of Dark Souls, but not really reflex-based like DS3 or Elden Ring: it's more about positioning and good stamina management, just like DS1
The bosses are mostly slow, which is welcome since weight mechanics in this game are obnoxious as hell and the dodge system is so clunky it's ’s borderline useless, given how few i-frames it has
That leads to a problem: bosses take an insane amount of damage for a game that gives you so few and tight dodge windows. There are way too many delayed attacks, and if you don't press the dodge button at exactly the right moment, you'll get hit and lose half your HP
Not only that, the bosses are BORING. They're not mechanically difficult or interesting they’re just infuriating $amage sponges that can two- or three-shot you. Elden Ring is often criticized for bosses having too much HP, but at least that game is reflex-based with fairly generous dodge windows. This game doesn't have that leniency. I often don't say this but do yourself a favour and skip the original standard difficulty, play the current "normal" difficulty (which is easier than the original normal because it reduces damage taken)
Level design is okay nothing groundbreaking. A bit too linear for my taste, but serviceable. I really enjoy the lying system, though; it's a clever and unique way to emulate Dark Souls humanity mechanic, with its own flavor and excellent story-character-gameplay integration. The story and worldbuilding are cool… kind of. Many lore pieces are discovered by collecting materials and reading about them just like Dark Souls, I guess.
Overall really good game. I will probably play it again once I finish it, just to test a more advance-based build (builds more focused on special weapons the your left arm abilities)
