Lies of P: Overture Prequel DLC Expands the Soulslike with New Enemies, Weapons, and Bosses

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Lies of P: Overture marks Neowiz’s initial attempt at downloadable content for their popular soulslike game, which was initially released about two years ago as a reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale Pinocchio. Contrary to expectations that the story of Lies of P might continue, Neowiz delivers a prequel instead. This takes players back in time just before the main game’s events, yet close enough for the world to still be teeming with monstrous creatures eager to rip apart puppets.

For a price of $29.99 and due for release after a two-year wait, “Lies of P: Overture” promises to be a DLC with a scope comparable to “Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree”. From our brief encounter with the DLC, it seems we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Neowiz has been quite secretive about the storyline details and the extended function of the P-Organ system in this expansion, merely suggesting that the game will grow significantly in various aspects upon the release of Overture.

Game Rant got a first-hand look at Overture’s initial hour, set within and surrounding the expansive Krat Zoo. During this sneak peek, we encountered various new enemy types skillfully designed to utilize the zoo environment, used several distinct new weapons and Legion Arms, and squared off against a formidable boss protecting the end of the demonstration. Additionally, during the demo, we had the chance to try out the much-anticipated Battle Memories mode, which is likely to be popular among fans of boss fights.

A Tour of Lies of P: Overture’s Krat Zoo

In Lies of P: Overture, we were promptly thrust into the demo without much ceremony, perhaps to prevent revealing spoilers about how Pinocchio arrived in his current predicament. However, it’s already established that Pinocchio discovered an artifact which the Stargazer used to send him back in time. The DLC starts in a snowy forest near the Krat Zoo, a path that subtly introduces players to some of the DLC’s new adversaries and features. For instance, there’s a Freeze status ailment in this game that certain enemies can inflict, causing damage over time and reducing movement speed, along with an item that removes this effect. One of the new opponents resembles a deer with antlers and releases clouds of Freeze, while this forested region also presents players with a massive bear-like creature with a cage on its head as an early introduction to the game’s challenges.

Moving deeper into Krat Zoo, the layout transitions to a more conventional non-linear soulslike style, offering multiple avenues for exploration filled with shortcuts, branching paths, and secret riches to uncover. At the heart of it all stands the grandiose, multi-story Hall of Adventure, a museum-esque edifice with a luxurious wooden interior that starkly contrasts the desolate wilderness beyond. Surrounding this central structure are numerous wildlife exhibits, each themed differently. One such exhibit is a rainforest habitat, which introduces multiple levels of verticality and features gorillas perched above, occasionally throwing rocks at Pinocchio as we maneuver through the exhibit, navigating both upwards and downwards.

Lies of P: Overture’s Enemy Variety is Impressive

In the game Neowiz, they fully committed to the zoo concept by introducing a diverse array of enemies modeled after zoo animals, each with unique mechanics. For instance, you’ll encounter kangaroos that roll into balls and bounce towards players, corrupt gorillas that fight much like a giant, mutated gorilla would, and unusual elephant-like creatures that charge at Pinnochio in a manner reminiscent of a bullfight, but with a sinister twist. These enemies often have elite versions colored red, which are larger, more aggressive, and boast extended skill sets. For enthusiasts of the combat system in Lies of P, the variety of enemies introduced within just the first hour should be a delight, as it offers numerous new hurdles to overcome and fresh parry patterns to master.

Outside the rainforest lies where we discovered the first boss of the DLC, the Tyrannical Predator, marking the end of our demo. This colossal creature resembles an alligator and presents a terrifying sight with its sinister skillset. The Tyrannical Predator’s signature attack involves charging ferociously with its jaws wide open; avoiding this move is crucial as it can lead to being swallowed entirely and thrown violently across the arena, causing considerable damage to your health.

Quick biting attacks, unexpected tail swipes, and powerful slam attacks add to the challenge of battling this boss, but since the DLC appears to be designed for late-game players, they should have enough skills under their belt to triumph once they reach it.

Lies of P: Overture’s New Weapons Are a Blast

With this DLC, the weaponry available in P’s collection of falsehoods has been broadened, introducing fresh weapons and Legion Arms. The most significant shift in gameplay might be the addition of a new bow weapon, which allows Pinocchio to engage in combat at a distance. This weapon can serve as a main tool for battle, dealing respectable damage due to its advantage in range. Unlike regular ranged weapons, it doesn’t require ammo; instead, it is repaired like melee weapons. Even when closing the gap, Pinocchio can still perform parries and Fatal Attacks with the bow. Its impressive Fable Art is a powerful, supercharged arrow attack capable of stunning an elite enemy in a single shot.

Also, there’s a fresh gunblade weapon that discharges an explosive blast at short distances when you perform heavy strikes, causing substantial poise damage. However, it lacks in overall swing damage, but it can chain together powerful attacks against weaker adversaries. Next is a giant pinwheel weapon that provides extended reach and decent damage, but its swings have some sluggish wind-ups. Additionally, Pinocchio gets a massive flamethrower, which deals constant fire damage but makes him vulnerable during use. This flamethrower can also function as a thrusting weapon in confined areas. Conversely, claw weapons resembling Wolverine allow for exceptionally swift strikes at the expense of limited range.

Lies of P: Overture’s Battle Memories Mode Adds Tons of Replayability

As a fervent admirer, I delved right into the Battle Memories mode following the conclusion of the campaign demo. In this captivating new feature, I found myself facing off against all the main game and DLC bosses once again, with five escalating levels of challenge. The first three levels are accessible immediately, while tiers four and five—which grant unique rewards—can only be unlocked sequentially as I progress.

In this additional gameplay mode, we encountered three bosses not originally included in the main presentation. Among them, Markiona, the Puppeteer of Death, stood out as a fan favorite: a skillfully designed multi-target battle where players engage Markiona while contending with a puppet she manipulates using enchanted strings. The impending attack from either Markiona or her controlled puppet is easily predicted by observing the color of the strings she holds, making this one of the most instinctive 2 vs. 1 boss fights in recent soulslike games.

The upcoming boss is known as the Dual-Aspect Overlord, an engaging adversary that undergoes two distinct phases. In the first phase, it moves sluggishly, allowing players to land numerous attacks. However, in the second phase, it transforms into a fast-paced, fiery version, unleashing rapid impaling strikes and requiring quick maneuvers to dodge. This battle is ideal for fans of Lies of P‘s parrying due to its clearly defined opportunities and relatively simple pattern.

In conclusion, we faced the Distressed Supervisor. This battle resembles a colossal opponent where battling the camera becomes part of the challenge, and its moves were so large that evading them seemed almost impossible. The style of this boss is challenging for soulslike games, but it wasn’t overly frustrating. Although the Supervisor was not particularly memorable, it represented an interesting experiment. In truth, a soulslike DLC isn’t complete without at least one enormous boss.

Lies of P: Overture Introduces Difficulty Levels

It’s important to note another exciting feature not initially showcased: Death March Boss Rush Mode. In this mode, you can select and battle three or more bosses one after another, with restricted health and items. The challenge can be tackled across three levels of difficulty and even cooperatively.

This relates to the upcoming difficulty modes in “Lies of P,” which will also be accessible for base-game players. The existing default difficulty level is going to be renamed as Legendary Stalker, while two lower difficulties, Butterfly’s Guidance and Awakened Puppet, are designed to make the game more comfortable for those seeking a touch of soulslike gaming and Pinocchio-esque atmosphere. In “Battle Memories,” it appears that difficulty tier three offers a standard “Lies of P” experience, while difficulties below and above can vary from incredibly easy to painfully challenging.

In my gaming experience, I appreciate the recent addition of a convenient new feature: during level-up screens, players can now directly use Ergo items within the menu without having to navigate through the inventory and perform calculations. This has been an issue in many games of this genre for quite some time. Here’s hoping that this thoughtful design choice will be embraced by all soul-like games moving forward.

Overture appears to be an enticing addition, boasting an enlarged assortment of adversaries, an impressive array of distinctive weapons, user-friendly difficulty settings, and its boss battle modes that offer plenty of potential for repeated play. Just from the initial hour, it’s evident that Overture could justify the two-year wait as a worthwhile DLC expansion.

Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purpose of this preview.

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2025-05-21 18:43