The following contains major spoilers for the end of Lies of P.
The book of Lies of P may be closed now after Lies of P: Overture definitively tied a bow on its story. Surely there’s more that Neowiz could produce for that specific fairy tale as an adaptation of Adventures of Pinocchio if it wanted, and it’s unclear whether its teased Wizard of Oz sequel will stick to Lies of P’s dwellings or not, as Dorothy was shown near Hotel Krat. However, Lies of P: Overture itself is a phenomenal expansion of the base game’s story with a sizable prequel chapter that reinforces and elaborates on beats and lore that Lies of P only scratched the surface of.
Lies of P: Overture is a safe bet for a DLC as it whisks P and Gemini to the past with only a marginal few alterations to the canon timeline awaiting them in the present day upon completion. It takes quite a while to see the fruits of the DLC adventure, though, due to Lies of P: Overture being roughly 15–20 hours long. Moreover, the lengths players must go to in order to access the DLC are arguably egregious, even if it was FromSoftware’s seminal Soulslike work that had inspired Neowiz to make it incredibly difficult to reach.
Lies of P: Overture is Proof of Why a Soulslike DLC Shadow Drop is Not the Right Play
Lies of P suddenly released its story DLC, Overture, in a shadow drop at Summer Game Fest, but, in doing so, players may be underprepared.
Lies of P: Overture’s DLC is Not Easy to Access from a New Playthrough
I was fortunate enough in my playthrough of the DLC that I had recently finished a NG playthrough and hadn’t proceeded to a NG+ playthrough yet. This was by design—I knew I didn’t want to go in on a NG+ playthrough, understanding how difficult FromSoftware Soulslike DLCs can be when considering that difficulty scales with multiple NG+ playthroughs, and that I’d have the most enjoyable time if I went in with a P who was as overpowered as possible by the time I went into Lies of P: Overture.
Like most other players, I also correctly presumed where Lies of P: Overture’s DLC entry point would be, at the broken stargazer near Chapter 5’s Path of the Pilgrim stargazer. Fortunately, without knowing that I’d also have to meet the prerequisite of repairing the Hotel Krat stargazer in Chapter 9, I was gifted the necessary quest item automatically since I had already progressed through all the base game story content. But anyone who had endeavored through a NG or NG+ playthrough and had stopped at Chapter 5 won’t have access to the DLC until nearly the end of Chapter 9.
Lies of P: Overture is Hopefully the Last Time Soulslikes DLCs are Held at Bay
Lies of P is a linear action-RPG Soulslike and reaching Chapter 9 doesn’t take nearly as long as it does to reach Mohgwyn’s Palace in Elden Ring, with the latter also being far more convoluted to locate on one’s own. Indeed, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is quite brutal regarding its potential for casual replayability due to the demands that must be met in order to access it, and the same can be said for nearly all of FromSoftware’s Soulslike DLCs.
It’s one thing if DLCs or expansions are tremendously challenging and encourage players to come back when they’ve obtained more levels, gear, or weapons, but to also withhold DLCs until players are already deep within the base game is another.
Anyone who had endeavored through a NG or NG+ playthrough and had stopped at Chapter 5 won’t have access to the DLC until nearly the end of Chapter 9.
To be fair, Lies of P: Overture’s bosses and characters only make sense from the perspective players have of what they’ve experienced in the base game thus far, and players would undoubtedly be bewildered, much less riddled with spoilers, if they could access it instantly before receiving context in the base game’s story. Still, the argument stands that future Soulslike DLCs should quit their tradition of being accessed so late. If nothing else, replayability takes a massive hit in these cases, at least for anyone who doesn’t have the time to spend wading through arduous challenges and upwards of 20–30 hours of content.
WHERE TO PLAY
Lies of P: Overture is a dramatic prequel to the acclaimed soulslike action RPG, Lies of P. It transports you to the city of Krat in its final days of haunting, late-19th-century Belle Époque beauty. On the brink of the Puppet Frenzy massacre, you follow a legendary Stalker—a mysterious guide—through untold stories and chilling secrets. As Geppetto’s deadly puppet, you’ll journey through Krat and its surroundings, uncover hidden backstories, and face epic battles that shape the past and future of Lies of P.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
