Lies of P Director Clarifies Difficulty Adjustment: Aims for Broader Player Base

Lies of P's upcoming DLC, Overture, introduces difficulty options for the first time, marking a significant shift for the "Soulslike" game known for its punishing challenge. This change aims to attract a broader audience, particularly those drawn to the game's dark narrative and setting but who might find the original difficulty daunting.

Initially, Lies of P launched without any difficulty options, as Director Jiwon Choi believed that Soulslike games should maintain their inherent challenge. However, after receiving extensive feedback from both players and developers, Neowiz decided to implement these adjustments. Choi explained to VGC, "We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could play the game. We have a lot of feedback from customers, and from our developers. So by making development adjustments and introducing these difficulty options, we can offer the experience to different types of players. This broadens the base."

The decision has sparked a variety of reactions among the gaming community. Some players applaud the move, seeing it as a way to make the game more accessible. One player shared, "I got into gaming around the age of 24. I'm using the easier difficulty settings because, as much as I love Lies of P, I have a major skill issue, and that's okay. I just thought it would be nice hearing why someone would reasonably want the difficulty settings. I never got to own any systems when I was a kid, so now I can as a working adult who doesn't have 10+ years of skills." Another expressed relief, stating, "Souls elitists don't want difficulty because they like bragging about their video game achievements. I'm glad Lies of P is not servicing them."

However, not all feedback has been positive. Some players feel that adding difficulty options dilutes the game's essence. On Steam discussion forums and social media, one player lamented, "Was interested in playing, but after all the nerfs and adding difficulty levels, I lost interest. Game devs, please stop catering to babies," although most responses in the thread supported the developer's decision. Another criticized the move, writing, "You had a masterpiece on your hands Neowitz, and you turned it into laughing stock. For shame." A thread titled "Difficulty settings = Not playing" sits alongside another from a player who found the original difficulty "ridiculous."

Lies of P: Overture Screenshots

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Lies of P offers a unique twist on the classic Pinocchio story, presenting a challenging action game with a dynamic "lie" system that impacts gameplay. The Overture DLC expands the game with new locations, enemies, bosses, characters, and weapons. It also introduces Death March, a new mode allowing players to battle the game's bosses again. The DLC is expected to take experienced players around 15-20 hours to complete and will unlock after reaching a "certain" chapter of the game. Neowiz has also announced a full sequel to Lies of P.

Our review of Lies of P awarded it an 8/10, noting, "Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but it plays the part extremely well."