The Dual Nature of P's Commitment to Bloodborne: A Compelling Paradox

The recently released demo for Lies of P solidifies what many had assumed based on months of preview coverage, that Round8 Studio's new Soulslike is as close to a Bloodborne sequel as fans could have hoped for. In addition to the art direction and tonal atmosphere that immediately call to mind the blood-soaked streets of Yharnam, Lies of P proudly wears its Bloodborne inspirations in its encounter design and preference for aggressive combat over defensive posturing. While the title does have plenty to help set it apart from FromSoftware's cosmic-horror masterpiece, the comparisons to Bloodborne might be Lies of P's greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

Lies of P Gets Bloodborne's Fundamentals Down Just Right

Lies of P embraces the influence of Bloodborne not only in its visual style but also in its combat mechanics. Similar to Bloodborne, Lies of P encourages players to adopt an aggressive playstyle and utilize the Rally system, which adds a satisfying element to the visceral combat. This borrowing from Bloodborne compensates for the game's absence of a smooth dodge mechanic.

Why the Soulsborne Genre Needs to Step Out of FromSoftware's Shadow

Lies of P is emerging as a top-tier Soulsborne title not crafted by FromSoftware. However, for the subgenre to break free from FromSoftware's dominance, studios must transcend the boundaries of being mere replicas or variations of the developer's iconic games. While the comparisons to Bloodborne provide both advantages and disadvantages to Lies of P, it remains one of the highly anticipated Soulslikes to anticipate in 2023.

Lies of P launches on September 19, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.