Lies of P

Lies of P recasts the Pinocchio fable as a soulslike set in Krat, a plague-stricken Belle Epoque city rendered in ornate, Bloodborne-adjacent gloom. The player pilots a puppet through combat that rewards aggression and precise defense: a perfect-guard system that turns blocking into a rhythm, weapons assembled from interchangeable blades and handles, and a lie mechanic that quietly bends the story toward multiple endings.

Critics and players converge on it as the most accomplished soulslike outside FromSoftware, singling out its atmosphere and the demanding timing of its deflection combat. The recurring reservation is that its fidelity is also its ceiling: it executes the template immaculately without pushing far past it, and its perfect-guard curve can feel punishing before it clicks. For players craving another Souls fix between the studio's own releases, it is the closest substitute going; those wanting genuine reinvention may find it more homage than departure.