Lies of P review: One of 2023’s most frustrating games is a hard sell, even on Game Pass

Lies of P is a game of two halves, both of which are underwhelming. The story is retelling of the Adventures of Pinocchio, set in a world that owes some of its looks to Bloodborne’s Yharnam, and Steelrising’s 18th Century Paris. Outside of being aware of the idea that its nose grows every time P tells a lie, I’m not familiar with the story of Pinocchio, so I didn’t have any expectations about the narrative one way or another.

But Lies of P’s looks aren't so much inspired by those games, they’re a pale imitation. Cobblestone streets, dimly-lit alleyways, gaslit street lamps, candlelight shining through house windows, behind which sit heavy-accented NPCs who have three lines of dialogue. It doesn’t offer any new take on its aesthetics, and seems content to just remind you of things you’ve seen before.

The deeper into the game I got, the more that became nakedly apparent. If you ever played a Souls-like, you know that the worst of them tend to lift elements wholecloth from the better ones (and FromSoft’s own work) without justifying their existence, or really understanding the circumstances that birthed them in the first place.