Lies of P Director on Difficulty Shift: Aiming for Broader Audience Appeal

The upcoming DLC for Lies of P, titled Overture, marks a significant shift in the game's approach to accessibility by introducing difficulty options for the first time. As a "Soulslike" game, Lies of P is known for its challenging gameplay, which can be daunting for players new to the genre, particularly those drawn in by its dark narrative and atmospheric setting. Initially, the game's director, Jiwon Choi, maintained that Soulslike games should not have difficulty options, and thus, the game launched without them. However, following extensive feedback from the player community, Neowiz has reconsidered its stance, aiming to make the game more inclusive.

Director Jiwon 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 to add difficulty options has sparked a range of reactions among players. Some appreciate the change, with one player writing, "I would imagine it's a lot easier to say that you don't want to change the difficulty than to be inundated with negative reviews over it and have it constantly be brought up during discussions of your game and not have any urge to change it so a broader audience can enjoy what you made." Another 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." A third player added, "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. On platforms like Steam discussion forums and social media, some players expressed disappointment. One user commented, "Was interested in playing, but after all the nerfs and adding difficulty levels, I lost interest. Game devs, please stop catering to babies," though most replies to this thread supported the developer's new direction. Another user lamented, "You had a masterpiece on your hands Neowitz, and you turned it into laughing stock. For shame." A thread titled "Difficulty settings = Not playing" contrasts with a different user's experience who found the game's difficulty "ridiculous."

Lies of P: Overture Screenshots

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Lies of P offers a unique, darker reinterpretation of the classic Pinocchio tale, combining challenging action gameplay with a dynamic "lie" system that influences the narrative and gameplay. The Overture DLC not only introduces new locations, enemies, bosses, characters, and weapons but also includes a new mode called Death March, allowing players to challenge the game's bosses repeatedly. The DLC is expected to take experienced players around 15-20 hours to complete and will unlock after reaching a specific chapter in the game. Neowiz has also announced plans for a full sequel to Lies of P.

Our review of Lies of P was favorable, awarding it 8/10, and we noted, "Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but it plays the part extremely well."