Lies of P: Overture Interview

In 2023, Lies of P came out and crowned itself with the title “The best Soulslike not made by FromSoftware”. While it looked like it was copying Bloodborne’s homework a bit too much at first, this thought vanished when you let yourself get lost in the world of Krat. Its universe, philosophy, and memorable characters left something remarkable in the genre.

Thanks to its financial success, Neowiz and Round 8 announced that a sequel was in the works, but that an expansion, Overture, would release before it. There were some questions about the nature of this DLC and what it is going to bring to the table. I’m glad to say that Overture seems to be made of only the best parts of the original adventure, and it will bring a generous amount of around 20 hours (much more if you’re a completionist).

Last week, TheGamer was invited to a private event in LA, where I got to play the upcoming Lies of P: Overture expansion for two hours. After trying the demos, director Choi Ji-Won was available for questions about the game’s development and what’s to expect from the DLC.

Soulslike is a genre that is usually associated with high difficulty and tough battles, which prevents many newcomers from giving it a try. Ji-Won is aware of this, and this is why Overture will introduce two new difficulty modes to both Overture and the base game: Butterfly’s Guidance and Awakened Puppet. These will let you enjoy the story without worrying too much about combat.

“We wanted to make sure the wider audience of gamers could enjoy the game altogether with different traits and characteristics,” explains the director. He goes on explaining how they do internal tests in the studio and use a score system to determine how hard the encounters are.

For Ji-Won, it’s important to give players an experience that can feel satisfactory without being frustrating. To do so, the team works on creating challenges that are clear and give you hints to figure them out, without sacrificing any creative endeavours.

This is especially important for the boss battles. The director explains that they are not mere encounters that you need to overcome “methodically.” They are the results of thinking of new ways to attract you, be it with game mechanics or their stories, and make you wonder about the craftsmanship behind them. The results should let you “capture your imagination, your senses, your emotion.”

Weapons are one of the most important aspects of Lies of P’s combat, and Ji-Won is excited for players to try the new ones. He explains that the team has two key elements when developing them: the feel of freshness when you compare it to the other equipment available, and how much fun you can have using the same weapon over and over again.

The director also confirms that you will be able to use the game’s weapon combination system with the new gear, letting you update your favorite weapons with new variations. The idea is to enhance an already refreshing system, giving you dozens more possibilities to experiment with.

There are some other mechanics, such as the Companion system or the use of Quartz, that seem to be getting major adjustments in the expansion, but Ji-Won didn’t want to give details about them.

If you’re wondering why Overture is a prequel, its director thought it was a proper way of compiling many of the stories that were left out while developing Lies of P. We already know that P will travel through time when we access this content, but we don’t know the exact setting or if we will meet any other famous character from popular literature. It is known, though, that some characters from the base game will make an appearance, like Alidoro.

While it has been almost two years since the launch of Lies of P, Ji-Won doesn’t think that the creative and development process has become any easier.

“We didn’t have enough time,” he says. “I think I’ve become more humble. At first, I was like, ‘I can do it now. I’m confident.’ Of course, I’m still confident. But the more I make it, the more I have to be careful. You have to be constantly on the edge of how holistically the whole content comes together as an entertainer.”

Ji-Won also mentions that he and the team are very aware of the recognition they gained from FromSoftware followers (especially Bloodborne fans). He feels honoured and motivated, as he feels a higher pressure to please his fans and work harder.

Surprisingly, there was no new information about the release date for Overture. We still hope to follow P in his new journey in 2025.