Lies of P Director Clarifies Difficulty Shift: Aims for Broader Player Accessibility

The upcoming DLC for *Lies of P*, titled "Overture," marks a significant shift in the game's approach to difficulty by introducing difficulty options for the first time. As a "Soulslike" game, *Lies of P* is known for its challenging nature, which can be particularly daunting for players new to the genre or those drawn in by its dark narrative and setting. Initially, director Jiwon Choi and the development team at Neowiz believed that Soulslike games should not include difficulty options, and the game was released without them. However, after carefully considering player feedback, Neowiz has decided to incorporate these options into the new DLC.

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.” This move has sparked a variety of reactions among the gaming community.

Players are actively discussing the reasons behind this change. One player wrote, "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 their personal experience, explaining, "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." Additionally, a 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 is positive. Some players expressed their disappointment on platforms like Steam and social media. One player wrote on the discussion forums, "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 developers' decision. Another player wrote, "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 comment from a player who's tried the game and found the difficulty "ridiculous."

Lies of P: Overture Screenshots

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*Lies of P* offers a unique take on the classic Pinocchio tale, infusing it with a darker, more challenging action game experience. The game features a dynamic "lie" system that influences gameplay based on the player's actions and choices. The new "Overture" DLC introduces fresh content, including new locations, enemies, bosses, characters, and weapons. It also includes a new mode called Death March, allowing players to challenge the game's bosses once again. The DLC is expected to take seasoned players around 15-20 hours to complete and will be unlocked after passing a specific chapter in the game. Neowiz has also announced a sequel to *Lies of P*.

We enjoyed our time with *Lies of P*, awarding it an 8/10, noting that "Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but it plays the part extremely well."