Lies of P Complete Edition Review: Pinocchio Can Lie on Switch 2 Too!

Lies of P: Complete Edition, Pinocchio's Adventures on Switch 2

Among all the titles that have tried to offer their own vision of the much-loved soulslikes, Lies of P is one of those that succeeded best. After garnering much deserved acclaim, it's now time for Nintendo Switch 2 owners to fight as this fascinating steampunk Pinocchio. Lies of P: Complete Edition arrives complete with the Overture expansion and all the updates the game has received since its release in 2023 to today. In this particular version of Collodi's fairy tale, we find ourselves in the city of Krat, once rich and full of life thanks to the production of mechanical automatons, and now a hell. P is our protagonist, much more like a metal automaton than the wooden puppet we all know.

Created by the brilliant Geppetto, a true institution in the automaton industry, P awakens in a devastated Krat and begins his adventure guided by the voice of Sophia, a girl with blue hair. From the very first moments, we discover that Krat has quickly gone from a constantly expanding city thanks to the work of automatons to a theater of massacre caused both by the frenzy that has afflicted the machines and by a disease that has petrified almost all human beings.

Lies of P is an intelligent and stimulating reinterpretation of "The Adventures of Pinocchio," Carlo Collodi's novel which, since its first publication in 1881, has captivated readers of all ages, including myself. To be honest, 1881 had long passed when, during a terrible flu that was keeping me away from elementary school, my mother brought me this book to keep me busy between an aspirin and a cup of chicken broth.

Needless to say: Pinocchio has an timeless charm, and countless works of all kinds have drawn inspiration from Collodi's original, with Lies of P mixing the original material with steampunk imagery and a touch of science fiction, where the famous theme of machine rebellion returns, naturally seen through the eyes of a soulslike. P embarks on an extremely difficult and elaborate adventure where he will encounter continuous references to the original novel and seek a solution to the frenzy affecting the puppets. P, however, is not just any puppet because, unlike his peers, he is capable of lying. This not only allows him to break one of the rules that should shackle automatons but also marks an important part of the gameplay. At specific moments in the story, we will have to choose whether to tell the truth or lie, and this will have a specific weight in the development of events and the final moments of the game. 

Lies of P: Complete Edition, the gameplay

The atmosphere exudes charm, and the art direction delivers a setting effortlessly balanced between the Victorian era and the Belle Époque, all with dark tones that perfectly match the gameplay. Soulslike lovers will find Lies of P to be a technical title where the core of the combat system lies in the perfect parry, decidedly more important than dodging. The presence of different types of customizable weapons, divided into blade and handle, gives the player the opportunity to personalize their playstyle, as does the RPG-style growth system. By defeating enemies, we will find Ergo, an energy (which has a specific meaning in the plot) that can be spent to increase one's stats.

At a certain point in the plot, we will also have access to unlockable abilities, not to mention that P's left arm is a powerful mechanical weapon that can perform various defensive or offensive actions, adding another element of customization to the gameplay. The adversaries are very well-crafted and offer a good variety between automatons, humans, and creatures infected by Ergo. The game's highlight is the bosses, almost always memorable and equipped with respectable move sets and designs… naturally ready to beat you up without asking too many questions. When a defeat comes (and they will come, oh they will come), you will be revived at the nearest Stargazer, an artifact that functions like the classic "bonfires."

As in all titles of this genre, the "difficulty" element is predominant, but in this edition, you will also have access to two levels dedicated to those looking for a less demanding experience. It must be said that, even selecting the easiest one, you shouldn't expect to be able to play without attention. To tell the truth, the Butterfly's Guidance mode, i.e., the "very easy" one, allows you to think less about perfect parries and strategies, with less aggressive and strong opponents, but it is more comparable to a "normal" level of any action game rather than a leisurely stroll to enjoy the scenery.

In short, Lies of P was born as a soulslike in every respect and over time wanted to allow gamers with less patience (or simply less time available) to enjoy its artistic and narrative structure, but without overdoing it. Being a technical game, especially if you want to play it in its original form, I strongly recommend getting a Pro Controller or an equivalent product, because the Joy-Con 2s are not entirely suitable for such an experience.

Lies of P: Complete Edition, how does it perform graphically?

From a technical point of view, the work done is more than good. Both on TV and in portable mode, the development team managed to create a well-designed port, faithful to the original, and that limits visual compromises. Playing on the Switch 2 screen, you can choose between Performance and Quality modes, while using the docking station, there is a third option that aims for a middle ground. As far as I'm concerned, in a game that focuses on technical gameplay like Lies of P, the best choice is to aim for performance. Playing at 60 FPS is worth accepting a 1080p upscaled image, giving up a bit of definition and coming to terms with some slight blurring.

The most complicated situation is in portable mode with the Quality option, where the frame rate drops to 30 FPS and can cause some annoyance. The fact remains that Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio have done a really good job, making Lies of P very enjoyable even on Switch 2, adding an important piece to the Nintendo hybrid console's catalog. Among other things, this Complete Edition includes some bonus items and the Overture expansion, a prequel that allows you to discover and better understand what happened in the city of Krat.

In addition to the main adventure, which can last from 40 to fifty hours (although there aren't many real incentives to deviate from the main path), Overture extends the experience with about 20 hours of story and gameplay. Lies of P Complete Edition brings an excellent soulslike to Switch 2, perhaps a bit too linear and very inspired by the cornerstones of the genre, but never trivial and extremely enjoyable to play, now even in portable mode!