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

Lies of P's upcoming DLC, Overture, marks a significant shift by introducing difficulty options to the game 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 yet drawn to its dark narrative and setting. Initially, Director Jiwon Choi expressed that the team at Neowiz believed Soulslike games shouldn't include difficulty options, and thus, the original game was released without them. However, after carefully considering player feedback, Neowiz has decided to incorporate these options into the Overture DLC.

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 community is actively discussing this change. Some players appreciate the move, with one stating, "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, saying, "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."

However, not all feedback has been positive. Some players on Steam discussion forums and social media are less enthusiastic. One user lamented, "Was interested in playing, but after all the nerfs and adding difficulty levels, I lost interest. Game devs, please stop catering to babies," although most responses in the thread supported Neowiz's decision. Another critic wrote, "You had a masterpiece on your hands Neowitz, and you turned it into laughing stock. For shame." A different thread titled "Difficulty settings = Not playing" contrasts sharply with another player's sentiment who found the original difficulty "ridiculous."

Lies of P: Overture Screenshots

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Lies of P offers a darker, unique twist on the classic Pinocchio story, featuring challenging action gameplay and a dynamic "lie" system that impacts gameplay. The Overture DLC introduces new locations, enemies, bosses, characters, and weapons, along with a new mode called Death March, allowing players to rematch the game's bosses. 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 awarded it an 8/10, noting, "Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but it plays the part extremely well."