After first coming across NEOWIZ when they made a little-known rogue like called Metal Unit, I knew there were some exciting prospects yet to come from this Korean-based developer. Seeing how much they managed to deliver with Lies of P has honestly left me astonished at times.

From the innovative interwoven mechanics that play like an orchestral symphony when mastered to the elegance of the art direction and sound design that feel like you are stepping into a Tim Burton-esque, gothic tale of Pinocchio with a healthy dose of Bloodborne.

The staggering amount of work that has gone into creating this beautiful, fully-realised world is incredible. It is oozing with inspiration not only from FROMSOFT's aforementioned "Bloodborne" but also from many other Souls-Like games. It's important to note that while the inspiration is evident, it is never used to simply copy what has come before, only to build upon what created this magnificent genre, making it its own masterpiece in the process.

During your roughly 25-hour playthrough, you will be, of course, levelling your character as you would in other Souls titles. However, they have also integrated a deeper skill system, which helps you have even more control over how you want your character to be specked out, which I thought was a fantastic addition.

On top of this, you will also have a healthy dose of weaponry to choose from and build yourself. Yes, I indeed said build. I had a lot of enjoyment in breaking down some of my swords to create an unholy union of a fancy long-sword attached to an electric coil stick (hey no judging!).

As with many Souls-Like games, you have a home base filled with an interesting assortment of characters that will help you progress throughout the world, upgrade your weaponry, and refine your latent skill abilities, which become more important the further you get in the game.

I have found that many Souls-Like games are not particularly renowned for their musical scores, but Lies of P manages to carve out its own niche. Not only does it deliver exceptional tracks during epic boss encounters, but it also introduces a delightful twist with collectable vinyl records that can be played on a vintage jukebox back at your home base. The quality of some of these tunes is nothing short of extraordinary and made it an absolute treat to start a record in the background whilst upgrading and forging new weapons at home base.

Also, what has got to be one of the greatest systems I have had the joy to experience is the legion arms. This is an ability that you gain from the very start of the game. What makes it so special is all in the variety of Legion arms you gain throughout the course of the game. You will start your journey blasting people from a distance like Iron Man to my personal favourite, pulling people to you with a dagger attached puppet string, ala Scorpion style.

This also can be tinkered with, upgraded, and even created just like with weapons. I grew far too fond of the puppet string and once I upgraded it and changed it up, I eventually found myself using it to grapple from one enemy to the next, which elevated the gameplay for me tremendously.

Lies of P also integrates a durability function as well, and I can already hear the groans emanating from my screen as I type that, especially as I am not always a fan of weapon durability, especially in a Souls-like game. However, the way the durability has been integrated is more of a feature that I never even knew I needed in my life.

Every weapon has a set durability meter, and you are allowed to repair your weapon on the fly, even while walking. It only takes a few seconds, and can be done an infinite amount of times. However, if you were not paying attention and find yourself at the closing strike of a boss fight as I once did, only to find your weapon to break and have the misfortune of the boss landing that final strike on you, then you quickly realise the importance of maintaining the durability on your weapon.

Once you progress further into the game, you will gain the ability to engrave a status during a durability repair, which could embed your weapon with fire, electric, and other type effects, which is something that I absolutely loved having in my arsenal for that elite enemy that could be waiting for you around any corner.

All in all, this game will forever mark one of the greatest Souls-Like games I have ever had the pleasure to experience. I could go on for a significant amount of time discussing how fantastic the enemy and boss design has been perfected here. It is a challenging game, there is no getting around that. I had to walk away more than once and come back finding myself beating that boss I had been stuck on for hours in one go.

With that being said, Lies of P truly delivered in some memorable and absolutely unforgettable boss fights. The amount of work that went into designing these encounters was truly incredible, and even if I was being subjected to multiple beatings before I was able to overcome it, it was always an absolute spectacle to behold.

As with all games in this genre, practice makes perfect, and if you have the dedication to keep pursuing it, the rewards will be bountiful. Be warned, actions have consequences, so it's important to pay attention to what is asked of you as there are multiple different endings, but that's always a fantastic excuse to revisit and experience another playthrough of an already beautifully crafted game.

Apart from a couple minor bugs at the start of my 25 hours of playtime, I was very happy to see that I did not have almost any major issues playing this title at a comfortable 120 FPS in 4k. In fact, this game ran so well for me that many AAA game developers should take a note out of NEOWIZ's book on how to release a game in such a polished state.

It is a challenging game, and there is no getting around that fact. However, isn't that one of the major appeals of the genre from the get-go? If you could just steamroll your way through everything without any challenge at all on a hypothetical "very easy" mode, would it still give you that same satisfaction that you had when you finally beat that boss or any other challenging segment? Food for thought, especially for fans of the genre itself.

PROS:

* The narrative is truly immersive, featuring captivating characters with undeniable charisma.
* Memorable Boss Fights and enemy design.
* A dark and enigmatic world that offers immense satisfaction through exploration and replay value.
* The soundtrack is exceptionally stunning from beginning to end.
* The weapon system's incredible capacity for creativity and adaptability is truly amazing.
* The combat system is intricately designed with numerous well-coordinated components that synergize seamlessly.
* One of the best games in its genre you are likely to ever experience.

CONS:

* Very minor bugs encountered during the start of my playthrough that seem to already be addressed by the developer.

The way 'Lies of P' borrows the elements of what worked so well in multiple FROMSOFT titles and delicately interweaves their own system of weapon crafting, branching skill trees, and latent abilities, all enclosed in a visually surreal and gorgeous world with a beautiful soundtrack, is truly incredible.

'Lies of P' was not just one of the best Souls-like games I have ever played; it was one of the best games I have ever played, period. What the developers over at NEOWIZ have managed to accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary, and if the rumours of a Wizard of Oz sequel in a shared universe are true, we are in for a very bountiful season indeed.

Rating: 9.7/10