Lies of P Director Clarifies Difficulty Adjustment: Aiming for Broader Accessibility

The upcoming DLC for *Lies of P*, titled "Overture", marks a significant shift by introducing difficulty options 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, even if they're 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 launched without them. However, after carefully considering player feedback, Neowiz has decided to implement these changes.

Jiwon Choi shared with VGC, “We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could enjoy the game. We've received extensive feedback from both customers and our developers. By introducing these difficulty options, we can cater to different types of players and broaden our game's appeal.”

The decision to add difficulty options has sparked a debate among the gaming community. Some players speculate that negative reviews and ongoing discussions about the game's difficulty influenced Neowiz's change of heart. 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."

Others have expressed appreciation for the new settings, with one player 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."

Some players criticize the move, feeling it caters too much to less experienced gamers. A comment on Steam's discussion forums stated, "Was interested in playing, but after all the nerfs and adding difficulty levels, I lost interest. Game devs, please stop catering to babies." Despite this, most responses in the thread support Neowiz's 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 sharply with another from a player who's actually tried the game and found the difficulty "ridiculous."

Lies of P: Overture Screenshots

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*Lies of P* offers a darker twist on the classic tale of Pinocchio, blending it with challenging action gameplay and a unique "lie" system that dynamically affects the game based on player choices. The "Overture" DLC will introduce new locations, enemies, bosses, characters, and weapons, along with a new mode called Death March, allowing players to face off against the game's bosses again. The DLC is expected to take experienced players approximately 15-20 hours to complete and will unlock after a specific chapter in the game. Neowiz has also announced a sequel to *Lies of P*.

In our review, we awarded Lies of P an 8/10, stating: "Lies of P might not branch out particularly far from its soulslike inspiration, but it plays the part extremely well."