Lies of P Overture Review – Lie Or Die

Lies Of P officially launched on September 19, 2023, during a time when the gaming market was becoming increasingly saturated with Souls-like titles. Despite the crowded genre, it quickly became clear that developer Neowiz and Round 8 Studios had created something truly special. Blending a dark retelling of a classic story with a gritty steampunk aesthetic and Bloodborne-inspired gameplay, Lies of P stood out as one of the best entries in the genre. The game sold over one million copies within its first month and currently holds a user score of 8.3 on Metacritic

After spending around 15 hours exploring the new areas and defeating all the DLC bosses, I’m happy to report that Lies of P: Overture was a rewarding experience. Despite a few balancing issues, which I’ll cover in more detail in my full review, the boss fights, new weapons, and added environments are sure to be appreciated by both returning fans and newcomers alike.

Developer & Publisher // Neowiz & Round 8

Platforms // PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

MSRP & Release Date // $29.99, June 6th, 2025

Reviewed On // PS5 Pro

The Story – Lies Of P: Overture

Lies of P: Overture transports players back to the City of Krat during its final, tragic days, offering a gripping prequel filled with loss, revenge, and long-buried secrets. At the center of this emotional tale is Lea, a mysterious Stalker whose hidden motives finally come to light. As players follow her dark and haunting journey, they’ll uncover her powerful connection to Geppetto’s Puppet and witness the defining events that led to Krat’s collapse and set the stage for the main game.

While the story is undeniably heartbreaking, it’s a must-play for fans of the series. It’s a tale that had me glued to the screen from beginning to end, and the story elevates the base game to the next level in my opinion. To avoid spoilers, I’ll leave the rest for players to discover themselves.

How To Access The DLC

For players excited to dive into Lies of P: Overture, there’s one important catch—the DLC isn’t accessible until you’ve completed Chapter 9 of the base game. After restoring the Hotel Krat Stargazer at the end of that chapter, you’ll receive a new key item called the Star’s Chrysalis.

To start the DLC, open the teleport menu, follow the Star’s Chrysalis quest icon, and travel to the Path of the Pilgrim, where a cutscene will begin your journey into Overture.

Keep in mind that the Star’s Chrysalis must be reactivated in every New Game cycle by once again reaching the end of Chapter 9.

Additionally, once you’ve seen at least one of the base game’s endings, you’ll unlock two powerful Boss Rematch modes:

• Battle Memories
• Death March

These extra challenges add even more replay value for players looking to test their skills.

To Be Human

The world of Lies of P: Overture introduces several new NPCs that players will meet throughout the DLC. One notable character is Goddard, the Blind Painter, who challenges you to either lie or tell the truth about the painting displayed in front of her. Your choice will not only shape the outcome of her story but also unlock a unique questline with rewards to claim along the way if you choose to do so. What I enjoyed about her quest line was the heartfelt feeling at the end. Lies of P is a sad game at its core, but in the end, Goddard just wants you to share her painting with the world. Another notable character is Rosaura, a little girl who lost her shoes. Retrieve them and bring them to her to start her quest chain.

When it comes to character-related added content, Lies of P: Overture also adds new enemies and bosses. For example, one of the areas you’ll explore throughout the DLC is the Krat Zoo. Since this is the case, the player will encounter ergo-plagued kangaroos and monkeys within this area. I want to remain vague when it comes to bosses, but I felt some were balanced perfectly, and others need a bit of an adjustment—more on that below in the difficulty section.

Lies of P: Overture – New Ways To Fight

One of the standout additions in Lies of P: Overture is the expanded arsenal. The DLC introduces two new Legion Arms, ten additional weapons, and a variety of new amulets to enhance your build options. These new additions will be incredibly useful. For example, one of the new amulets is called “Winter Sleep” and will give the player protection against freeze. Which is incredibly useful since this debuff is regularly encountered throughout the new content.

During most of my playthrough, I stuck with the Two Dragon Sword from the base game, simply because I was so comfortable with it. However, I eventually made the switch to the Pale Knight, a powerful gunblade that quickly became one of my favorites. The more I used it, the more satisfying and dynamic it felt in combat, especially against the DLC’s tougher enemies.

Whether you’re a returning player or jumping in for the first time, the new gear in Overture brings fresh strategies and excitement to the experience.

The Difficulty Debate

When Lies of P originally launched in 2023, it followed the traditional Souls-like formula by offering no adjustable difficulty settings. Much like Elden Ring and other FromSoftware-inspired titles, the challenge is an intentional part of the experience. Players are expected to overcome obstacles by mastering the game’s mechanics, utilizing available tools, and adapting their strategies. There are no easier modes or difficulty sliders—success comes through perseverance and skill.

With the release of Lies of P: Overture, the game has introduced a major change: three selectable difficulty modes. This marks a significant shift from the base game’s traditional Souls-like approach, which offered no difficulty options.

The new difficulty settings range from Very Easy to Standard, allowing players of all skill levels to tailor the experience to their preferences. In-game, these modes are named as follows:

• Butterfly’s Guidance – Very Easy
• Awakened Puppet – Normal
• Legendary Stalker – Standard

At a fundamental level, I don’t have an issue with games including multiple difficulty options—as long as it aligns with the developer’s creative vision. What matters most is that the difficulty settings serve the intended experience, not just respond to pressure from vocal fanbases.

I’m not entirely sure if that’s what happened with Lies of P: Overture, but we’ve seen similar situations before, especially with FromSoftware titles, where demands for easier modes have been a long-standing topic of debate.

My Issue with the Difficulty Options

I played Lies of P: Overture on Legendary Stalker difficulty—the mode meant to reflect the original game’s standard challenge. I entered the DLC at level 90+, having beaten the base game during launch. Still, I died surprisingly fast. Some of that came from being rusty, but something felt off.

Early on, I noticed many enemies relied on fast multi-hit combos. These attacks hit hard and left little room to react or recover. Even at a high level, they felt cheap rather than challenging. If you’re jumping into the DLC with a strong build, expect Legendary Stalker to hit harder than you might anticipate.

I also tested the new difficulty settings. Lowering the difficulty made a clear difference in some areas—I took less damage and hit harder. But in other parts, it felt like the rules flipped. The inconsistency stood out. Since the base game never had difficulty options, it’s possible these new modes still need tuning. After reading feedback on Reddit and other forums, I know I’m not alone in feeling this way.

The developers addressed this in their latest newsletter, hinting at future balance updates.

Verdict On Lief Of P: Overture

I’ve always loved Lies of P, and in a crowded market full of Souls-like, it remains my favorite. While the Overture DLC isn’t perfect, particularly with its difficulty scaling, most of my other complaints feel like nitpicks.

Some areas in the new zones can feel a bit linear, but that’s easily overshadowed by the gorgeous environments and creative level design. One moment you’re battling wolves on a snowy mountain, and the next you’re dodging flaming pins in a twisted, dark carnival. Also, the music was excellent and complemented the new content perfectly.

The game ran flawlessly on PlayStation 5 Pro using the High Frame Rate/Quality mode. I experienced zero performance issues throughout my playthrough.

Not every boss stood out, but the ones that did were excellent. The final boss fight, in particular, was one of the most memorable I’ve played in a long time. If you’re a fan of Souls-like, I can’t recommend Lies of P: Overture enough—it’s a must-play addition to an already fantastic game.

Final Score 9/10

Pros

• Beautiful New Zones
• Great Performance
• Unique New Weapons
• Diverse Bosses

Cons

• Conflicting Difficulty Options
• Strange Camera Behavior During Certain Fights

Disclaimer – A Code was provided by the publisher for review purposes.