FromSoftware has made a name for itself in the gaming industry, creating an entirely new genre known as the ‘Soulslike’. Punishingly difficult, yet immensely rewarding,FromSoftware’s style of gamesseen inBloodborneandDark Soulshas been mimicked several times, with the most recent example being the upcomingLies of P. This dark, twisted reimagining of the classic Pinocchio fairytale puts players in control of the classic character to explore the city of Krat and combat numerous biomechanical enemies.
AlthoughLies of Pisn’t due to release for another few months, the developer did give fans a special treat this past week by dropping a full-blown demo. Players are now able to dig into a small piece of the game and get a feel for its combat, tone and story leading up the launch later this year. Reception to the demo has been mostly positive, citing it as a great new Soulslike with its own fresh stylistic spin on the genre. However, there is one key area in which the title needs some changes before it becomes available this September: dodging.
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Mastering The Dodge Roll in FromSoftware Games
As mentioned, one of the recognized characteristics of FromSoftware’s many games is the difficulty level. Everything from giant boss battles to the most simple enemies can be a tough encounter, with every second being a battle for survival. These titles are very combat heavy, encouraging players to master the mechanics making the victory that much more satisfying. So although the fast-paced swordplay inSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceor brutal boss fights likeMalenia inElden Ringare tough, they never feel unfair. Players always have every opportunity to gather tools they need and learn the moves necessary to overcome any obstacle.
One of the most important moves to learn in any of these Soulslike games is how to properly dodge. Enemy attacks always come swift and hard, making split second reflexes a must to make it through every clash. Provided players don’t bog down their character with a heavy armor build, remaining nimble is the best course of action to always be able to respond fast enough to enemy attacks. Carefully studying enemy attack patterns and perfectly timing when to leap out of the way is a common strategy inDark SoulsandBloodborne, something which other Soulslike games such asLies of Ptry to emulate.
Lies of P Dodging Sees Players Tangled Up In Strings
The thing about emulating a style is that it despite adding a new spin to the formula, it still needs to maintain some sort of familiarity.Lies of Pbeing a soulslikeinherently means that by developing a game in that genre, it wishes to attract the same audience who enjoys FromSoftware’s challenging action games. Although it has delivered on atmosphere, enemy variety, and combat generally feeling crunchy enough, the dodge roll could definitely use some work.
In theLies of Pdemo, learning the ropes of the game’s combat is present throughout the entire experience, as is the case with any soulslike. The problem is that the dodge roll mechanic feels a bit off, with the movement being far too stiff and slow, which sees players failing to properly move out of the way of enemy attacks. Of course, players can become accustomed to it with practice, but this extra second of mental gymnastics in timing out a defensive maneuver could lead to unwanted accidents and unfair damage taken from enemies.
To be fair,Lies of Pdoes reward the player with an upgrade at the very end of the demo that does speed up the dodge roll mechanic, making matters a little bit easier. While this is smoother compared to how the dodge feels at the start of the demo, it is still nowhere near as responsive as what’s present inFromSoftware’s many titles. Further, needing to get through three boss fights before it is unlocked - including a challenging clash with the Scrapped Watchmen - is a bit frustrating. There are still a few months beforeLies of Plaunches, so hopefully these kinks are sorted out before then.
Lies of Pis set to release on August 01, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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