Lies of P first arrived in 2023, offering up a compelling, original Soulslike experience in what was an increasingly crowded genre. The gothic fairytale told throughout was much celebrated upon release, chiefly for the novel, Pinocchio-esque story it told. Lies of P has since gone on to sell over four million copies — quite the feat for a studio’s breakout title.
It’s now on the Nintendo Switch 2 in the form of a Complete Edition (bringing together the base game and Overture add-on), and although it has been playable on the go before — thanks to the Steam Deck and similar PC handhelds — I’m always pleased to see big games such as this come to a more accessible platform. I have a Steam Deck, and I enjoy it for accessing my Steam library. However, I’m also someone who just cannot be bothered to deal with the intricacies that often come with PC gaming, and this Switch 2 version fixes that. No, I don’t want to check if a game is supported, or if I need to tweak settings, or run it in a certain mode — I just want to turn it on and it work.
As an aside, that’s where the Steam Deck as a device falls apart for me. It’s got the clear, widespread appeal of PC gaming, but just falls short of offering the ease I enjoy with a handheld or console. It gets so close, but some of the finer points get in the way of it being a truly pick up and play experience. That’s why dedicated console versions such as this are a big win in my eyes. Sure, this Switch 2 version isn’t particularly breaking new ground, but it does offer a dedicated, no-messing way to experience this celebrated game, bringing it to an all-new handheld audience, without needing to fiddle with too many settings.
For the unfamiliar, this brutal, dark Soulslike, wrapped up in that gothic Pinocchio setting, presents all the typical genre staples. You’ll be managing your stamina, upgrading your stats, learning rather demanding boss patterns, stopping off at important checkpoints, and dying a lot along the way.
I’ll be honest, I’m not particularly any good at Soulslikes such as this, but I’ve always been very curious about the eerie mystique and overall sense of ambitious scale that seems as much a genre staple as the difficulty setting. I went in expecting a hard time, and true enough I perished plenty — but that’s ok, as the unique setting and story made it worth the struggle.
To help me get through this ruthless test I leaned on the easier weapon combos, and also opted to play on the easiest setting available. Lies of P added these difficulty levels when the Overture add-on first arrived, and having such options is always welcome. I always appreciate it when a game is open to letting as wide a player base experience what’s on offer, no matter how gruelling the original ‘intended’ experience.
Sometimes during my playthrough it did feel like I was brute-forcing my way through some of the boss encounters, but that’s a stubbornness on my part really — a ‘skill issue’ I think the kids call it. Getting to grips with the parry guard system was a win, rewarding precision over mere button-mashing. I mostly just wanted my little puppet boy to survive, but if you’re the kind of player who lives for that precise, exacting gameplay then Lies of P has it in spades.
The ‘Legion Arm’ is a neat addition. This is a swappable prosthetic tool that can really change how you approach fights. Think Samus’ arm cannon meets Bioshock. The weapon assembly lets you mix handles and blades to build your own loadout.
Gruelling gameplay aside, this game really earns its reputation on that aforementioned setting and story. The city of Krat is a gorgeous yet decaying locale — something of an ornate, old European urban playground. This space plays host to the central puppet-uprising premise, with the gothic dressing having something to actually say rather than just look moody.
The Pinocchio framing could’ve been a gimmick, but I think it’s been meaningfully woven into the themes. The game has a dark throughline that deals with humanity, deception, and what it means to become “real”. It’s a game that surprised me in how serious it is, making interesting choices around the lying mechanic, and how the overall atmosphere is doing as much heavy lifting as the combat. It’s one of the better-realised worlds I’ve spent time in on this hardware.
On Switch 2, load times are fine — no complaints from me there, and for a game built around a lot of dying and retrying, that matters more than people give it credit for.
Visually, it’s obviously a step down from PS5 or PC. That’s not a surprise and not really a knock against the port specifically — it’s just the reality of Switch 2 third-party ports. It still looks like Lies of P. As you’d expect, playing docked is a step above portable play. The game actually has a toggle in the menu that lets you switch between wanting to prioritise performance or visual quality. I don’t love that there is a need for such toggles, but I found myself playing in performance mode most often. One minor point on that toggle: you can’t change modes during gameplay, as it can only be changed from the main menu. This means you need to save and interrupt your session if you find yourself needing or wanting to switch modes. It’s a small thing, but it popped up as a point of friction. Like I said though, once you find a mode you’re comfortable with it won’t be much of an issue.
It’s clear that this isn’t the best way to play Lies of P — if you’ve got a PS5 or a decent PC, that’s still the move here. But that’s also not really the point. This is the best way to experience the grim fantasy of Krat on a portable, complete with the meaningful Overture addition. It’s a solid handheld option.
If you treat this not so much as a compromise, but rather as a different way in, you’ll have a good time with it. If you missed it the first time round, this is a genuinely fine place to start. If you’ve already played it elsewhere, there’s nothing new here pulling you back.
The core experience is gruelling by design — the Switch 2 version doesn’t add any extra frustration on top of that.
Lies of P: Complete Edition is available now on the eShop. A physical release is expected in October.
Note: Performance impressions above reflect pre-patch testing.