Developer and publisher Neowiz has been heavily active recently when it comes to showing off the upcomingLies of P, whichinitially gained notoriety online for appearing to be an indie response toBloodborne. However, from the look of the secondary weapon shown in therecentLies of Pgameplay, there could be a different FromSoftware title that might be a larger inspiration.
Specifically, it’s the tight combat ofSekiro: Shadows Die TwicethatLies of Pappears to draw from for the secondary weapon that can be brought into each fight. While it appears thatLies of Pwill have a wider build variety with the primary weapons, the Legion Arms seem to relate closely to the Prosthetic Arm inSekiro.
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What the Prosthetic Arm Brought to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Fans ofSekirooften comment on the tight combat and rhythmic parry system as the highlights of the game. However, some criticisms often levied against the game is the way that it abandons the FromSoftware trend for build variety in exchange for better designing combat around the use ofSekiro’s katana. The counter to this criticism, then, is to look at the Prosthetic Arm, which gives players the ability to mix and match secondary weapons that are collected throughout the game.
This design initially introduces players toSekiro’s grappling hook, but eventually gives players the chance to use different tools like fireworks, a shield, and even an axe that can break defenses. Each of these tools not only has a direct use against specific enemies, but each one can also be worked into a more general build, being able to dish out damage, block, or stagger any enemy. To this degree, theProsthetic Arm inSekirois able to make up for some of the lack of build variety the rest of the combat suffers from. Still, the requirement to use consumable Spirit Emblems for Prosthetic Arm tools and the need for the katana to deal the most damage ensures that the game is much less flexible than other FromSoftware titles.
What the Legion Arms Appear to Bring to Lies of P
From what has beenshown ofLies of P’s gameplayso far, it appears that the Legion Arms go beyond the more general combat inspirations ofBloodborne, housing more than just a firearm. Instead, the Legion Arm is the name for the mechanical device that has replaced the entire left arm of the player character and houses a whole set of tool in and of itself. It almost appears to be a direct response toSekiro’s Prosthetic Arm, with one of the first tool options being a type of grappling hook that can draw the player toward enemies and vice versa.
The result is then thatLies of Pwill be bringing the tool made popular inSekirointo combat that holds much closer to the faster, hyper-aggressive style ofBloodborne. Naturally, as was the case forSekiro, this Legion Arm can only prove to bring in extra depth to combat that was more prevalent inBloodborne’s trick weaponsrather than its off-hand firearms. So, in a way, it appears thatLies of Pmight be able to fuse the best parts of both FromSoftware titles together to bring more depth to the indie title than many of its AAA inspirations had themselves.
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How the Legion Arms can Evolve the Prosthetic Arm
As mentioned before, the Prosthetic Arm was the main source of build variety inSekiro, offering more customization than the more general leveling and skill point system. So, bringing that level of customization to the off-hand on top of the already interchangeable main weapon could introduce a wide range of player choice when it comes to engaging in combat. This could then pushLies of Pto be more than justthe nextBloodborneor even another developer’s take on the combat ofSekiro, but instead a combination of the two.
However, there is one improvement that fans can see from some of the gameplay footage that has been released fromLies of Palready. It’s the fact that the Legion Arms don’t share the limitations of the Spirit Emblems that existed for the Prosthetic Arm inSekiro, replenishing when resting instead of requiring a consumable and non-replenishing currency. Having this tool’s energy replenish likeDark Souls' Estus Flaskgives players the freedom to experiment with different Legion Arms equipment and burn through their tool uses without having to worry about farming after a few boss attempts.
This replenishing tool usage is itself a marked improvement on both of the FromSoftware titles that appear to be the most closely related toLies of P. Considering thatBloodborne’s firearmsalso make experimentation a grind by requiring the consumable quicksilver bullets to use, this one addition manages to address complaints from several games. What’s most impressive is that there are still the different models of Legion Arms themselves to address, and the ways that each one can enhance gameplay.
The Legion Arms Seen So Far
At the time of this writing, there are a few different Legion Arms that have been shown off by the developer, including the Puppet String, Falcon Eyes, and Fulminis. Of these three seen in early gameplay, the Puppet String stands out for leaning intoLies of P’s Pinocchio inspirationand being the most visually impressive, being able to zip the player around fights quickly and letting them grab lighter enemies to draw them in for a follow-up attack. That being said, the buff offered by the Fulminis is perfect for melee fighters who would rather not have to rely on trick tools or firearms. The Falcon Eyes weapon is just plain cool and fun, firing a delayed explosive at a distance.
Considering that these are only a few of the early Legion Arms from theLies of P, it’s likely that as players progress through the game, there will be plenty more to find. However, even if the Legion Arms are limited to what has been shown so far, there will still at least be three options for customization that offers different levels of range and action. Hopefully that won’t be the case, though, andLies of Pmakes good on both itsBloodbornevibesandSekiroinspiration with a wide variety of weapons to use.
Lies of Pis set to release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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