Lies of P: Overture starts in a zoo overrun by mutated animals, and it's one of the best soulslike levels I've ever played

Lies of P: Overture, the long-awaited expansion to my personal 2023 game of the year, is arriving later this year, and recently, I was able to play select segments of the DLC (downloadable content) at an event hosted by publisher Neowiz in Los Angeles.

I won’t hide the fact that I’m a huge fan of Lies of P and its marvelously macabre take on the source material, and it tops our list of the best soulslike games. As such, the expansion potentially had a fair amount of pressure on it to deliver. However, Overture, from what I’ve now played, seems to be on the right track in providing a more-than-worthy follow-up to the base game.

Better still, its first level is everything I wanted it to be: superbly creative and jam-packed with new enemies and juicy tidbits of lore.

Extinction event

The base game of Lies of P had three main groups that most enemies fell into: puppets, carcasses, and the Alchemists. Most were also decidedly humanoid in nature. Overture mixes this up immediately in its opening level of Krat Zoo. The enemies here do fall into the mutated carcasses group, but former humans they are not.

As you might expect from a zoological setting, the enemies are, by and large, animals. Yep, the petrification disease found in Lies of P isn’t unique to humans. With that in mind, you can expect to fight mutated gorillas, kangaroos, elephants, and even a massive crocodile boss at the end of the area.

They really do act like rabid creatures, too. The kangaroos lunge at you with powerful kicks and rolling attacks. The gorillas overwhelm you with pure physical strength. And you’d better believe the elephants throw all their weight around, providing a terrifyingly unpredictable move set - doubly so for a surprise mid-stage mini boss that’s almost as hard as that aforementioned crocodile.

It’s not just the fact that it’s a zoo that makes the area particularly creative. It's also been transformed by a snowstorm. Snow certainly isn’t the first weather condition I think of when it comes to zoos, which makes the whole area feel like some anomalous place that time completely forgot.

Gator aid

In terms of overall level structure and design, developer Round8 Studio does seem to be sticking to what it knows in Overture. Krat Zoo, like most of the base game’s levels, is largely linear but also impressively dense. I can understand that may be a bit of a disappointment for those hoping for more expansive level design, but I’m ultimately glad Krat Zoo keeps things compact and focused on its creative setting, as it sets the perfect first impression going into Overture for the first time.

There’s always a feeling of forward momentum, but you’ll still find plenty of goodies like chests, lore, and items by heading off the critical path. Smartly placed shortcuts throughout Krat Zoo also allow the level to loop back in on itself, meaning thorough explorers should be able to scour the place in an hour or two.

The level also evolves convincingly throughout. You start in the distant tundra on the outskirts of the zoo, before making your way through its exhibits. That includes the entrance plaza, rows of dilapidated habitats, and even a natural history museum. The section culminates in a tour of the Savanna center before tossing you down into the enclosure of the massive Tyrannical Predator.

I wasn’t quite able to best the beast in the time I had, but I found it to be a decently challenging encounter where you can expect several wild and unpredictable attack patterns - including a devastating grab move that can’t be blocked. It’s a tough fight, but I wouldn’t say it’s a ‘gatekeeper’ boss guarding the rest of the DLC, and you should be able to get it down in a handful of attempts.

A wheel to grind

Of course, it wouldn’t be a soulslike expansion without a good amount of new weapons, and Lies of P: Overture seriously impressed me in this regard. The first I tried, which was equipped by default, was a new greatsword that packs an explosive punch.

If you’re a Final Fantasy 8 enjoyer, you’ll feel right at home with this weapon as it is - for all intents and purposes - a gunblade. I felt it was a little underpowered at first rub, but it is a weapon that heavily relies on its Fable Art (powerful attacks and/or buffs that are unique to each weapon) abilities in order to dish out the most damage. One creates a powerful explosion, while the other boosts the power of explosive attacks, including the weapon’s other Fable Art and its charged attack.

For players who prefer Technique (that’s dexterity) builds, you’ll want to hook Pinocchio up with a new set of claws. You really get to unleash your inner Vega/Wolverine/Zhang He with these, tearing through packs of enemies with rapid slashing attacks.

My favorite, though, has to be a large pinwheel weapon that - interestingly - increases in power by sprinting. Sprinting applies up to four stacks to the weapon, making its big sweeping hits all the more powerful. Usually, heavier weapons in Lies of P demand a more methodical approach, so I definitely welcome the idea of a strength-based weapon that relies on speed and aggression to mix up the formula.

Overall, Krat Zoo provided a barnstormer of a first level for Lies of P: Overture. It shows that Round8 Studio hasn’t lost its touch in providing creative, visually evocative levels for the game. Having so many new enemy types this early on really bodes well for the expansion, and I’m really looking forward to taking some of these crazy new weapons back into the base game for New Game Plus runs.

We’ve no firm release date for Lies of P: Overture just yet, but it’s expected to launch in ‘Summer 2025’ for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

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