WARNING: This interview includes numerous spoilers about the Lies of P experience.Developing a fresh IP in the gaming realm is extremely challenging. With fierce competition from established franchises such as Spider-Man 2 and Like a Dragon, alongside the growing trend of game remakes like Resident Evil 4, creating new and original video games poses a formidable task. The high development costs, intense competition, and the struggle to capture players' attention make it a tough road for new IP. However, every now and then, a groundbreaking idea surfaces, and this is precisely what happened with Lies of P - a soulslike game inspired by dark, corrupted fairy tales. Launched in September, the game has defied all expectations and emerged as a resounding success.
Following the game's successful launch, Lies of P director Jiwon Choi confirmed that the development of DLC was underway, and excitingly, a sequel was also in the works. Such rapid expansion for a new IP shortly after its launch speaks volumes about its triumph. Game Rant recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jiwon Choi and delve into the game's triumph, its community, various design elements, and the burning question on every Lies of P enthusiast's mind: What lies in store for Dorothy? The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What has caught you by surprise the most regarding the game's reception?
A: We intentionally embedded multiple hidden elements within Lies of P, and it was astonishing how rapidly players uncovered all the secrets concealed within. The most striking instance was when players discovered the secret of the shadow from the Stargazer at Hotel Krat. They unearthed it much sooner than anticipated, leaving us amazed. It reaffirms the notion that gamers are capable of uncovering hidden depths beyond the developers' expectations.
Q: The guard mechanic is pivotal to success and differs from many soulslike games. Was this always part of Lies of P's design or were there alternative approaches considered?
A: In Lies of P, we aimed to provide players with unique combat experiences. To achieve this, we explored various options encompassing all facets of combat design, not just limited to attacking, but also incorporating dodging and guarding.
Our guard mechanics play a critical role in delivering a distinctive combat experience within Lies of P. We sought to make the guard a proactive tool for players, enabling them to use it to either overpower or weaken their adversaries. The concept of guard recovery further aligns with our goal of offering a proactive combat experience.
Q: How has being on Game Pass impacted the game, if at all?
Lies of P marks Round8 Studio's first foray into single-player game development, featuring an entirely new IP. Joining Xbox Game Pass emerged as a prime avenue for us to introduce the game to a vast player community.
The Xbox team spearheaded various marketing initiatives for Lies of P, and although I am unable to disclose specific figures, a substantial number of gamers have delved into our game through Xbox Game Pass. I believe both parties have greatly benefited from this collaboration.
Q: Lies of P exudes a striking visual appeal, yet many of its environments convey a darker theme. What were the challenges in designing a visually impressive game that also embodies a very specific tone?
Imbuing the world of Lies of P with a dark, ominous atmosphere plays a pivotal role in the game's narrative. We aimed to align it with the game's backdrop without impeding gameplay. This necessitated meticulous attention to detail, leading us to create numerous elements to evoke the mood of darkness without solely relying on it.
Changes in weather and time of day for each region were also instrumental in capturing the game's darker and chilling essence, requiring extensive testing and optimization while maintaining the desired effect.
This demanded significant time and an extraordinary level of attention to achieve, making it one of the most challenging aspects of Lies of P's development.
Q: What proved to be the most daunting boss to design? What were the challenges?
A: The King of Puppets immediately comes to mind.
The design concept for King of Puppets revolved around showcasing opposing concepts during the phase changes. While he is a single boss, each phase demanded distinctive appearances, combat experiences, environments, and moods. In essence, it required more effort than creating two separate bosses.
Q: Which boss posed the greatest challenge in terms of balancing? Why?
A: Laxasia.
Laxasia, a boss necessitating sustained tension and a consistent difficulty level even after introducing a significant alteration in her attack pattern, demanded extensive design and incorporated copious feedback from testers to achieve the desired balance.
During the initial stages of developing Laxasia, the developers' feedback was divided, posing a considerable challenge in assimilating and reconciling feedback to attain the intended balance.
What has surprised you the most about the community's engagement with the game? Have you observed any challenge runs or speed runs? What are your thoughts on them?
A: Witnessing the community's varied engagement is always a refreshing and delightful experience.
A particularly surprising instance was witnessing a playthrough of Lies of P using only a quad stick and mouth. It underscored the multitude of factors that a director must consider during game development. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have experienced Lies of P.
I have also followed speed runs and challenge runs. While I consider myself proficient in playing Lies of P, I must acknowledge that players continually surpass the developers' expectations.
Q: Many soulslike games tend to employ multi-phase bosses as a surprise element, yet Lies of P regularly incorporates this concept. How did you decide to integrate multiple phases for most bosses?
A: Bosses hold significant importance in the game for me. It is essential to present compelling bosses within the soulslike genre. To achieve this, we endeavored to showcase the diverse appearances and combat patterns of each boss, leading us to create several bosses with multiple phases. This is largely attributed to the immense passion developers harbor for the bosses they were entrusted to craft.
Q: Can you elaborate on the significant changes within the game and their origins? Specifically, the destruction of Hotel Krat and P's design alteration.
The game risks losing its momentum and becoming monotonous if players are exposed to a static experience throughout. We meticulously simulated the overall gameplay experience of our players and strategically incorporated special events and incidents throughout the projected timeline to ward off monotony. The destruction of Hotel Krat and the protagonist's appearance alteration were introduced following this direction.
Q: How did you arrive at portraying Geppetto as an antagonist?
A: We chose to depict Geppetto as a villain when we selected 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' as our central narrative. Our objective was to present a well-known story in a radically different light, compelling us to transform the beloved Geppetto into an antagonist from the nascent stages of Lies of P's production. While portraying him as a villain, we strived to infuse his character with substantial depth, eschewing simplicity.
Q: The game's lore is rich, yet players may overlook much of it. Are there plans to expand the world of Lies of P beyond video games?
A: We are immensely grateful for the love that players have bestowed upon the world and story of Lies of P. Undoubtedly, there are untold stories that we were unable to incorporate into the game, sparking curiosity among players about Round8 Studio's intentions to unravel these tales through alternate media forms. We have already received proposals from various quarters regarding this.
While it is premature to divulge detailed plans, the Studio is actively exploring avenues to further the narrative of Lies of P in a positive direction.
Q: Which of the endings do you consider canon for future games?
A: It would be inaccurate to designate a specific ending as the canon event. We desire for players to perceive the game as culminating in an open-ended manner.
Q: When was the decision made to reveal Dorothy? Were other classic literary characters deliberated?
A: We deliberated on numerous characters alongside Dorothy. The sheer multitude makes it impossible to name just a few. Virtually every renowned classic character was under scrutiny.
The decision to unveil Dorothy in Lies of P was made during the summer of 2022.
Q: Does the post-credits scene featuring Dorothy hint at a future game or DLC? Could we anticipate Dorothy's presence in the recently-announced DLC?
A: This is undoubtedly a burning question for many, but it is premature to delve into this topic at present. As a director, I empathize with players' curiosity, but we are adhering to a thorough and diligent approach with regards to the DLC and sequel. Rest assured, we will divulge more details when the time is right. We sincerely appreciate your patience on this matter!
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