I knew I was going to be rusty when I sat down with Overture, the Lies of P prequel expansion that shadowdropped on June 6. Over a year had passed since I had beaten and last played Lies of P, and I hadn’t dabbled with many Soulslikes in the interim. However, stepping into the shoes of Pinocchio once again for Overture felt natural, like time hadn’t passed at all, and I was instantly reminded why I love this game so much — because of its aggressive combat, challenging boss fights, and heartfelt storytelling. And naturally, some of the first enemies in Overture kicked my butt. Such is the way of a Soulslike.
Overture is the first and presumably only expansion from Neowiz and Round8 Studio for Lies of P. It offers new insight into the history of Krat, some great weapons, and fun levels to explore, but the best new addition is certainly Lea, the Legendary Stalker. When P and Lea finally meet, everything Overture’s story set up truly coalesces.
Through unexplained means, Overture sends P back in time to a Krat that is on the verge of collapsing; the Puppet Frenzy hasn’t decimated its streets yet, though you will encounter puppets trying to kill you, of course. The main issues P and the city’s citizens have to deal with are the monstrous carcasses created by the Alchemists in response to the Petrification Disease. Like in the base game, you’ll come across humans who’ve been turned into monsters, and a trip to the zoo will show how those human monsters are the least of your worries.
The expansion begins with P exploring the Krat zoo, which is derelict in the present timeline but intact during the prequel. However, it’s certainly not open to visitors — monstrous gorillas and kangaroos stalk its grounds, ready to demolish P. Even though I had beaten the game with a level 94 Pinocchio and fully upgraded weapons, those damn gorillas still bodied me one after the other. The corrupted elephant was also a gnarly and difficult fight, and an early showcase of how difficult the expansion was going to be. If I had accessed the DLC any sooner — it becomes available after you beat chapter nine in the base game — my ass would have gotten even more wrecked.
P’s exploration of the past takes him through a variety of new locations besides the zoo: a circus (complete with very rewarding optional challenges), shipwrecks, and the Monad Charity House, all covered in a blanket of snow. The levels were wonderful in terms of fun factor (you ride a Ferris wheel!) and worldbuilding, exposing new sides of Krat with hints of how alive the city was pre-devastation. I could easily imagine what it would have been like for families to walk through the zoo or circus before they were overrun with murderous kangaroos and puppets.
But a new expansion would be nothing without new weapons, and Overture delivers in spades. The bow adds a nice change of pace to combat and offers a real, bona fide ranged weapon (even if the range isn’t that far). When I could, I’d attack enemies from a distance like I was Hawkeye, and then switch to the Wolverine-like claws when I needed to get P’s hands dirty. Despite the DLC offering 10 new weapons, I stuck with the bow and claws for a good chunk of the expansion as they aligned with my build and were just too much fun to swap out.
Overture includes weapons for every type of build, and the Maniac’s Pinwheel will surely be a fan favorite. It’s a greatsword that’s similar to Bloodborne’s pizza cutter (Whirligig Saw) but has two spinning blades. The Puppet of the Future’s Welder is another greatsword, though its normal attack is more like a flamethrower, while the Arche’s Guardian’s heavy attack discharges electricity, making it a great option for battling puppet enemies. Most of Overture’s new weapons can be disassembled and combined with other parts, continuing to give players freedom in crafting their own unique instruments of puppet devastation. Perhaps the best weapon comes at the very end of the DLC, though I won’t spoil what it is.
You’ll use those great new weapons in several boss fights, which were a mixed bag — some offered a fun, inventive challenge, while others felt obnoxiously difficult in a way that simply didn’t feel fair or enjoyable. Facing the first boss, the Tyrannical Predator, learning its attack patterns and perfecting my dodges fully shook off my rust. The rush of satisfaction after taking its janky, crocodile ass down never felt so good.
The Puppeteer of Death fight was a standout as well, with Markiona controlling a puppet on strings during the fray, making it something of a two-on-one clash. She offered a challenge that felt similar to taking on the Black Rabbit Brotherhood in the base game, in the way you have to juggle multiple foes; learning when her puppet would attack from any angle when Markiona herself demanded your attention was quite thrilling.
The penultimate boss proved to be less of an exciting challenge and more of a frustrating one, similar to the Walker of Illusions fight in the base game. I had to turn the difficulty all the way down to deal with him and his obnoxious combos that wouldn’t give me time to breathe (let alone heal). He’d constantly tease opportunities for backstabs, then twist around and attack before I had a chance to seize the opening. Rude. He’d also heal partway through the fight, adding insult to injury — I’m supposed to heal, not you!
The DLC also has a hidden optional fight, which takes one of the base game’s most annoying bosses and makes it even more annoying as it too heals during the fight. However, Overture’s final clash is so good — and so challenging — that it makes up for the frustration found in some of the other fights. It’s a two-phase fight, with the second phase unleashing devastating combos that test your mastery of the game’s defenses, just like the base game’s final boss.
Bouncing between excellent and frustrating bosses was worth it for Overture’s story alone. Much of it concerns P trying to catch up with Lea, the Legendary Stalker, as she searches for her apprentice, Romeo (ring any bells?). Lies of P told a heartbreaking story with a great cast of characters, and Overture does the same, fleshing out the character of P and offering insight into who he — or, more accurately, Carlo — was before the events of the base game. In my favorite section, Lea and P march together to the Monad Charity House, cutting down monsters left and right. She’s a powerhouse, and why she earned her moniker is immediately clear. Lea can also be summoned for the final fray, and I absolutely loved playing alongside the Legendary Stalker as opposed to an unnamed Spectre.
Overture’s storytelling enhances the base game and feels as close to essential as a prequel can be. Though I didn’t click with all the boss fights, I enjoyed the new enemy types — especially the monsterized zoo animals — and experimenting with Overture’s new weapons was a joy, even if I quickly grew attached to my Wolverine claws and didn’t really want to trade them out for anything else. By the time credits rolled, I was far from rusty and had my Soulslike groove back after the 20 excellent hours I spent with Overture. The sequel to Lies of P doesn’t have a firm release window yet, but Overture — as well as the separate boss rush mode, available as part of a free patch — will surely help ease the wait for it.
