When Lies of P launched in 2023, it surprised the gaming community, offering a Soulslike reimagining of Pinocchio with intense combat, stunning gothic visuals, and a uniquely dark narrative. You can read our full review of it here. Now, with the release of Lies of P: Overture, a prequel DLC that is now available, developer NEOWIZ welcomes players back into its blood-soaked, clockwork world to witness the events that shaped the game’s bleak universe.
Overture is a narrative-driven side story that adds around 6–8 hours of gameplay, introduces a few new mechanics, and attempts to fill in key pieces of the lore. But does it succeed as a meaningful expansion, or is it just more of the same with a new coat of rust and grime?
A Prequel Worth Telling?
Lies of P: Overture takes place years before the events of the base game, during the rise of the puppet rebellion and the early days of the Alchemists’ twisted experiments. You step back into the shoes of P who has seemingly been teleported back, and meet the Legendary Stalker in a deepening of Lies of P lore.
The DLC wisely avoids recycling familiar locations. Instead, it introduces new environments such as the Elysian Foundry, a grim, rust-filled industrial sector, and the Orchestra Hall, a decaying, enemy-infested cultural landmark that adds visual flair and lore richness. These areas are dense with environmental storytelling, from abandoned workbenches to notes detailing the moral dilemmas faced by early engineers.
In comparison to the base game’s story, which slowly unfurled its mysteries through ambiguous NPC dialogue and item descriptions, Overture is slightly more direct in its narrative delivery. While it retains that Soulslike opacity, there’s more voice acting, more cutscenes, and a clearer emotional arc. Still, it assumes deep familiarity with the base game, and newcomers may find themselves lost in its cryptic references.
As a prequel, Overture succeeds in expanding the lore and adding emotional weight to the tragedy of Krat, but don’t expect it to dramatically change your understanding of the original. It’s a character study, not a revelation.
Lies of P: Overture Gameplay
If you’ve played Lies of P, you’ll be immediately familiar with how Overture plays. It doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it adds enough new challenges and combat nuances to feel fresh for returning players.
Enemy design in Overture is a highlight. There’s a new class of elite enemies that blend puppet erraticism with Alchemist corruption, leading to unpredictable attack patterns. Boss fights, while fewer in number than in the base game, are well-designed and intense. One standout encounter with Markonia is one of the best boss fights NEOWIZ has delivered to date.
Combat remains as brutal and precise as ever. Parrying, dodging, and stamina management are still king, and while Overture is slightly more forgiving than late-game Lies of P, it’s still not for the faint of heart. Compared to the base game, the DLC feels tighter and more focused, with fewer filler encounters and a better difficulty curve.
Visuals and Performance in Lies of P: Overture
Visually, Lies of P: Overture maintains the high bar set by the base game. It runs smoothly on PS5 (the platform we reviewed it on), with 60fps performance in Performance Mode and richly detailed textures in Quality Mode. NEOWIZ continues to excel at blending mechanical decay with baroque architecture, and the new environments are dripping with atmosphere.
The lighting, in particular, stands out. Dimly lit hallways give way to fire-lit workshops, and broken skylights create sharp contrasts of light and shadow, enhancing the tension around every corner. The haptic feedback on the DualSense controller further immerses players, with subtle resistance added during combat and exploration.
While the DLC doesn’t offer the visual leap of a new engine or next-gen upgrade, it demonstrates how well NEOWIZ understands the aesthetic of its world. It’s polished, cohesive, and artistically bold.
Final Thoughts on Lies of P: Overture
Lies of P: Overture is a carefully crafted DLC that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It offers just enough new content and story to justify a return trip for fans, while laying subtle groundwork for a likely full sequel down the road. With new weapons, haunting boss fights, and a darker look into the origins of the game’s world, it serves as both a bridge and a deepening of Lies of P’s tragic mythology.
If you loved the base game and want more, particularly more lore, more atmosphere, and a few new mechanical wrinkles, Overture is well worth the price. If you struggled with the original’s difficulty or didn’t connect with its story, this DLC won’t change your mind.
