Lies of P: Overture (2025) Review

Developer: Neowiz/Round8 Studio

Platform: PS5

Length: 20-25+ hours

Overture is the new prequel DLC to my favourite Soulslike, Lies of P. It adds a considerable amount to the experience, making any already great game even better.

A beautiful view of Krat Zoo and the surrounding area.

To access the DLC you need to have reached the end of Chapter IX*. This shouldn't have been an issue as I'd already finished the game, however at the end you're given the option to start New Game+. I did this last year, but only played for a couple of hours before moving on to other things. The problem is, there was no way to return to a prior playthrough or save, meaning I had to get most of the way through everything again. I wish they'd handled this differently as it soured the initial excitement.

One of the biggest changes the DLC brings is difficulty settings! There's the default (Legendary Stalker), and two easier options that make the game much more accessible to a wide range of players. I think this is a great thing as it doesn't diminish the challenge for those that want it, and everyone else can fully enjoy the wonderfully tragic world of Krat without getting stuck.

A reprieve after one of the games' toughest bosses.

Five additional chapters were added that cover distinct areas that largely feel different to the base game. Characters, events and locations that were previously hinted at are now explored in detail, giving a more complete picture of the tale. Even though it's set in the past, there are choices you can make that change the future in subtle ways.

Expect aggressive new enemy types and bosses that really made for some stressful and epic battles. I particularly liked that there were opportunities to fight a couple of bosses with another AI controlled character. Online coop was already an option before by summoning another player, but this felt fresh and changed things up a bit.

An ominous amount of wax.

There's also more weapons to try, plenty of costumes to customise your look and further records to collect which add to the amazing soundtrack.

I won't spoil the ending, but now knowing where the developer is going next with the sequel, it's definitely one of my most anticipated titles. Even if Soulslike games are not your thing, I highly recommend giving it a try and hopefully it will become a favourite of yours too.

(*As of Patch 1.9 this has been changed to Chapter V for NG+)