Lies Of P draws inspiration from the likes of Bloodborne and Soulslike games, offering players intense combat encounters against formidable foes. To excel in this puppet-on-puppet violence, you need to master various combat techniques and mechanics that might not be immediately apparent. In this guide, we’ll cover essential combat tips to help you survive and thrive in the unforgiving world of Lies Of P.
Backstabbing Isn’t Just For Stealth
One crucial lesson in Lies Of P is that backstabbing isn’t limited to stealthy situations. You can use this technique during regular combat encounters, even on humanoid enemies. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Circle around your opponent and wait for them to commit to an attack.
- Position yourself behind them and execute a backstab. This tactic works effectively against most enemies, including the formidable Stalkers you’ll encounter throughout the game.
Run Like Your Life Depends On It… Because It Does
While it might sound counterintuitive, running plays a significant role in combat. Instead of relying solely on dodge rolls and perfect guards, sometimes it’s better to sprint. Here’s why:
- Sprinting allows you to create distance between you and your opponent during their attacks.
- You can quickly close the gap and strike when your opponent is vulnerable. This technique is especially useful against bosses with telegraphed but powerful attacks, like the King of the Puppets boss.
Understanding The Guard System
Lies Of P’s guard mechanics draw inspiration from Bloodborne. Similar to Bloodborne, you can recover lost health by swiftly counterattacking after blocking. However, in Lies Of P:
- Your recoverable health is the health lost while blocking.
- If you get hit while you have recoverable health, you’ll lose it all. Mastering the perfect block is crucial. To execute it effectively:
- Time your block just before an attack lands.
- If you miss the perfect block, holding the guard button provides regular blocking. Additionally, watch out for “Furious Attacks,” indicated when enemies glow red. These attacks cannot be blocked or dodged and require a perfect guard for protection.
Dodging Is Still Important
While perfect guarding and stamina management are vital in Lies Of P, don’t underestimate the importance of dodging. Some attacks, even when blocked, push you away from your opponent, making it challenging to follow up. In such cases, consider dodging through the attack instead of blocking. By incorporating both dodging and perfect guarding, you’ll become a more versatile and formidable puppet combatant.
Some Status Effects Provide Benefits
Surprisingly, certain status effects, while detrimental, offer some benefits:
- Overheat reduces health recovery from guarded attacks but slows enemy health regeneration.
- Electric Shock drains your Fable gauge but increases stagger damage dealt to enemies.
- Decay gradually damages your weapon but enhances Destruction Damage against foes. Keep in mind that you’ll also deal damage to enemies upon contact while affected by these status effects. However, Corruption, Disruption, Shock, and Break don’t provide any player benefits.
Don’t Bother With The Cube Until You Upgrade It
Early in the game, you receive the Cube, which holds one-time-use items called Wishstones. Initially, the Cube’s utility is limited. However, after unlocking the “Quick Wishstone Use” skill in your third P-Organ activation phase, it becomes more viable. You can also increase the number of Wishstones you can use. So, wait until you acquire these skills before relying on the Cube.
Let Them Fight!
In Lies Of P, not all enemies are Puppets. Some characters are infected by the Petrification Disease, turning them into zombies. Interestingly, these infected humans won’t ally with the Puppets. They’ll engage in combat if they come into contact with each other. Exploit this by luring one group of enemies into another, allowing them to battle it out, and then finishing off the survivor.
By mastering these combat techniques and tactics, you’ll be better prepared to conquer the challenges that Lies Of P throws your way. Remember that versatility and adaptability are key to your success in this unforgiving world.
