Part of whyLies of Pis such a beloved action-RPG Soulslike is because, in many ways, it adheres so strictly to the core design of a FromSoftware Soulslike. That’s not to sayLies of Pisn’t authentic, though, with a thrilling lying system in dialogue options and weapons with blades and handles that can be disassembled and combined to create various permutations. Still,Lies of Pis much more of a traditional Soulslikethan, say, aNiohor aRemnant, and even has gestures.
Gestures are essentially emotes with unique animations that the player’s character will perform, and some gestures are rarely used for rare interactions. Gestures can even be paramount, such as using the ‘O Mother’ gesture to access a hidden passageway inElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Unsurprisingly, gestures have the same function inLies of Pand its DLC,Lies of P: Overture, with sparse instances where gestures can reap significant rewards. InLies of P: Overturespecifically, however, a new gesture was introduced that has a tremendously niche purpose: ‘Play Dead.’
Early into the DLC, it’s quite unclear whether the entirety ofLies of P: Overturewill take place within the dungeon-esque regions of Krat Zoo or not. Between dogs, monkeys, bears, kangaroos, elephants, and a crocodile, there are already enough new Carcass enemies hurled at players that it can be a bit overwhelming, especially with how difficult the DLC is as a whole.
That said, it isn’t much of a balm at all when players receive the ‘Play Dead’ gesture. UsingLies of P’s gesturesin active combat is probably the last thing anyone would think to do for any reason, particularly in a Soulslike, but ‘Play Dead’ does truly have a function that can be utilized.
If ‘Play Dead’ is inputted with players having aggroed a bear, the bear will lose its aggro. This is inferred when players first acquire the gesture, and so it actually working is neat and humorous.
Unfortunately, its uses are only marginally valuable. A bear will lose aggro when players are ‘playing dead,’ but it can quickly be aggroed again as the bear won’t have made that much distance before players decide to pick themselves back onto their feet. Likewise, there aren’t that manybear enemies inLies of P: Overtureto begin with, meaning that ‘Play Dead’ is rather useless, especially if players can simply run around them or battle them for their loot.
Frankly, the three dogs outsideLies of P: Overture’s Hall of Adventureshortcut are far more tedious than the lone bear.
Lies of P’s Gestures are a Wonderful Palette of Expression
One secret has since been found that employs the ‘Play Dead’ gesture. Here, players can perform the gesture near an ordinary bear’s corpse and receive aHidden Moonstone upgrade resource. So, while it isn’t completely useless in theory, ‘Play Dead’ is not foundational or ideal regarding the ability to flee enemies or find secrets inLies of P: Overture.
Nonetheless, additional lines of Gemini dialogue are great to hear, and gestures themselves are a terrific way to include further interaction, such as performing ‘Tap Dance’ at the Carnival Garden to earn the ‘Cheer’ gesture and Strategist’s Amulet, much less dancing together with the small clown puppet enemies. In a Soulslike likeLies of Pthat is remarkably story- and character-driven, giving more expression and interaction to a mute protagonist, who can gradually gain humanity depending on players’ choices and actions, is a huge boon.
Lies of P: Overture
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Lies of P: Overture is a dramatic prequel to the acclaimed soulslike action RPG, Lies of P. It transports you to the city of Krat in its final days of haunting, late-19th-century Belle Époque beauty. On the brink of the Puppet Frenzy massacre, you follow a legendary Stalker—a mysterious guide—through untold stories and chilling secrets. As Geppetto’s deadly puppet, you’ll journey through Krat and its surroundings, uncover hidden backstories, and face epic battles that shape the past and future of Lies of P.
