If you’ve yet to play the fantastic, Pinocchio-inspired Lies of P, its first DLC expansion, Overture, offers a finely tuned excuse to dive in. Though it largely sticks to the original’s script—both thematically and mechanically—this 12-hour encore delivers a fresh batch of haunting environments, creatively brutal bosses, and clever story beats that tug on the narrative threads left dangling in the base game. With its somber tone and occasional anime-level theatrics, Overture rekindled my appreciation for this grim fairy tale and left me even more eager for a full sequel.
For those who missed act one, Lies of P is one of the most polished soulslikes to emerge in recent years. It didn’t reinvent the genre but excelled at nearly everything it borrowed, from tight, aggressive combat to a unique weapon-crafting system. Overture wisely avoids tinkering with a winning formula. Instead, it expands it with a prequel story packed with new bosses, loot, and areas to explore—about a third the size of the original game, but dense with content. While it can’t be played standalone (you’ll need to be near the end of the base game), Overture still does a great job reacquainting players with the devastated world of Krat. Its dark twists and satisfying story payoffs offer answers to year-old questions and surprising character moments that elevate the experience well beyond a simple side story.
One of Overture’s standout features is its bold new settings and the grotesque new enemies you’ll face. Early on, you’ll trek through a deranged zoo, fending off twisted animal puppets—from apes and elephants to a gator on a rampage. Later, you’ll sprint across a crumbling frozen lake as pirate-like foes rain cannon fire. These inventive locations are rich with variety, though the DLC does occasionally fall back on familiar territory—like a carnival segment that echoes areas from the base game. Alongside the returning psychotic puppets and toothy undead hounds, these reused elements slightly dull the thrill of exploration.
Still, the bosses steal the show. Overture’s boss battles are a highlight—original, challenging, and packed with spectacle. Whether you’re facing screen-filling beasts wielding absurdly oversized weapons or agile duelists who force you into precise, rhythmic clashes, the fights are consistently engaging. The final boss, in particular, is delightfully over-the-top, with convoluted patterns that made every dodge and parry feel earned. While the overall difficulty seemed slightly toned down compared to the base game, the balance felt tighter—making each encounter more rewarding and less punishing. Maybe I’ve just become better at soulslikes after dozens of reviews, but Overture struck a sweet spot between fair challenge and satisfying progression.
On the mechanical side, not much has changed—and that’s both a blessing and a minor letdown. The core gameplay remains the same: slick but stiff combat, deliberate exploration, and a limited range of viable builds that lean heavily into the Bloodborne-style formula. A few new weapons (like clawed gauntlets for speedier playstyles) and extra amulets provide fresh loadout options, but they don’t fundamentally shift how you play. The one significant new addition—a passive upgrade tree that enhances things like damage output or survivability—adds depth, but mostly feels like a natural extension of existing systems rather than a bold innovation.
Ultimately, Overture is more of what made Lies of P so compelling to begin with. It may not radically transform the experience, but it does expand it in meaningful ways—delivering excellent boss fights, compelling lore, and new environments that make the return to Krat well worth your time. This DLC doesn’t rewrite the script, but it definitely earns its encore.
Verdict
The prequel DLC Overture merely adds more Lies of P, which is a very positive thing. The additional monster kinds bring even more variety to a world that was already quite well-stocked with entities doing everything in their power to kill your puppet face, and the new locations are generally a breath of fresh air.
Although there aren’t many novel concepts or intriguing new mechanics, the introduction of a new cast of strong bosses to defeat is intriguing enough on its own, and some of them rank among the most thrilling fights in Lies of P. When you combine those with a fully developed plot that is just as satisfying as the first, this is a spooky puppet performance that I’m happy to see again.
