Oruvai
FIRST SOULSLIKE GUIDEBuying Guide

Lies of P Complete Edition for Beginners

Lies of P Complete Edition adds Overture, updates and difficulty choices. See whether its combat and pressure make it a good first Soulslike.

Oruvai EditorialReviewed by Kerim Akgül7 min read
Official Lies of P Complete Edition artwork showing the ruined city of Krat
Official game mediaNeowiz and Nintendo

The short answer

Lies of P Complete Edition can be a good first Soulslike because the current package includes new difficulty choices alongside the base game, Overture and post-launch improvements. A lower setting can reduce the punishment while a beginner learns routes, enemy tells and weapon systems. It does not turn the game into effortless story mode. Boss patterns, resource decisions and deliberate combat remain central.

Choose it as a first Soulslike if the dark setting, focused level design and idea of improving through observation already appeal to you. Skip it if repeated boss attempts feel like wasted time or if precise defensive timing creates more frustration than satisfaction. Start with the base story. Overture is a prequel expansion, but owning a complete edition does not mean a new player should enter every added challenge immediately.

Best forThe new difficulty choices make Lies of P easier to approach, but the game still rewards observation, timing and repeated attempts.

Think twice ifIt is a good first Soulslike for a beginner who wants to learn those habits, not avoid them.

Complete Edition is the base game plus its prequel expansion and updates

Nintendo describes the package as the full Lies of P journey, combining the original story with Overture. It also lists post-launch quality-of-life updates, difficulty modes and challenge modes. For a new Switch 2 player, that means there is no separate expansion purchase needed to see the currently included story content. It is a cleaner product choice than assembling the game and add-on separately.

Complete does not mean every mode should be active in the first hour. Challenge content exists for players who already understand the combat. Overture deepens the history of Krat and its characters, but the base campaign remains the natural place to learn the world, hotel, weapons and progression. Use the complete package as a path with options, not as a checklist that demands immediate completion.

The decision signals that matter

Compare the confirmed facts with the way you actually want to play.

Base game

The full original Lies of P campaign is included.

Use this confirmed base game when comparing the available paths.

Overture

The prequel expansion is integrated into the package.

Use this confirmed overture when comparing the available paths.

Difficulty

Nintendo lists new difficulty modes alongside challenge modes.

Use this confirmed difficulty when comparing the available paths.

Single player

The Switch 2 listing identifies one player on a single system.

Use this confirmed single player when comparing the available paths.

Difficulty choices lower the entry barrier without removing the combat identity

A beginner often needs room to understand why an attack connected, when healing is safe and how a boss sequence changes. A lower difficulty can create that room by making mistakes less costly. This is useful learning support, not a lesser version of the game. The goal is to keep enough pressure that reading an enemy and choosing a response still matters.

Do not choose a setting to prove something to strangers. Start where a failed attempt produces information instead of anger. If the game becomes too forgiving for the tension you want, change it when the current version allows. If it still feels exhausting, lowering difficulty is a practical decision. The valuable outcome is finding the rhythm where improvement feels visible, not preserving an identity around one menu choice.

You still need to commit to attacks and read what is coming back

Lies of P builds combat around weapon attacks, guarding, precise defensive responses, movement and Legion Arms. The weapon assembly system lets blades and handles create different combinations, but a large option set does not replace fundamentals. Every weapon has reach, speed and recovery. Pressing another attack at the wrong time can leave the character exposed even when the build is strong.

Beginners should learn one reliable weapon before constantly rebuilding. Watch a normal enemy, test guard timing and notice which animations allow a safe response. Bosses then become demanding versions of the same conversation. A parry is not the only valid answer to every strike. Positioning, blocking, dodging and accepting a smaller damage window can be smarter than chasing a perfect sequence.

Who this decision fits

A strong fit when

  • Lies of P Complete Edition can be a good first Soulslike because the current package includes new difficulty choices alongside the base game, Overture and post-launch improvements.
  • Do not choose a setting to prove something to strangers.
  • Let the original campaign introduce combat, progression and Krat before the expansion adds context.

Think twice when

  • It is a good first Soulslike for a beginner who wants to learn those habits, not avoid them.
  • If you mainly want portable boss attempts, wait for testing that separates handheld and docked modes and names the patch.
  • Use retail Switch 2 testing that names handheld, docked and patch conditions.

The real fit question is how you react to repetition after failure

A focused action RPG can make the route back to an encounter feel purposeful because enemies become practice and resources support another attempt. It can also feel repetitive when a player wants every session to reveal new story. Difficulty options change the size of the obstacle, but they do not remove the pattern of trying, learning and returning. That pattern is the genre decision.

Lies of P fits someone who enjoys a contained world, mechanical improvement and the satisfaction of turning a threatening enemy into a readable one. It is less suitable for someone who dislikes losing carried resources, repeating routes or spending a whole evening on one encounter. No amount of praise should turn those dislikes into a moral failure. They are useful evidence about the game you should choose next.

Play the base campaign before using Overture as an explanation

Overture explores an earlier period in Krat, which makes the word prequel sound newcomer-friendly. Story chronology and play order are not always the same. The expansion was produced for people who can already read the base game combat, systems and references. Beginning with the main campaign gives mechanics and places their intended introduction before the expansion adds more context.

A complete edition buyer loses nothing by waiting. The expansion remains installed and available when its route opens. Avoid guides that spoil the base mystery merely to explain how Overture connects. A spoiler-free decision only needs to say that the added story has more meaning after the original game establishes its questions. Let the package unfold rather than treating chronology as homework.

Portable access is confirmed, but performance claims need named testing

Nintendo lists handheld, tabletop and television modes, HDR on a compatible display and a substantial download. Those are product facts. Statements about visual quality, frame rate stability, input delay or battery life require independent testing of the final retail build. A publisher phrase such as optimized for Switch 2 is not a measurement and should not be repeated as one.

If you mainly want portable boss attempts, wait for testing that separates handheld and docked modes and names the patch. If you value a single Nintendo version more than comparison shopping, the content package is already clear. The responsible purchase decision holds both ideas at once: Complete Edition includes the right material for a newcomer, while the best platform for that material depends on verified technical behaviour and your own routine.

Before you commit

  1. 01

    Start with the base story

    Let the original campaign introduce combat, progression and Krat before the expansion adds context.

  2. 02

    Choose learning room

    Use a difficulty where mistakes teach you without making one boss consume all motivation.

  3. 03

    Keep one weapon

    Learn the reach, speed and recovery of one reliable setup before chasing every combination.

  4. 04

    Check final performance

    Use retail Switch 2 testing that names handheld, docked and patch conditions.

Common questions

Is Lies of P Complete Edition easier than the original release?

The current package lists additional difficulty choices. The underlying combat still rewards enemy reading, timing and repeated attempts.

Does Complete Edition include Overture?

Yes. Nintendo and Neowiz present Overture as part of the complete package.

Should a new player start with Overture?

Start with the base campaign. It introduces the systems and world before the prequel expansion adds more demanding context.

Is Lies of P a good first Soulslike?

It can be when deliberate combat and learning through failure sound satisfying. The new settings improve approachability, but they do not replace the core loop.