This summer, critically acclaimed Pinocchio-themed Soulslike Lies of P is receiving its first major DLC: Lies of P: Overture. This DLC will include 25–30 hours of new story content, new bosses, a new region, a boss rush mode, and, controversially, difficulty settings.
Game-sized DLC, like Overture and Shadow of the Erdtree, are taking the place of sequels.
The inclusion of easier difficulty options directly contradicts what the game's director told me back in 2023, when he said, without hesitation, "We believe Soulslike games shouldn’t have difficulty options." This U-turn, coupled with Souls fans' masochistic nature, has meant that this new inclusion hasn't gone down too well.
Historically, hardcore Souls players have been against anything that makes the genre easier. This stems back all the way to the inception of the genre, right through to Elden Ring, where a portion of players are vehemently against the use of summons. Naturally, now that Lies of P is confirmed to be receiving new difficulty options, the Souls-purists are out in force, unhappy with the decision.
I love Souls games because they are balanced right out of the box. You don’t have to worry about which difficulty is right for...
