The developers of Lies of P will adjust the difficulty settings of the Overture DLC expansion that has just dropped, owing to the complains from the community around the difficulty level.
Summer Game Fest Brings New Content and Controversy
At the Summer Game Fest, Neowiz showed off the Overture expansion for their Soulslike adventure. It will bring new locations, enemies, boss fights, characters, and weapons to the dark fantasy world. But, perhaps the most controversial addition was two new easier difficulty modes, which broke from the original design philosophy of the game.
The development team has experienced a significant change due to the decision of including accessibility options. Director Jiwon Choi had hitherto argued that Soulslike experiences should not offer difficulty selections, yet the studio changed course. Choi explained that the decision reflects the team’s approach to wanting as many players as possible to experience the game’s charming story and world.
Community Response Sparks Discussion
The gaming community is heatedly debating the Legendary Stalker difficulty setting, which is what the devs made for veterans. Player reactions have been so numerous and passionate that moderators of the Lies of P subreddit gathered all discussions related to the game’s difficulty into a single megathread so that the community doesn’t get overwhelmed.
Steam user reviews share similar sentiments as veterans vent their frustrations about the balance. A player said that their level 300 character got hit twice by the ordinary enemies. And the said enemy was not one but in multiple. Combining great damage output with group enemy encounters means a single enemy attack can drop half a player’s health bar.
Developer Acknowledges Balance Issues
Through an official letter developed by the director, choi has addressed the issue of the community. The dev team is reviewing all player feedback, and they’ve started looking into possible fixes. Enhancements have become largely focused on combat experience.
Choi noted that there was a part of the DLC whose design did not turn out how the team wanted. The team is assessing a range of adjustment options, particularly focusing on reducing difficulty. But, he insisted that combat is central to the Lies of P experience so any changes will require a big development legwork as well as testing.
Technical Challenges Delay Timeline
Since the game is built on the combat mechanics, changing this requires far more technical considerations than any other feature. Neowiz has not confirmed the exact date by which players will see these balance changes made in the game.
Critical Reception Remains Positive
Though there were concerns about the difficulty, the base game and Overture have received good reviews. The base game of Lies of P is widely acclaimed for its riveting mechanics and atmospheric presentation, while the Overture DLC has been considered a hefty addition that makes an already fun game even more engaging.
The expansion successfully builds off the original game by creating real-world content that adds to its scope and possibilities. The Lies of P DLC is a major addition to the universe, despite ongoing debates about balancing.
Looking Forward
As Neowiz is examining player feedback and trying to find solutions, news about upcoming changes have been awaited by all. The developer is committed to listening to player concerns and intends to keep their vision while doing so. Future updates will likely be better balanced in terms of challenge and accessibility.
The developers of difficult games are faced with a persistent dilemma in this situation — how to create the experience that they are setting out to achieve while also making it accessible, in a way, to as many different kinds of player as possible.