Lies of P, the new Soulslike from South Korean developers Neowiz Games and Round8 Studios, is quietly harbouring my favourite video game easter egg of the year. The dramatic retelling of the story of Pinnochio sees players fight tooth and nail through a harsh, fantastical world of violent puppets, eventually finding refuge in the grand Hotel Krat, the game’s hub area. Once here, players can use a small record player in the hotel lobby to play a variety of music records found in the overworld, each track a hauntingly beautiful window into the game’s tone, most of which are absolute bangers too.
Turns out that’s because these melancholic but catchy tunes are actually remixes from 2008’s DJMax Trilogy, a rhythm action title from the same publisher as Lies of P, Neowiz Games. This bonkers bit of Neowiz lore came to me by way of a silly little Tweet I made a few days ago declaring the track Feel, one of the first records you find in the game, the song of the summer. Twitter user AsagiKurosagi replied to let me know of the strange origins of the music, pointing out that all of the records found in Lies of P are remixes from DJMax Trilogy. Below I’ve linked to the Lies of P rendition of Feel and then to the Tweet which features the original version.
its cause its a remix of the rhythm games from the same publisher, all the records are https://t.co/VDCR2LKgqi
— Wasa (@AsagiKurosagi) October 11, 2023
I’m quietly obsessed with this now that’s been pointed out to me. In my review of Lies of P, I made note of how oppressive and all-encompassing the game’s vibe and atmosphere is, one of its many odes to FromSoftware’s iconic franchises. When I first uncovered the record system I was blown away by how much music had been seemingly created for this game, these tracks are gorgeously rendered and written, each time I came back to Hotel Krat I would toss one on and just enjoy being there.
To think the whole time these were reverse remixes of dance tracks is both hilarious and genuinely lovely. This kind of cross-game, publisher-driven art is fascinating and makes me want to dive even deeper into Neowiz Game’s works to find more connective tissue.
Are you digging these tunes? Still playing Lies of P? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and on social media.
One part pretentious academic and one part goofy dickhead, James is often found defending strange games and frowning at the popular ones, but he's happy to play just about everything in between. An unbridled love for FromSoftware's pantheon, a keen eye for vibes first experiences, and an insistence on the Oxford comma have marked his time in the industry.
