Lies of P Looks Ahead by Delving into the Past

I recently watched the Overture trailer, and like any curious gamer, I dove into some intricate fan-made videos dissecting every frame. What do you hope viewers take from the trailer? Is there anything in particular they should focus on?

Ji-won Choi: I’ve seen those detailed fan analyses as well, and honestly, it’s heartwarming. The level of devotion from our global fan base is truly touching. Through the trailer, we aimed to communicate something straightforward: we’ve been listening. Over the years, we’ve received all sorts of valuable feedback, and we wanted to express clearly that we’re tuned in. We hope fans see this in our trailer.

When Lies of P first released, expectations were probably all over the place—it looked promising but people weren’t sure what to anticipate. Now, with Overture, there’s built-up excitement and expectations have shifted. So, when you’re hearing fan input, what are you considering, and how do you handle feedback that might conflict with your vision?

Ji-won Choi: That’s a great point. We see this as a partnership between the developers and the audience. Analyzing the feedback is a crucial part of our process. We aim to pinpoint what’s working well and where improvements can be made. When feedback comes in, some of it is easily actionable, while other suggestions spark debate. But we don’t dismiss the latter. Instead, we bring these discussions to our team, note them down, and test them rapidly. Through this process, we’re able to ascertain which suggestions are beneficial and which aren’t. We take testing and validation very seriously.

Reflecting on the trailer, my impression is that the original game felt quite isolating. Sure, you had brief interactions at the Hotel Krat, but outside of that, it’s a solitary journey. In the new trailer, though, P doesn’t seem so alone—there’s that exciting moment with Aladoro and a masked ally. Does Overture aim to be a less solitary experience?

Ji-won Choi: Predicting the emotional journey players will have is always challenging. Our primary focus was on expanding the interesting characters we began developing. In the original game, you encounter or hear hints of numerous characters, but the expansion lets you dive deeper. You’ll gain a much richer understanding of these intriguing characters we’ve subtly introduced before. We want players to have a fuller, more immersive experience with these personalities in the upcoming expansion.