Lies of P: Complete Edition is mostly solid on Switch 2 docked so far, but handheld needs more work
Ahead of its launch on August 6, I've had a chance to play Lies of P: Complete Edition on Nintendo Switch 2. Lies of P from Round8 Studio and Neowiz is by far one of my favorite soulslike RPGs ever. It also happens to be the only one that delivered on a technical level on its target platforms. Not only did it deliver a solid experience on both consoles I played it on, but it also was superb on Steam Deck. When the Switch 2 port was announced, I was very curious to see how it would scale given that context.
There are two things to keep in mind though. I've had the current build for just under a day now and I've managed playing it both docked and handheld for a few hours. The second thing is the developers will be launching a day one patch on August 6 that adds a new performance mode for handheld play with a 60fps target. Since I don't have that right now and with this not being the patched game everyone will experience at launch, I've opted to not do my full comparison and only focus on the Switch 2 version with how it looks and feels. I will of course provide context for other platforms, but I'll save the detailed comparisons for closer to launch after I am able to test the day one patch.
In its current state, Lies of P features a quality and performance mode handheld in addition to quality, performance, and balanced modes for docked play. I assume the current performance mode will be renamed to balanced for handheld play following the patch. Lies of P on Switch 2 also lets you set the mode for docked and handheld play separately. This is a great way to implement the graphics modes because even now. I've been opting for different modes when playing docked and handheld. It also has HDR support, but I didn't try that out for this preview.
After playing the opening hours both docked and handheld, Lies of P: Complete Edition is a lot better docked right now. I say this because balanced mode docked feels like a good compromise between quality and the performance mode. When playing docked, performance mode is a bit too blurry for my liking. The quality mode or 30fps cap still appears to have the same issues as on other platforms. It still has frame pacing issues to this day on PS5 and Xbox. When playing docked, Lies of P on Switch 2 didn't engage 120hz on my display in any of the modes like it does on PS5 and Xbox.
When playing handheld, the quality mode feels awful right now and I've opted to play with the performance mode which appears to just run with a variable frame rate. I assume VRR is helping here because it feels quite good so far. I assume the modes will change with the day one patch, but right now performance mode is the only way I'm enjoying Lies of P handheld on Switch 2. Given how good it looks and how well it runs on PC handhelds, I hope to see more optimization on Switch 2 even beyond just adding a new mode.
I also hope a future update or even said day one patch brings in the option to disable motion blur like on other consoles. It is a bit too strong right now and I found no way to disable it when the PS4 and PS5 versions have this option. I'm saving my handheld comparison for when the day one patch is live, but those who skipped Lies of P on other platforms or were hoping for a solid handheld experience on Switch 2 will get that with caveats based on my time with the opening hours.
One more thing to note is the use of HD rumble. It is better than basic vibration right now and I'm glad to see the developers use it quite well. I can see myself replaying the entirety of Lies of P on Switch 2 if the day one patch or potential future updates can address some of the performance and visual issues. Right now, Lies of P on Switch 2 is solid in parts, but also a bit lacking in others. I look forward to seeing how it feels after the day one patch.
Lies of P: Complete Edition launches on August 6 for Nintendo Switch 2. Lies of P and Lies of P: Overture are available on PS5, PS4, Xbox, and PC platforms.