"The Switch 2 offers impressive performance for a handheld system" - Lies of P Game Director Jiwon Choi on the porting process, the potential of cross save, the physical cartridge release, and more
Lies of P recently launched on Nintendo Switch 2 as Lies of P: Complete Edition. It remains one of my favorite soulslikes and one that I've enjoyed playing on multiple platforms with how good the optimization is. Following the Switch 2 launch, I had a chance to catch up with Lies of P game director Jiwon Choi of NOUGH Studio. We discussed Lies of P: Complete Edition for Switch 2, planning on doing a full cartridge physical release, working with Nintendo, optimization, the possibility of cross save, porting challenges, coffee, and more.
RPG Site: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
Jiwon Choi: I’m Jiwon Choi, game director of Lies of P and the next project. Alongside my role as game director, I’m also the head of NOUGH Studio and oversee its operations.
Jiwon Choi: I’m Jiwon Choi, game director of Lies of P and the next project. Alongside my role as game director, I’m also the head of NOUGH Studio and oversee its operations.
RPG Site: Can you go into detail about when NOUGH Studio was formed to handle Lies of P in general?
Jiwon Choi: It was February 2020, so it’s been six years since I joined NEOWIZ with the goal of creating a great console game. At the time, we began developing Lies of P at ROUND8 Studio with a small team. There were fewer than five of us when we first started. As the game started coming together, the team grew, and we came up with “NOUGH” as our team name. Now, after launching Lies of P and its DLC and shifting our focus to our next project, we’ve grown from a team into a full-fledged studio.
Jiwon Choi: It was February 2020, so it’s been six years since I joined NEOWIZ with the goal of creating a great console game. At the time, we began developing Lies of P at ROUND8 Studio with a small team. There were fewer than five of us when we first started. As the game started coming together, the team grew, and we came up with “NOUGH” as our team name. Now, after launching Lies of P and its DLC and shifting our focus to our next project, we’ve grown from a team into a full-fledged studio.
RPG Site: When did work begin on Lies of P for Switch 2? Did the team consider porting it to Switch 1?
Jiwon Choi: When we were developing Lies of P, our goal was to make the game for home consoles rather than hybrid or handheld systems, so we didn't consider releasing it on the original Nintendo Switch console back then. By the time the Switch 2 was announced, Lies of P had already been released. With all the experience we had gained while developing the game, we felt we could deliver a good gameplay experience on the new system. We decided pretty soon after the announcement that we wanted to bring the game to the Switch 2.
Jiwon Choi: When we were developing Lies of P, our goal was to make the game for home consoles rather than hybrid or handheld systems, so we didn't consider releasing it on the original Nintendo Switch console back then. By the time the Switch 2 was announced, Lies of P had already been released. With all the experience we had gained while developing the game, we felt we could deliver a good gameplay experience on the new system. We decided pretty soon after the announcement that we wanted to bring the game to the Switch 2.
RPG Site: What challenges did you initially run into, and did optimizing it for Steam Deck or Series S help?
Jiwon Choi: No matter what platform you’re working with, bringing a game to a new system requires a lot of research and a very solid understanding of the hardware. The Switch 2 had only recently launched when we were working on the port, so there wasn’t much information available about the hardware yet. Because of that, we did face a number of challenges.
One area we spent a lot of time experimenting with was the snow in Lies of P: Overture. We wanted to make sure we could fully capture its look and feel on the Switch 2. That said, the Switch 2 offers impressive performance for a handheld system, and the Unreal Engine development environment was set up very well. Nintendo’s platform documentation and guidelines were also very well organized, so we were able to move forward without too much trial and error.
Jiwon Choi: No matter what platform you’re working with, bringing a game to a new system requires a lot of research and a very solid understanding of the hardware. The Switch 2 had only recently launched when we were working on the port, so there wasn’t much information available about the hardware yet. Because of that, we did face a number of challenges.
One area we spent a lot of time experimenting with was the snow in Lies of P: Overture. We wanted to make sure we could fully capture its look and feel on the Switch 2. That said, the Switch 2 offers impressive performance for a handheld system, and the Unreal Engine development environment was set up very well. Nintendo’s platform documentation and guidelines were also very well organized, so we were able to move forward without too much trial and error.
RPG Site: Did you always plan to do a full physical release with the game on cart for Lies of P: Complete Edition?
Jiwon Choi: We actually decided on a standard physical release with the full game on the cart at the same time we decided to port the game to the Switch 2.
Everyone at NOUGH Studio is a proud gamer, which is why our studio slogan is “Games by Gamers.” For us, preparing a physical edition of Lies of P that includes both the base game and Overture on the cartridge was a natural choice. We really want it to feel like a gift to our fans, so we’re putting a lot of care into it.
Jiwon Choi: We actually decided on a standard physical release with the full game on the cart at the same time we decided to port the game to the Switch 2.
Everyone at NOUGH Studio is a proud gamer, which is why our studio slogan is “Games by Gamers.” For us, preparing a physical edition of Lies of P that includes both the base game and Overture on the cartridge was a natural choice. We really want it to feel like a gift to our fans, so we’re putting a lot of care into it.
RPG Site: I think Lies of P with the Overture DLC is the best traditional soulslike out there. When developing Overture, did you plan on making it a standalone expansion instead, or was it always planned to be this massive DLC for the base game?
Jiwon Choi: Initially, the story of Overture was planned as part of the base game rather than as an expansion. But we ran into a lot of challenges during the development of Lies of P, and our top priority was delivering the best possible experience to our fans. We ultimately had to adjust the scope of the game, which meant leaving that content out.
Once we wrapped up most of the development for the base game, we immediately started working on Overture so we could share the stories we weren’t able to include. In the end, this actually worked in our favor because the knowledge and experience we gained while developing the base game helped us make Overture even better.
Jiwon Choi: Initially, the story of Overture was planned as part of the base game rather than as an expansion. But we ran into a lot of challenges during the development of Lies of P, and our top priority was delivering the best possible experience to our fans. We ultimately had to adjust the scope of the game, which meant leaving that content out.
Once we wrapped up most of the development for the base game, we immediately started working on Overture so we could share the stories we weren’t able to include. In the end, this actually worked in our favor because the knowledge and experience we gained while developing the base game helped us make Overture even better.
RPG Site: Did you have any support from Nintendo when it comes to porting or other technical aspects?
Jiwon Choi: Nintendo has been very supportive throughout the process.
Jiwon Choi: Nintendo has been very supportive throughout the process.
RPG Site: Lies of P is a brilliantly optimized game on PS5, Xbox, and Steam Deck. I wish it had cross save. Are there any plans to bring in cross save for folks who played it before and want to bring their progress over to Switch 2? Even PC and Switch 2 save sync would be great to have.
Jiwon Choi: There are no plans to implement cross save.
Jiwon Choi: There are no plans to implement cross save.
RPG Site: Is the team still working on the Switch 2 port and optimizing leading into the physical release? Will the physical release include the day one patch? Are there any plans to improve the upscaling on Switch 2 with potentially DLSS?
Jiwon Choi: We've been paying close attention to the feedback we've received from players since the digital release, and we're committed to providing our fans with the best gameplay experience possible. At this time, we’re still discussing what needs to be improved and how best to approach those changes, so we can't confirm a patch schedule just yet. We hope you'll understand!
Jiwon Choi: We've been paying close attention to the feedback we've received from players since the digital release, and we're committed to providing our fans with the best gameplay experience possible. At this time, we’re still discussing what needs to be improved and how best to approach those changes, so we can't confirm a patch schedule just yet. We hope you'll understand!
RPG Site: Should we expect the next Lies of P game to arrive on Switch 2 day one?
Jiwon Choi: We can’t comment on it at this stage.
Jiwon Choi: We can’t comment on it at this stage.
RPG Site: What games have you played this year and last year that you enjoyed?
Jiwon Choi: This year, the game that comes to mind for me is Resident Evil: Requiem. It was great to see Leon again after so long. He may be much older now, but he’s still as cool and tough as ever.
Jiwon Choi: This year, the game that comes to mind for me is Resident Evil: Requiem. It was great to see Leon again after so long. He may be much older now, but he’s still as cool and tough as ever.
RPG Site: Final question. How do you like your coffee? Go into as much detail as possible. Ask as many folks from the development team as possible if you can.
Jiwon Choi: For me, the best cup of coffee is an iced Americano when I'm so parched that I feel like my entire body is burning up and drying out. That first sip, especially when I'm taking a break from traveling in the blazing summer heat, feels like a gift from the heavens.
Jiwon Choi: For me, the best cup of coffee is an iced Americano when I'm so parched that I feel like my entire body is burning up and drying out. That first sip, especially when I'm taking a break from traveling in the blazing summer heat, feels like a gift from the heavens.