Like other Soulslike games, Lies of P has an interesting but punishing leveling system in which you have to do the upgrades yourself. It gets pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it, but it might scare away some newcomers to the genre. Here’s everything you need to know about the game’s leveling system.
How Levels Work in Lies of P
You don’t automatically level up after beating enemies. You get Ergo instead, the blue life essence for Puppets. You can also find some Ergo crystals lying around the map, and you can consume them to get the corresponding amount of it.
If you die, you drop all of your Ergo at your death point and you have to retrieve it. Each time you get hit before retrieving it, your dropped Ergo diminishes. If you kill the enemy that hit you, that amount returns to the lost Ergo pool. Dying without retrieving your Ergo won’t make you lose it completely, but a big portion of it will be wasted.
Once you have enough of it, you can level up in the Stargazers, where you can select which stats you want to increase. We have:
- Vitality: Increases maximum health, Guard Regain and general resistances.
- Vigor: Increases maximum Stamina and general resistances.
- Capacity: Increases maximum Legion and Weight.
- Motivity: Increases heavy Physical Attacks and general resistances.
- Technique: Increases light Physical Attacks and general resistances
- Advance: Increases maximum Legion and status resistances.
You can only level up in Stargazers at the beginning of the game, but once you beat the Parade Master, this function is allocated to Sophia in the Hotal Krat. You’ll have to visit the hotel anytime you want to increase your status. Some story occasions will not allow you to do that, and Stargazers will resume this initial function.
Which Status Should You Level Up in Lies of P?
It all comes down to which build you would like to follow. Heavy weapons builds enjoy having Motivity, while lighter weapons will work better with Technique. These are your main status for damage and should be your focus if you’re feeling good defensively. Heavy builds also enjoy some extra Vitality since it help you recover health after guarding (not Perfectly Guarding) attacks.
Vigor and Capacity are also demanded from time to time. Having extra stamina is always a blessing, especially if you like parrying hits. Capacity is good if you wanna avoid getting heavy since it could disrupt your playstyle depending on your build.
Advance feels somewhat isolated since using the Legion Arm can be hard in some fights. But certain Arms are definitely worth the investment, and spamming them a little bit more wouldn’t hurt. Level it as you feel like it.
Should You Use Ergo Fragments To Level Up?
Yes. They serve no purpose other than helping you level up faster, so keep absorbing them. But avoid using a Boss’ Ergo. These are unique to your playthrough, and they can be used in a much better way once you’re done with Chapter V’s boss. I’ll avoid spoiling that much, but you should keep them. There are many other ways of getting extra Ergo, and simply beating the bosses already rewards you enough.
