Lies Of P’s Legion Arm Is What I Wanted Sekiro’s Prosthetics To Have

Sekiro and Bloodborne are arguably two of my favorite titles by FromSoftware because they prioritize two core elements — atmosphere and combat. Sekiro, specifically, has a soft spot in my heart because it nails its rhythmic melee duels with finesse, along with amazing fights to test it out. So, when I heard that Lies of P’s combat was a mix of these masterpieces, I was ecstatic to try it out.

Now, as I saw the credits roll, I realized that Lies of P, despite my best efforts, gave me a reason to somewhat doubt my 10/10 score of Sekiro’s combat that I’d given and stuck by for so long. No, it wasn’t the Fable Art system or even the weapon combinations that are probably Lies of P’s strongest selling point. It was, in fact, the game’s Legion Arm, which usually always had a purpose and made Sekiro’s Prosthetic Arm feel underdeveloped.

Lies Of P’s Legion Arm Had Much More Impact Than Sekiro’s Prosthetic Arm

The Legion Arm in Lies of P has several similarities compared to its FromSoft counterpart; it has limited uses and several variants, and each variant can be upgraded to unlock new abilities. However, Lies of P’s grounded yet gank-focused fights force you to be tricky and employ the tools given to you, which is where and why the Legion Arm begins to shine.

For starters, each Legion Arm variation packs a humungous punch when you fully upgrade it, rewarding your commitment to mastering its mechanics and investing your resources into it. One such example is the Falcon Eyes, which becomes a devastating maneuverable missile launcher at its peak form.

Yet, their strongest highlight is their uniqueness and the ability to make a noticeable impact in critical situations. While FromSoftware continuously tries to perfect its fundamentals, Lies of P made it clear that practicing your prosthetic arm will be rewarded. As such, I often saw how actively using the Aegis or The Puppet String made the life-or-death difference in boss fights.

The Gap between Legion Arms
byu/Solrac501 inLiesOfP

Sekiro and Lies of P have extremely tight combat, yet the Legion Arm offered so much variety that it accommodated tons of different playstyles. It made the game seem much more open-ended because you had an incentive to switch up your routine since it could’ve potentially led to a stronger synergy between you and your gear.

In my experience, all these factors contributed to the fact that I relied on my Legion Arm much more than any other weapon in my arsenal toward Lies of P’s late-game phase. Comparatively, if I fought any major boss in Sekiro and thought, “I’m gonna only use my Prosthetic Tools on this guy,” a big red “Death” sign would appear on-screen within the first two minutes.

Sekiro’s Prosthetics Was Advertised As A Backup, Yet It Felt Like A Gimmick

Part of the reason I believe Sekiro is so monumentally more challenging than the other Soulsborne titles is that the combat system doesn’t offer any alternatives during engagements. Although attached to Wolf 24/7, you barely use the Prosthetic Arm for anything outside of grappling. 

Sure, you might encounter a specific boss that’s vulnerable to a specific prosthetic tool, but you can say the same thing about Elden Ring’s tools and consumables, another thing only a few people actively use. Instead of being a trustee backup to spice up your combat experience, the Prosthetic Arm’s been diluted into a fancy gimmick piece that YouTubers and veteran Sekiro players use to showcase some extravagant combos.

Same for PC games. Played Sekiro to death on PC yet never even bothered to upgrade my prosthetic tools or skills. Currently replaying it on PS5, I have to do pointless grinding for 6 hours to upgrade both of them. But nothing beats the feeling of getting that shiny Platinum https://t.co/L7ASBQ8NEn

— Bandicoot (@crack_bandicoot) July 4, 2021

If you want to witness the biggest culprits of this crime, look no further than the Sabimaru and the Divine Abduction. These Prosthetic Tools are clunkier than Dark Souls 2’s hitboxes, and their effects are so meager that you’d be better off throwing ceramic shards at your opponents. 

Back in the trailers, we saw how Wolf consistently used his Prosthetic Tools, like the Loaded Umbrella and Flame Vent, against enemies. In the game, though, these are extremely underpowered and barely make a difference. As someone who’s gone through boss-rush modes in Sekiro without resting, I usually forgot I had that arm and used it just to burn off some Spirit Emblems because they kept piling up.

That’s not to say that the Prosthetic Arm is completely useless. As I said, players mainly use the arm for grappling, and grappling is a huge and fun part of Sekiro. However, that mechanic itself is crucial, without which you can’t beat the game, and I would’ve much preferred if I was fostered to use the arm’s non-crucial elements. 

I don’t use Shinobi Prosthetic. Is this making the game harder for me?
byu/United-Proposal709 inSekiro

Takeaway

I do understand that both Lies of P and Sekiro use their prosthetic arms to encourage combative freedom and creativity, but the former does it so beautifully that the latter feels… half-baked. Attaching a must-have mechanic like the grappling hook doesn’t justify the Prosthetic Arm’s purpose alone, and if it does, then I don’t think it should be advertised as a viable combat piece, because it isn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, Sekiro’s Prosthetic Tools aren’t completely useless. They become valuable assets in some fights, and honestly, their spectacle nature is undeniable. However, when your game’s theme is centered around pure battles, seeing such a mechanic getting malnourished treatment is a crying shame.

What’s worse is that I still think that Sekiro is fundamentally better. The sound of clashing swords, stance movement, parrying, bosses, and the turn-taking dances are incredible. And if FromSoftware gave the Prosthetic Tools the same love Neowiz gave to the Legion Arm, you and I could’ve had the perfect and undisputed king of combat in video games.