The nights are drawing in, and creepy season is almost upon us. With Halloween right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to pick up a darker game to while away the hours. Lies of P, developed by Newoiz Games and Round8 Studios, is an excellent choice.
A Fairytale Reimagined
Many of us remember watching the classic Disney version of Pinocchio as a kid. (I, for one, wondered more than once if my nose had actually grown slightly after telling a whopping lie.) Lies of P, however, have much more in common with Pinocchio’s origin story, Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio.
The original story is, as is often the case with original fairy tales, quite dark. Newly-formed Pinocchio flees from his creator, Geppetto, and then all sorts of terrible things happen: fire-related incidents, encounters with snakes, and the accidental killing of a wise cricket. It’s a dark, strange sort of tale, and Lies of P imagines this dark and strange world quite nicely.
The story goes like this: Pinocchio, a puppet created and seemingly abandoned, awakens in an old train after the whispering of a mysterious voice, and stumbles upon untold horrors. A legion of puppets have rebelled against humanity, slaughtering masses of them. It’s up to Pinocchio to find his creator, Geppetto, to stop the puppet rebellion and bring peace back to the city of Krat.
Hard as Nails
Lies of P is a soulslike, and as such, you can expect it to present some serious gameplay challenges. It’s not just the puppet frenzy that Pinocchio has to worry about, either. He’ll have to put up with the Stalkers, a group of masked humans hellbent on destroying any puppet they come across.
Trapped between two warring factions, Pinocchio has to deal with tough enemies, and every big battle involves some trial and error. Pinocchio’s mechanical arm, or Legion Arm, is a blessing: it an be equipped with tools like a flamethrower, and can be swapped out for different types of arms, opening up a huge range of options when it comes to attacks and Fable Arts, abilities that are tied to specific weapons. (It works very similarly to the Prosthetic Arm in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice). Mastering the art of switching between Legion Arms will work wonders here to combat the madness.
As the game develops and events take on a darker, more twisted turn, Pinocchio’s (and, therefore, Krat’s) success will hinge on whether he can successfully wield weapons and battle his way through unimaginable monsters to find Geppetto.
Lies, Lies, and More Lies
Finding Geppetto is only part of the solution, however. Lies of P uses a dialogue system heavily entrenched in the art of lying (which, given the source material, is not a huge surprise). At various points, players will be given the opportunity to lie or tell the truth: these start as very simple, straightforward dilemmas with obvious consequences but move on to something more complicated as the story unfolds. This is one of the more unique game features, and Dark Souls fans will enjoy the twisting and turning of the story, depending on your choices.
This forces the player to confront predicaments with far-reaching implications, especially as a web of lies begins to build. NPCs will respond to you differently on your journey, and the ending is drastically altered by your choices throughout the game. The path you take will correspond to the ending you get, but with so many untrustworthy figures hanging around, it’s hard to know when to tell the truth.
The Secrets of Krat – A Once Lively Place
Krat is very much a plagued city: a once bustling place, it’s now a tense place to explore with untrustworthy figures standing around every corner. But Krat is beautiful. With the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era, the city of Krat has stunning features, including the base area Hotel Krat, with gorgeous details that make every inch worth exploring.
While Krat is packed with unfathomable secrets, it’s absolutely beautiful. The gorgeous backdrop adds a jarring note to the madness that unfolds, and exploring some of the more ruined areas feels haunting as Pinocchio has to face untold horrors ahead of him.
Lies of P Game Release Date
If you’re itching to help Pinocchio overcome his incredible journey, you can do so now: Lies of P launched on the 19th of September, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the perfect time.
You can battle monsters, meet the city’s elites, and tell lies (or the truth) right now. Buy Lies of P on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. It’s an excellent choice if you’re on Game Pass, too. I’d highly recommend checking it out in time for spooky season!
Megan is a freelance writer based in Somerset, England. She writes about videogames, books, and pop culture.
