Lies of P, the gorgeous soulslike that seems to evoke tinges of Bloodborne, is naturally raising a lot of questions regarding what might lie at its core. Lies of P works as a loose adaptation of the classic Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Let’s talk about what’s similar and what’s different from the original work.
Warning: this post contains spoilers for the [multiple endings] of Lies of P
What’s old
Much like in the original story, the protagonist is Pinocchio, a humanoid doll created by a man named Geppetto. Pinocchio goes on a dangerous quest while accompanied by a cricket named Gemini, and this quest might culminate with Pinnochio becoming a real person. As the name suggests, this Pinocchio can also tell lies. Pinocchio can use his lies as gameplay mechanics that will dictate the game’s outcome, Mass Effect style. And that’s about where the similarities end.
What’s new
Lies Of P changes much of the classic tale. In this game, Geppetto is a genius inventor responsible for the creation of many puppets, not just Pinocchio. He created them to perform menial tasks for the inhabitants of the city of Krat. These automatons have since revolted and killed a great number of humans, and that event serves as the game’s central conflict.
These dolls don’t run on the magic of love, but rather on Ergo, a mysterious kind of energy that derives from humans. The city of Krat also deals with other severe problems, such as an incurable disease that turns some people into stone, and some others into monsters. Pinocchio isn’t a kid, but rather a young adult — or at least looks like one. On his quest, he meets Sophia, who serves as a sort of love interest. Instead of getting himself into trouble because of his innocent ways, Pinocchio ends up having to rescue Geppetto.
And Geppetto is where Lies Of P strays from the original the most. He’s not the loving father to Pinocchio that we see in the original story. Geppetto is a loving father, yes, but of a boy named Carlo. He doesn’t want to turn Pinocchio into a real boy. He wants to use Pinocchio’s heart and Ergo to bring Carlo, his deceased son, back to life. The Geppetto we see in Lies Of P, despite not being a mustache-twirling villain, is a far cry from the kind man that we know from the book and its more well-known Disney adaptation. Also, lying doesn’t cause Pinnochio’s nose to grow.
The story can culminate in one of three ways. The bad ending shows Pinnochio sacrificing himself to fulfill Geppeto’s wish. We then see Geppeto with another child that he’s used to kill dozens of humans. The other ending shows Geppetto sacrificing himself to save Pinocchio, but not out of love. He does it because he sees Pinocchio’s heart as his son’s.
The good ending, the one you get by lying every time you can, has Geppetto sacrificing himself to save Pinocchio, and then apologizing for all the harm that he’s caused to him. Pinocchio then sacrifices himself to save Sophia.
What’s next for Lies of P? The ending revealed
The game ends with a mysterious character talking about Dorothy, whom we learn is Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. We learn that Lies of P takes place in a grimdark Kingdom Heart’s-esque multiverse and that the thematic sequel will tentatively star Dorothy.
You can now play Lies of P on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, MacOS, and PC.
