How Lies of P retells the story of Pinocchio

❘ Published: 2023-09-20T16:03:55

Neowiz Games / Round 8 Studio

Lies of P is a dark retelling of Pinocchio, this time involving a robot uprising, monstrous mutations, and epic boss fights. Yet many of the story’s original themes are included in some form.

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi was originally a children’s story involving a puppet on a quest to become a real boy. Like Disney’s cartoon version of the tale, the original book was rather dark in parts, as Pinocchio and other characters learned some life lessons the hard way. However, the source material was often even darker than the animated film, something the game Lies of P leans into.

Like the original story, Lies of P sees Pinocchio go on a quest to become a real boy, save his father Geppetto, and help those around him. Unlike the original novel though, this adaptation sees the fictional city of Krat, where Pinocchio lives, face an uprising by the puppets Geppetto built. So, Pinocchio takes up arms against his own kind to save the day. As if a robot uprising wasn’t enough, there’s also a Dishonored-style plague sweeping through the city.

pinocchio fighting sub-boss in lies of p

Lies of P is a dark Soulslike based on the story of Pinocchio.

Pinocchio’s characters in Lies of P

The uprising and plague weren’t included in the original story of Pinocchio, being new additions to give the titular puppet something to fight in video game form. But Pinocchio did have enemies in the book, most notably the Fox and the Cat who menace him throughout his journey, as well as a terrifying Puppet Master. Each of these enemies is repurposed in Lies of P, and some fill a very different and surprising role. A gang of rabbits also appears in both the book and the game, but in Lies of P, these are a gang of human enemies wearing rabbit masks that battle both P and the Fox and Cat duo.

In the original story and animated film, Pinocchio has a troublesome friend called Candlewick/Limpwick whose real name is Carlo. Both Pinocchio and Carlo are turned into donkeys in the book, while Pinocchio narrowly avoids this fate in the Disney adaptation. Lies of P features a different version of Carlo, but the donkey theme also returns, just very differently.

Pinocchio certainly looks like a real boy.

Let your conscience be your guide

Both the novel and cartoon versions of Pinocchio, see the character guided and helped on his quest by a Blue Fairy and a talking cricket called Jiminy, who acts as the puppet’s conscience. Both characters are adapted in Lies of P, with the Blue Fairy being turned into Sofia, a mysterious blue-haired woman who is able to level P up in the game’s hub area – a lot like the Fire Keepers in the Souls series. Jiminy is instead Gemini, who’s implied to be an AI cricket that lives in P’s lamp and offers him advice throughout the game.

Finally, honesty plays a role in all versions of the story of Pinocchio with the puppet often facing consequences for the lies he tells. In the source material, Pinocchio’s nose grows when he lies. This doesn’t happen in Lies of P, instead, lying is a superpower and P is the only puppet to have developed it. Choosing to be dishonest in Lies of P also has unexpected implications for the ending you receive at the conclusion of the game – you can learn more about the various Lies of P endings here.

So that’s how Lies of P retells the events of Pinocchio, it’s own unique way. For more Lies of P content, check out some of our below guides: