Usually, I provide my own images from my playthrough within an article to give readers a personal taste of my own experience with a title. Unfortunately, issues with the recording mean I have to use the press images but believe me when I say that the screenshots do not do Lies of P justice. This may be potentially one of the most unique premises in a game I've played in a long time.
Animated Walt Disney films are some of the most exciting trinkets of mediums to talk about as their legacies span almost a century across countless generations. Nearly all of the most well-known stories are based on children's books, including Cinderella and Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. This would be a tradition that would continue well into Disney's most recent films and Pinocchio would be no different.
Based on Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, the titular character was a puppet crafted by Geppetto and brought to life by a blue fairy. The fairy says that Pinocchio can become a boy if he adheres to certain good-natured values. I'll get back to this later because Lies Of P is forcing me to think two different ways. One, this may be the first "true" Bloodborne-style "Souls" game on the PC. Second, it had to be based on, well, Pinocchio!
Turning a children's story into a gothic horror is something that has been done with video games numerous times. including American McGee's Alice and its sequel Alice Madness Returns. It made sense, as Adventures In Wonderland is based on the supernatural, weird, and strange world of Wonderland. As Pinocchio is more bound in realism to an extent, the locales represent this as well, giving the player an urban environment not unlike Bloodborne. It was pure coincidence that the small world of Lies of P I was able to explore bore similar uneasiness to the gothic horrors of the classic From Software Souls game.
The Bioshock games are another example due to how ethereal everything felt. It felt like the player was a stranger in a world separate from theirs. Puppet animatronics advance towards Pinocchio in a mechanical muted fashion yet their attack patterns are an exact replica of a zombie from a Souls game. Some of the animations felt exactly the same including some attacks, misusing an item on the wrong slot, and others. Lies of P's original animations are where this game shines, as fighting larger and stronger monsters is like a dance.
Weapon durability makes a return, but because Pinocchio is an animatronic, he has a detachable arm that works as a portable whetstone. If his weapon breaks, he must go to a bonfire in order to restore it again, meaning that weapon management is important in the midst of several battles. There are special attacks that Pinocchio can spend meter on, which deals considerable damage and is valuable for defeating bosses. Restorative items and this meter gauge can be filled by attacking enemies, encouraging an offensive playstyle for the best defense.
There were three weapon types to choose from including a balanced sword, a speedy rapier, and a powerful broadsword. I settled for the rapier and some of the attacks were thoughtful, like a heavy attack that was followed by a backstep on a successful hit. Dodging in the game felt lenient but I was still punished making mistakes like "rolling in the direction of the attack" or "mistiming a perfect guard." In Lies of P, there are certain attacks that must be "perfect guarded," similar to the parry function in Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. Enemies can also be staggered with enough heavy attacks and "perfect guards," leading to a critical blow-like attack while staggered.
Rather than talk about the things that Lies of P does that are similar to other Soulslikes, one of its most unique mechanics is Pinocchio's signature trait; His lies. At certain points in the game, Pinocchio will have the chance to tell a lie or tell the truth. In the example presented in the demo, shortly after the first boss, this grants him permission to enter a hotel that acts similarly to Elden Ring's Roundtable Hold. While I wasn't able to see what happens if I told the truth, it appeared that lying was the right thing to do. Even the "blue fairy" in Lies of P, named Sophia in this game, encourages Pinocchio to "do whatever it takes to survive."
What I enjoyed the most about the demo, aside from its smooth gameplay and forgiving nature, was the inversion of many themes presented in Pinocchio. The cricket makes a return with a name alteration definitely meant to avoid legal trouble, serving as a torch for Pinocchio. What was once a bustling town as pictured in the original stories is now a desolate wasteland of corpses and darkened skies. It's a unique way to retell a classic story while taking creative liberties to give a player a sense of familiarity and discomfort. It almost reminded me of how I felt playing Silent Hill for the first time.
The Lies of P demo is currently available on all major platforms and players will get their time invested as it took me almost two hours to finish the demo. There's a sizable portion of content that goes over a good chunk of the game's opening. While things are subject to change, players should try Lies of P as it may just be the most unique experience based on a familiar tale.