Lies of P, the Bloodborne-inspired souls-like reinterpretation of The Tales of Pinocchio being developed by Round8, has a new trailer and an August 2023 release date during IGN Fan Fest.
Lies of P will now compete against two RPGs. The Messenger prequel Sea of Stars is slated in August, and Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios is planned to exit early access in the same month.
The most recent clip depicts the plague-ravaged, abandoned city of Krat, where ropy monsters prowl past crumpled automata and puppets. A scarred guy, whose name is Simon Manus according to the Lies of P account on Twitter, siphons blue energy into an occult gadget as one of the slimy monsters joins itself with a mechanical figure and reassembles to form something that will likely be a boss we have to face.
It’s not completely clear how any of this relates to a tale about a wooden puppet who aspires to be a real boy. The fairy with turquoise hair, who grants Pinnochio’s wish in the end, could be the source of the blue energy, while Simon Manus could be Mangiafuoco, the theater director (renamed Stromboli in the Disney version). Or not. Lies of P might only share a few names with the original story as its main influence.
One thing is certain: speaking lies will be crucial. The tagline for Lies of P reverses the moral of the original tale and says, “You must always lie to people if you desire to become human.” The type of lie you tell may vary, according on “interconnected procedural tasks that play out depending on the type of lie you tell.” The fibs you choose to tell will influence which ending you receive, following the traditional choice-and-consequence format of video games.
P may vary his skill set by swapping different body parts in and out because he is a living doll. Research is necessary to identify the most effective combinations when combining weapons to create new ones.
Last year, we got to see some extensive Lies of P gameplay, which demonstrated just how similar to Bloodborne this particular soulslike is—even down to its animations and user interface. Not to add the NPCs who love to end their dialogue with a chuckle and the questgivers who speak through windows.