Lies of P sets August release window and unveils new trailer

Lies of P, the upcoming Souls-like title based on Pinocchio, now has a release window. During IGN’s Fan Fest event, South Korean developer Round8 Studio confirmed that its Bloodborne-esque action-RPG will be released in August. A cinematic trailer for the same reveals a sinister new character – Simon Manus, who appears to be responsible for the gruesome puppet creations in the gothic town of Krat. There’s also a focus on a blue energy floating in the air, which may or may not be the Blue Fairy, who in the original story serves as Pinocchio’s guide. Lies of P is now available to wishlist on PC and modern consoles.

The new Lies of P trailer opens with a voiceover from Manus, who is engaged in his next creation – Ergo. “A fool longs to be accepted, and I’m not a fool,” he says, as we are treated to the abandoned streets of Krat, which now prowl with living dolls and puppets. “Let the masses gossip about their empty praise. They ignore the truth. Blind to my vision. As his monologue plays in the background, we see a slimy blob-like monstrosity waddle through Victorian-era locales and merge with a humanoid machine. Staying in touch with its Lovecraftian theme, the merging process involves a long network of tentacles that eventually take over the body – like a parasite – sending out an annoying screech as a warning sign. Throughout the trailer, we can see blue-colored energy accumulated by fallen soldiers. Is this the equivalent of souls in the game or a reference to the blue fairy? As to how these elements relate to the classic tale of Pinocchio, only time will tell.

There’s no combat in the new Lies of P trailer, but past viewings have shown hack-and-slash to be a key gameplay style. Taking control of our wooden protagonist, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Timothée Chalamet, we venture into the Bloodstained City to find our creator/father Master Geppetto and reverse the calamity in Krat. A tagline for the game reads, “You must always lie to others if you hope to become human.” This, of course, goes along with the legend of Pinocchio, who wishes to become a real boy and son of Gepetto. Humanity was also a key theme in FromSoftware’s Dark Souls games, where if you became Hollow you would be locked out of NPC summons and online PvP. However, the Lies of P Steam page does not mention any online features. Still, it will be interesting to see how being honest affects questing.

In addition to standard parries and strikes, Lies of P lets you swap out Pinocchio’s body parts to gain leverage in combat – for example, a grappling hook for better evasion and exploration. Similarly, spells can be granted to inflict fire damage or grant immunity to specific attacks. The world will be filled with extremely difficult enemies and boss fights, which adhere to a steampunk aesthetic, challenging you to switch between weapon types on the fly.

Lies of P releases in August on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. It will also be available for free to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.