What would a story about Pinocchio be without a moral lesson on the evils of lying? Lies of P is no different although it may take the concept of deceit and make it a little more obscure than the classic fairytale, which is par for the course when it comes to a Soulslike game. Throughout your playthrough, you’ll be presented with opportunities to be honest or lie through your teeth but the outcome of your decision is never made explicitly clear. So how does lying work in Lies of P? If you’re wondering how it’ll affect your experience, then read on. I won’t be spoiling anything, so don’t worry about that, but rather just making you aware of what to expect when you opt to tell the truth or a fib.
Should You Tell the Truth or Lie in Lies of P?
In terms of flavor, Lies of P makes a big deal out of Pinocchio’s ability to lie to humans. After starting up a playthrough, the game makes it expressly clear that the puppets of the city of Krat should abide by the Grand Covenant, an Asimovian set of rules that dictates how the automatons should function when they’re not driven mad by the Puppet Frenzy. Beyond the obvious ones of never harming people and always obeying instructions, the most unique is that puppets can’t lie. What’s odd is that Pinocchio, despite being all gears and springs, can bend the truth whenever he wants. It’s a mystery that slowly unravels over the course of the narrative, so if you’re wondering if it’s ever explained, just hang in there!
Related: How to Level Up in Lies of P
Throughout your time in the city of Krat, you’ll be presented with various opportunities to lie. The first of which comes immediately after discovering Hotel Krat, wherein the guard at the door asks if P is a puppet or a human. If you lie, the game will tell you that something has changed in Pinocchio but never really clarifies if that’s a good or bad thing. The road to becoming a magical real boy is paved with half-truths, right?
Opportunities to lie or be honest are always presented as a binary choice that will require you to select one before advancing. After the aforementioned instance, they only become more complicated with bigger consequences. Certain sidequests and the rewards you’ll net off them will be impacted by whether you’ve been open and honest with Lies of P‘s NPCs; characters may move to different locations based on how you answer their questions, give you different items as rewards or even fundamentally alter your path through the game. It’s worth noting that the rewards you get are generally based on how difficult the quest was to complete and your decision might have an impact on the challenge of the mission in question. It’s also worth bearing in mind, especially if you’re looking to make the game’s more narrative-focused side-quests easier or tougher.
The most important part that you should remember when it comes to lying is that based on how truthful you are, you’ll get a unique ending. There are currently three different ends to Lies of P, and two of them are based on your honesty. If you end up only telling the truth, you’ll see what has been described as the “good/neutral” ending. The so-called “real” conclusion can be achieved by only lying, so I would recommend deciding right at the start what kind of playthrough you want to go for. The third ending isn’t affected by lying, so don’t worry too much about that one. It’s worth noting that some believed lying would grant negative status effects, but this isn’t the case at all.
That’s really all you need to know when it comes to lying in Lies of P. While not explained in intricate details, it’s a fun little mechanic that allows players to figure out how they want to play the game, gifting them with a special ending for their decisions. Remember, we should always do our best to tell the truth… unless you get a sick new weapon for being dishonest, in which go ahead and lie all you want!
If you’re looking for more on the game, check out our guide to how long Lies of P is.
