Making choices in narrative-focused video games is often second nature, especially for fans of RPGs. Despite choice-driven gameplay being rarely found within the Soulslike genre,Lies of Plooks set to offer something different with its truth and lie system, one of its core gameplay mechanics. HowLies of P’s dialogue systems impact gameplayat large remains to be seen, but the demo proves it is a significant feature of the game.
Because players take on the role of Pinocchio, a special puppet with the ability to lie in defiance of the Grand Covenant, many players may wonder what the impact of lying is. While fans should wait and experience this for themselves in the game, it’s clear just how impactful this will be after speaking with multiple Neowiz devs, including associate producer H.Sun Choi and lead world designer Byungsoo Kwon. Ultimately, it is his belief thatLies of P’s lying system gives players freedom and autonomy in the storytelling.
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How Player Choice Works In Lies of P’s Lying System
Lies of Pis evidently a video game where decisions truly matter. When asked how extensive truth and lie choices are and what kinds of consequences there might be, H.Sun Choi confirmed it impacts the story, the characters, and the ending. With understandably no indication of story spoilers, H.Sun Choi further explained,
The choices players make through their gameplay will surely affect the ending. Your choices will not only affect the ending but things around players will also be affected by those choices as well. We are very excited to see players find those throughout their journey in Krat. Lies of P will have three distinctive endings, and that is all I can say for now.
Kwon also added the intention of the lying system is to make players think about their decisions according to the situation while having the “autonomy to formulate their own judgment,” suggesting players have the freedom to lie, tell the truth, or vary their choices as they see fit, according to how they judge each situation. Of course, the very act of lying has serious implications forLies of P’s protagonist, for the player, and forthe world of Krat. As Kwon would explain,
The intriguing aspect of lying is that it is a highly emotional way of responding and making choices, and it can only be executed by those who can distinguish between the self and others. Due to this characteristic of lying, which is inherent to the fabric of human beings, it becomes a very challenging task for puppets. We find it interesting to think of it in this way: If a puppet is capable of lying, could they become human or human-like beings by learning human emotions and sentiments?
What Happens When Lying And Telling The Truth In Lies of P?
The Lying System also looks to be a corewayLies of Pdifferentiates from Soulsborne games, impacting the story and interactions players experience. Specific examples of the system from the demo, like the weeping woman, indicate players can receive certain rewards while equally causing Pinocchio’s springs to react or click, indicating a possible change. However, the developers also confirmed that the system doesn’t significantly impact things like builds and progression, meaning players can likely lie or tell the truth freely without worrying about missing out on rewards. And this gives them the freedom, autonomy, and responsibility to tell the truth or lie as they see fit.
We believe everyone will have different reasons behind their choices. The framework of the system was to grant players the autonomy to formulate their own judgment, interact with the narrative with their own choices, and watch how their choices make a difference in the story of Lies of P.
It’s currently unknown if and howPinocchio’s character or appearancemight also change in parallel with player choices, but it presents an intriguing premise to discover more as the game’s story unfolds.
Lies of Plaunches on September 19 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
