Lies of Pis a Soulslike option that gives you equal amounts of narrative-driven gameplay and the difficult, punishing combat the genre is known for. A lot of that is due to the variety of NPCs you’ll meet in the game, some pulled directly from the original story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, that the game is inspired by.
As much as Krat is filled with rogue puppets and Ergo-mutated monsters there to put an end to your life left and right, the town is densely populated with NPCs, each with unique character designs and personalities, and some becoming more tragic characters.
Spoilers for Lies of P below.
8Romeo
Out of all the main bossesyou have to struggle through in the story, Romeo is the one who has the most personal connection to Pinocchio’s character. There are many signs that he knows something more hidden about Pinocchio and Geppetto, as even before the boss fight initiates, he tries to get across one of your possible fates in the end with a puppet show.
And then the end of the boss battle reveals Romeo was friends with Geppetto’s real son Carlo, whom P was crafted in the vision of. Romeo says, “Maybe this is what real freedom feels like, thanks, Carlo…” Romeo’s warning comes full circle when the ending sees Geppetto planning to end Pinocchio’s life to save Carlo.
And Romeo was the name of Pinocchio’s friend in the original source material, nicknamed Candlewick in the book and Lampwick in the animated Disney movie.
7Pulcinella
Pulcinella is a butler puppet working for wealthy inventor Lorenzini Venigni, or a majordomo as he prefers. However, unlike Polendina, it’ll take some work to get Pulcinella operable and looking his spiffy, posh well-groomed self, as you first have to retrieve him. And for that, you’ll need to go through the boss known as King’s Flame, Fuoco.
It will be worth it as you can add items from the various Venigni Collections you obtain to his merchant inventory, and he comes with a much better Alfred-like personality, which may be because he’s voiced by none otherthan the fifth Doctor Who actor, Peter Davison. For a merchant NPC, he also has the terrific greeting of, “At the House of Venigni, even priceless things have a price.”
6Antonia
Antonia is one of the last few remaining benevolent people left in Krat, opening up her hotel as housing for all those able to escape the Puppet Frenzy and quarantine from the Petrification Disease, essentially giving you a hub. And sadly, she’s been stricken with the Petrification Disease herself, slowly withering away throughout the story.
While there are truly nice moments with Antonia more poignant and having a different tone from the rest of the game, her character overall feels underdeveloped.Even if you choose to cure Antonia, she’s still destined to die in the story a short while later, and it feels like there still remains more to explore about her.
5Eugenie
Eugenie is one of those characters taking refuge at the Hotel Krat, and you’ll be glad to have her there. She’s an NPC that can help you with acquiring your first Legion Arm, the grappling hook Puppet String, which provides extra ability aid in combat. From there, you can craft Flamberge for some fire damage and the one called Fulminis, which deals shock damage, among many others.
She’s pretty much the blacksmith of the group, allowing you to make certain upgrades to your weapons. Her name Eugenie is also interesting because it’s close to Pinocchio’s bully named Eugenio, though she definitely proves she’s the opposite of that here.
4Venigni
Lorenzini Venigni is a gem, and he certainly lets you know it. He’s a prominent figure in the game, just as important as the Alchemists, as he’s responsible for all the puppets that have succumbed to the Frenzy and are making life difficult for you in Krat, but he’s no enemy. In fact, he’s got one of the most charming and flamboyant personalities you’ll see from an NPC, with a voice to match it.
His status makes him the best-dressed NPC as well, but to get his costume, you had to have pre-ordered the game to receive it as a bonus. Nonetheless, he’s very helpful throughout the game at deciphering Cryptic Vessels, fixing up Pulcinella, and even letting you use his submarine to get you to the Isle of Alchemists.
3Alidoro
Alidoro is a merchant you’ll probably frequent the most, especially once you get him to Hotel Krat. He’s got the most adorable Stalker fit of all the NPCs with his German Shepherd mask, which sadly isn’tone of the outfits you can get in the game. And he’s at your service to provide you with special weapons, or boss weapons, to make life in the center of Krat’s Petrification and Puppet Frenzy a little bit better.
Unlike Pulcinella, Alidoro doesn’t stay in one place and is similar to the traveling merchant in that he moves around the map throughout the chapters. His character design is more lore-accurate to the source, similar to the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, Red Fox and Black Cat, and the Owl Doctor NPCs. He also has some of the most engaging dialogue interactions,with an unforeseen twist to his characterintroduced later on.
2Geppetto
Everything about Geppetto, from beginning to end, is different from the book and film adaptations, but in a way that compliments the darker tone Lies of P aims for. While he often does warmly refer to you as a “good boy” and acts like he wants to be on your side, there’s not as much closeness between him and Pinocchio. P wasn’t even by his side at the beginning of the game.
Then, the ending reveals the selfish and heartless villain Geppetto really is, using Pinocchio for his own agenda and taking his life without hesitation to revive his son Carlo. It’s something quite different, yet an exciting twist to his other conventional versions. And you do receivethe helpful P-Organ skill upgradeswhen you get him to Hotel Krat by rescuing him from the Mad Donkey.
1Sophia
This is the character that started it all for your journey in Lies of P. The Blue Fairy Sophia is your guide and your best, most trustful ally in the game. Just like the Blue Fairy is always there to help Pinocchio in the book, she revives Pinocchio with her Ergo at Krat Central Station and puts upthe Stargazer checkpoints throughout the map.
There’s also a brilliant, more emotional twist in store for her character from the source material to make it one of the most gripping NPC storylines in the game. You learn that she’s been nothing more than a projection of herself this entire time, with her real form dying from Manus' Ergo experimentation in the Arche Abbey, and you have to decide her fate.
NEXT:Lingering Questions We Have At The End Of Lies Of P
