This article contains spoilers for Lies of P.As players gradually finish their adventures in Lies of P, many are wondering what will come next for the surprise Soulslike hit. Developed by Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio, Lies of P delivered an authentic Souls experience despite being unrelated to the genre’s pioneer FromSoftware, as well as providing an interesting take on Carlo Collodi's classic novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. With gameplay, art design, and narrative on par with FromSoftware's own library, many eyes are now on Lies of P's developers to see what they do next.
Judging by a recent job listing, Lies of P has DLC on the way, and fans are already aware of an inactive green Stargazer near a good starting point for a new chapter. The game also ends on a sequel hook, playing off of the multiple endings with a dramatically different classic storybook premise. Reinterpreting public domain stories as modern games holds a lot of inherent potential, and the Lies of P’s universe could easily accommodate another well-known story if its hints on the matter hold water.
The Next Lies of P Could Shift From Pinocchio to Oz
After posing as a merchant called Giangio, the real-life alchemist Philippus Paracelsus appears during Lies of P's ending to report its events to a colleague. He notes that Pinocchio may hold one of the keys to eternal life, and that he will continue searching for another key referred to as Dorothy. Ensuring players understand this reference, a girl wearing red shoes is then shown on a rooftop clicking her heels three times. Combined with the defunct Stargazer’s particular color recalling the Emerald City, it's clear that Lies of P is turning its attention toward L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Regardless of what the planned DLC is, a direct sequel to Lies of P would most likely take place within Oz. At least, it would appear to, as Lies of P modifies its Pinocchio source material to confer a much darker and action-heavy context. DLC for the first game could be used to explain how Dorothy, who seems to be in the city of Krat instead of Kansas, reaches her own future adventure. Fortunately, Lies of P's universe lends itself well to further games with both artificial and supernatural horrors in abundance, and there would be few places with more of those than the land of Oz.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Could Become A Great Soulslike
In terms of classic fairy tale Soulslikes, not many settings fit better than Oz. Seeking the capital of a strange and perilous fantasy kingdom is typical Souls fare, and protagonist Dorothy has an ideal co-op party in the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion helping her find the Emerald City. Later novels establish that nothing dies in Oz, justifying the player's resurrections, but forced transformations became commonplace to compensate. A dark Wizard of Oz game can mine this alone for all the Soulslike areas and bosses it needs, and there's so much more on offer.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz also works within the constraints of Lies of P. Several characters, such as the Tin Man and the Wheelers, would fit right in the darker, automaton-focused setting, and Oz itself could be framed as a land warped by alchemy. Wizard of Oz's iconic Yellow Brick Road also justifies the return of Lies of P's linear chapter-based progression. The theme of already having what you desire could be worked into progression, and provides Courage, Brains, and Heart as counterparts to Lies of P's main stats. Possibilities for a Wizard of Oz Soulslike are endless, and should make for an enticing sequel when Lies of P's time is done.
Lies of P is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
