This 2023 Fantasy Video Game Proves Disney Adaptations Are Playing It Too Safe

Image via Neowiz Published Jul 30, 2026, 11:03 PM EDT Sign in to your Collider account In the 1940s, Disney produced the classic animated musical Pinocchio, based on the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, first published in 1883. The story is named after its protagonist, a wooden puppet who magically comes to life. Though he is beloved by his maker, he wants nothing more than to become a living, breathing human. Famously, whenever Pinocchio lies, his wooden nose gets longer, which serves as a metaphor for morality. The story is primarily about why lying is bad and why children should always tell the truth, because lies can only grow and grow. Since then, the book has seen many different adaptations, although Disney's animated film is likely the most famous. It should be noted, however, that perhaps none of these adaptations are as special, original, or atmospheric as Lies of P, a 2023 video game created by South Korean studios Neowiz and Round8. It was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising how it took a famous fairy tale and turned it into something completely new. Indeed, in a sea of Pinocchio adaptations, each one more mediocre than the one before, Lies of P stands out as a genuinely inspired reinvention of the classic tale that towers over everything made since Disney's 1940 masterpiece. What is 'Lies of P' About? Image via Neowiz Lies of P is set in the fantastical city of Krat, which resembles Paris in the Belle Époque era. While the city is primarily populated by humans, there was also a significant group of servants and laborers known as puppets. These automatons were all created by the alchemist Geppetto, who treated each puppet like his child and made them with a strict set of rules, forbidding them from lying or harming anyone. Without warning, the puppets collectively turned on their human masters in an apocalyptic event known as the Puppet Frenzy, slaughtering Krat's human residents, with only a few surviving. Some of the survivors became Stalkers, special hunters who prowl the city slaying puppets. To make matters worse, a devastating pandemic known as the Petrification Disease is sweeping Krat, causing the afflicted to slowly wither away and turning the infected into hideous monsters called Carcasses. In the midst of the chaos, Geppetto has disappeared. The Blue Fairy, Sophia, uses her power to awaken P (obviously short for Pinocchio), a near-perfect puppet who looks completely human and was designed to bypass the rules most puppets have, meaning he is capable of lying and killing from the get-go. After P's awakening, he is summoned by Sophia to Hotel Krat, where she hopes he will save Geppetto and bring an end to the chaos in the city. The game is a Soulslike RPG, meaning it is pretty difficult. Players can choose their class, use a variety of weapons, and defeat bosses in their journey to save the city. Accompanying you is Gemini (analogous to Jiminy Cricket), a witty and hilarious guide housed in P's lantern. Gemini always travels with P, making you feel a little less alone in the world. The game also includes many concepts and mechanics that other Soulslike games do not. For example, P's arm is a specialized prosthetic that can be modified to perform different combat maneuvers, such as a shield, a flamethrower, a grappling hook, or a gun. There's also the concept of humanity, a hidden stat increased by doing human things like lying, showing mercy, listening to the collectible music discs, or completing side quests. If your humanity is mostly maxed out by the end, you even get a secret ending to the game. 'Lies of P' is Dark, Tragic, and Gritty Image via Neowiz The city of Krat is truly depressing. There are sick children, completely on their own, hiding inside from the puppets prowling the streets. There are infected old women, waiting for the time that the disease takes them to their grave. Most of the Stalkers have completely lost their minds, and will attack you on sight whilst ranting and raving. Famous celebrities and performers have been reduced to shells of their former selves, and everything about the city reeks of madness and death; a sprawling metropolis reduced to a ghost town practically overnight. Bodies litter the streets, buildings burn in the distance, and some shops and homes still have music playing on their gramophones. As you walk the streets of Krat, you will encounter the various bosses the game has to offer. Some of these are truly monstrous, resembling Lovecraftian horrors from the darkest reaches of the most twisted imaginations — many are even reminiscent of Bloodborne, with body parts and appendages in places where they absolutely should not be. However, it only makes it all the more satisfying when you take them down. Many of the side quests have tragic beginnings and even more tragic endings, like the man whose wife has gone missing or the woman who can't find her baby. Although completely optional, these side quests add a lot to the world of the game. Scattered notes and letters allude to how Krat used to be, talking about circuses, grand exhibitions, fun events, and the city's rich history. Some of the other notes involve last, desperate pleas from dying individuals, hopeless diary entries, and frantic messages to missing loved ones. All of the game's environmental storytelling only adds to the tragedy at the heart of the story. 'Lies of P' Proves Adaptations Can Be Both Bold and Faithful Image via Round8 Studio Lies of P is not a morality tale. Studios like Disney have done some more mature films before, but most generally have a "good triumphing over evil" narrative; not Lies of P. It is intentionally cynical and misanthropic — the best way to get ahead in the game is to lie your head off, no matter what the consequences are. Very few people in the game are actually working with you for the sake of the greater good; most of the NPCs will take every opportunity to screw you over, steal from you, or have you do their dirty work, with no intention of rewarding you for your efforts. Nobody is as they seem in this game. The misanthropy built into the game is something that most movie studios would likely be unwilling to replicate; after all, who would want to watch such a bleak movie? And yet, Lies of P is such a bold and striking reimagination of a well-known tale that it can't help but dwarf most other adaptations, not only of Pinocchio, but of most major IPs. Many studios, not just Disney, lack originality. However, it's especially notorious with the House of Mouse, which has been producing countless live-action remakes of their older animated films, each lazier than the one before. There are some original prospects, but they certainly don't make up the bulk of Disney's repertoire. In this rather grim entertainment landscape, a game like Lies of P feels even more transgressive. It adds and changes so much to the point that it feels wholly original, yet still faithful to the source material, a rare and delicate balance that most other adaptations just don't make anymore. While Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Pinocchio was much darker, owing to his signature style, it still didn't match the overall freshness of Lies of P. This 2023 video game proves that you can still be fresh and subversive while adapting a classic. In a way, it restores our faith that truly innovative adaptations can still come out, and we can still find new angles to familiar stories. Lies of P is practically begging for a screen adaptation, because there's truly nothing else like it out there. Now that Disney owns 20th Century Studios, perhaps they should look into adapting it. Disney's Pinocchio Release Date February 23, 1940 Runtime 88 Minutes Cast Cliff Edwards, Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Walter Catlett, Charles Judels, Evelyn Venable, Frankie Darro Director Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney, Wilfred Jackson, T. Hee