Unveiling the Hidden Treasures: 7 Must-Play Side Quests in P
Discover the hidden gems in Lies of P with these 7 captivating side quests From unraveling the mystery of Test Subject 826 to encountering the enigmatic Black Cat & Red Fox, these quests are worth every moment of your time investment
Highlights
Lies of P features side quests with easier-to-follow objectives and intelligent UI design, making them more accessible for players.
The Portrait of a Boy side quest holds significance in terms of story elements and provides players with the opportunity to earn one of the most powerful weapons, the Golden Lie.
Engaging players on an emotional level, the side quests featuring the Black Cat and Red Fox siblings offer cosmetic rewards, bypassing the requirement for combat.
Side quests or optional objectives in Soulslike games are common. The original Dark Souls franchise features many character side quests, where players encounter the NPCs multiple times throughout their journey and can choose to continue their quests. However, these side quests in Souls games can be confusing, and many players rely on guides to complete them.
In Lies of P, the side quests are easier to understand, thanks to intuitive UI design by the developer. The tasks the NPCs give Pinocchio are also simpler. As a result, there are several side quests available in Lies of P. Let's review the ones that are most worthwhile in terms of time investment and the rewards they offer.
7 Portrait Of A Boy
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gepetto & The Portrait of a Boy | Black Rabbit Brotherhood Hideout & Hotel Krat | Lie at every opportunity throughout the game & check the status of Carlo's nose in the Portrait. | Golden Lie Weapon |
One of the most crucial side quests not to overlook in Lies of P is the Portrait of a Boy. This quest intertwines significant story elements and offers players one of the finest weapon rewards. Located in the Black Rabbit Brotherhood's hideout within the Malum District, Pinocchio stumbles upon a portrait known as the Portrait of a Boy. This artwork unmistakably represents Gepetto's late son, Carlo.
6 Julian The Gentleman
: However, if players choose the 'deceptive' path during their gameplay, it becomes essential for them to bring this particular painting back to Hotel Krat and have a conversation with Gepetto so he can hang it up. Subsequently, they can utilize the painted 'nose' as a gauge to measure the extent of their lies. Once the indicator reaches its maximum length, players will gain the ability to interact with the painting and extract a lengthy wooden staff/nose, which rewards them with the powerful Golden Lie special weapon.
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian the Gentleman | Rosa Isabelle Street | Find the belongings of Julian's deceased wife & return them to him. | Sad Gesture & Julian's Wedding Ring |
Next on the agenda is a Side Quest that becomes available once players reach Rosa Isabelle Street, called the 'Julian the Gentleman' side quest. To initiate this quest, players must approach a well-dressed man with a top hat, who can be found near the sewer entrance on Rosa Isabelle Street. By talking to this man, he will ask Pinocchio to retrieve his late wife's remains and bring back her personal belongings. He provides a helpful clue by mentioning that she will be wearing a black dress. As players progress further, they will eventually stumble upon what appears to be her remains before encountering the Flamethrower Puppets that guard the Opera House.
However, Gemini intervenes and reveals that these remains actually belong to a non-functioning puppet and not a human. At this point, players have the option of returning the wife's belongings to Julian and deciding whether to tell him the truth or lie about the possibility of puppets and humans falling in love. If they choose to lie (which, in this case, is not entirely untrue), claiming that such a love is possible, Julian will teach Pinocchio the Sad Gesture and reward the player with his Wedding Ring. While this may not initially seem significant, obtaining these specific rewards is crucial for the completion of the Broken Puppet side quest and greatly contributes to obtaining the Golden Lie achievement.
5 Old Lady At The Window
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Lady at the Window | Rosa Isabelle Street | Go to Lorenzini Arcade & retrieve the Le Bleiweis Wine for the Old Lady. | Vegnigni Commemorative Coin (which results in 1x Half Moonstone) |
The wine-gathering side quest for the Old Lady In The Window can be found on Rosa Isabelle Street. To complete this quest, Pinocchio needs to head up (and around) the stairs to the left, just past the Stargazer. Players must continue progressing until they reach the Lorenzini Arcade, which is located beyond both the Estella Opera House and the King of Puppets boss fight at the end of it. Once there, they can acquire the bottle of Le Bleiweis that the lady is requesting.
Once players reach the Lorenzini Arcade Stargazer, they should continue progressing naturally through this area until they encounter a colossal Jester Puppet located in a wine cellar. Upon defeating this puppet, players will observe an open gate that they can pass through. After passing through the gate, they will notice an interactable blue flower on the left wall, which happens to be the sought-after wine. They should promptly return it to the lady on Rosa Isabelle Street, who will reward Pinocchio with a Venigni Commemorative Coin. Though this reward may initially appear unimpressive, players can take it to Pulcinella, Venigni's puppet butler, for an appraisal that will result in receiving a Half Moonstone as a more valuable prize.
4 The Broken Puppet
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Broken Puppet | Barren Swamp Stargazer | Show the Broken Puppets different Gestures to teach them about what it's like to be human. | 1x Attribute Resistance Ampoule, 1x Radiant Ergo Fragment, 1x Resplendent Ergo Fragment, and 1x Dark Moon Moonstone of the Covenant. |
Next, players will encounter a sidequest in the Barren Swamp that requires multiple visits to complete. In the Barren Swamp Stargazer, they will come across a malfunctioning puppet NPC with a glowing red 'core'. Upon conversing with the puppet, players will be presented with a task to teach it human emotions. This entails performing four different gestures that represent 'human' emotions, namely Clapping, Happiness, Sadness, and Anger. To acquire these gestures, Pinocchio must obtain them from various NPCs, often by deceitful means, including Gepetto, Julian the Gentleman, Antonia towards the end of her life, and a character known as Test Subject 826.
The last NPC, Test Subject 826, cannot be found until Chapter 11, meaning players will only be able to fulfill the Broken Puppet's request near the end of the story. Nevertheless, once all four emotions are demonstrated to the puppet, Pinocchio will receive an additional Quartz as a reward, in addition to the rewards obtained for each individual gesture.
3 Test Subject 826
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test Subject 826 | Arche Abbey Outer Wall & Rosa Isabelle Street | Find and speak to Test Subject 826, then find him at Rosa Isabelle Street and purchase items from him. | Happy Gesture, Access to Carcass Crystal Axe, Access to LADA Disruption Cartridge, Access to The White Lady's Hunting Apparel, Access to Golden Fascination Record. |
Regarding Subject 826, there is an additional layer of complexity to this non-player character beyond simply obtaining the Happy Gesture during the initial interaction. Upon engaging in dialogue and allowing him to depart, players subsequently have the opportunity to encounter him again (following a series of challenging boss battles) at Rosa Isabelle Street, proximate to the location where the conflict with the Mad Clown Puppet takes place.
2 Black Cat & Red Fox
Subject 826 operates as a Merchant, offering a wide range of fantastic items for players to acquire. Moreover, players who are currently engaged in their NG+ or NG++ playthroughs will have the opportunity to procure the esteemed golden edition of the Fascination Record from Subject 826 as well.
| Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Cat & Red Fox | Workshop Union Culvert, Malum District, Grand Exhibition, & Arche Abbey | Build a friendship or at least a trusted understanding with the Black Cat and Red Fox siblings through four encounters (and a few spent Gold Coin Fruits). | Black Cat's Mask & Red Fox's Mask |
Throughout the Lies of P, Pinocchio encounters various NPCs and characters, but the sibling pair of the Black Cat and Red Fox stand out as fan favorites. Despite being self-centered con artists, as Pinocchio spends more time with them, their true selves are gradually unveiled, making them more vulnerable.
While helping these two and opting not to engage in a fight towards the end of the story doesn't significantly alter the rewards, it is one of the rare side quests or objectives in Lies of P where players can choose a non-violent approach and still obtain the cosmetic rewards they would have received from fighting. Ultimately, the side quests involving these two offer a meaningful and compelling emotional experience.
1 All Cryptic Vessels
| Side Quest Name | Related NPC | Area Found In | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crafted Cryptic Vessel | Lorenzini Venigni | St. Frangelico Cathedral Chapel | Go to the bridge where the Mad Donkey was, throw something at the hanging Puppet with the 'Purge Puppets' Sign, grab the clue, and follow it to the home near the 'Inside the House of Elysion Boulevard' Stargazer and the pistol Puppet. | 1x Quartz, Owl Doctor's Hunting Apparel |
| Jeweled Cryptic Vessel | Lorenzini Venigni | Estella Opera House | Go to Cerasani Alley Stargazer and go near the edge of the bridge close to where the Riddle King's first telephone booth was. Use the 'Check Ground' Gesture here to find the reward. | 1x Legion Caliber, The Atoned's Hunting Apparel |
| Old Cryptic Vessel | Explorer Hugo & Lorenzini Venigni | Barren Swamp Bridge | Go to the Path of the Pilgrim Stargazer, ride the elevator to the left, and at the top go up a nearby slope to find an unnamed NPC near a burning barrel. He'll give Pinocchio the Robbers' Shack Key to the home right next to him. Go inside and (eventually) open the chest to get the reward. | 1x Legion Caliber, Life Amulet |
| Rusty Cryptic Vessel | Lorenzini Venigni & Polendina | Collapsed Street Stargazer | Go to the Barren Swamp Bridge Stargazer and go through the (normally locked) gate next to where Explorer Hugo is standing. Here is a separate location called the Hermit's Cave. Make it to the end of this area to find a safe with the reward inside. | 1x Quartz, Black Cat's Hunting Apparel |
| Alidoro's Cryptic Vessel | Alidoro the Treasure Hunter, Lorenzini Venigni, Eugenie | Relic of Trismegistus | Choose to 'kill' Alidoro the Treasure Hunter, take the Cryptic Vessel from him, bring it back to Venigni, read the decoded message, and then talk to Eugenie. The rewards from this Vessel change based on which of the two responses the player chooses when talking to Eugenie. | Far East Princess Record or Proposal, Flower, World Part 1 Record |
| Mechanical Cryptic Vessel | Lorenzini Venigni, Wandering Merchant | Arche Abbey Broken Rift Stargazer | After decoding the Cryptic Vessel, equip the Frozen Feast weapon and find the Wandering Merchant near the Abandoned Apartment Stargazer. Talk to them, show the weapon, and receive the reward. | 1x Quartz, Red Fox's Hunting Apparel |
Lastly, let's discuss the numerous Cryptic Vessels that Pinocchio can discover throughout the game. Once obtained, these objects can be taken to Venigni in Hotel Krat for decoding. Upon successful decoding, Pinocchio can locate the corresponding image and follow the instructions, usually resulting in valuable rewards like new Costumes or Quartz.
There are 6 Cryptic Vessels spread throughout Lies of P's story, and the rewards of each of them are almost always worth the time investment.
Lies of P
Platform(s) PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox OneReleased September 19, 2023Developer(s) Round8 Studio, NeowizPublisher(s) NeowizGenre(s) Soulslike
