Folklore

There are those who choose to not believe in the possible rather than believe in the improbable, even when the latter is glaring them in the eye.

Keats sold his soul a long time before. His life is a hollow façade of saying one thing while maintaining a belief system that is contrary to what he speaks and writes. You see, he is a writer for an occult magazine, but he is not a believer in the occult. He thinks there is a scientific explanation for everything and it will be so proven one day.

When he gets a call to travel to Doolin on the coast, he takes the need driving him there with a grain of salt. The woman was distraught and claiming she was being chased by fairies. How likely is that? Still, compelled to investigate, he makes the trip and is soon immersed in a world beyond the boundaries of his beliefs. And even when confronted with the fact of his own transcendence into a being of another plane, he still chooses to not believe what his faculties have shown him.

Well, at least for a time.

For a young woman, Ellen, the journey is one of hope and hope breeds believe in the unlikely, regardless of the form it takes. She is seeking her mother – a woman who left her long before and was thought dead. When she arrived in Doolin, she saw a woman fall from a cliff, and feared the worst. As it turns out, it was not her mother, but she is spurred forward in pursuit of a goal she feels is nearby.

Make no mistake about this – Folklore, from SCEA and Game Republic, is a graphically beautiful game that is layered with an intriguing story. It is more than a tale about a woman’s search for her mother, or a man’s search for a foundation of belief. It is a tale of old tragedy, of a town that is torn by a past that continues to haunt the few souls that inhabit the sparse village. It is an adventure, an action game that transcends the hack-and-slash miasma of RPGs but rather asks the players to think, to uncover clues and to dip themselves in the golden fantasy revealed.

Folklore is a wonderful adventure that succeeds on many levels.

The story itself centers on two characters, Keats and Ellen. Doolin itself is a small village sitting on the top of the cliffs. Ellen and Keats meet there, just in time to see the body of a woman fall from the cliffs. Ellen believes it may have been her mother. Keats thinks it may have been the woman who called him. Together they delve into the mystery and embark on a journey that will take them between the worlds of ‘reality’ and seven Netherworlds.

Players will have the opportunity to play as either character throughout the game’s chapters. Keats is always a step behind Ellen, seeming to pursue her path through the game. Each has different combat styles, so retreading the ground over is not laborious, though it may prove an irritant to some. In fact, the game reveals different elements to the player depending on which character they are playing as. Keats is more melee, while Ellen uses finesse and strategy in combat. Players will have to play as both to complete the game.

Folklore features more than 100 unique and original characters (some are known as Folk) and monsters, and the bosses are known as folklore. To defeat the folklore, you will have to adventure through the zones and collect clues as to which powers are most effective against them.

Here is where the game gets interesting … As you adventure, you will be attacked by folks, and if you defeat them, they will release their ids. Some of the ids contain the essence of the folk and you can then call them up to fight for you in combat situations. Folks are put into one of the four hot buttons and each has a mana cost and cooldown time. When you are fighting, you may knock the id out of the creature you are battling. When a silhouette of the creature is released, and is a pinkish-red, you hold down the R1 button and shake the controller vertically to capture the id. This has restorative properties. And folk can become more powerful if you can unlock their karma, which is akin to a sub-mission.

Doolin is the central town in the adventure – everything has a beginning there. You can get quests from the locals, and rest or save your game in a room within the town. You will also find spots in the seven realms where you can recover health, or save the game. This, though, is one of the game’s major weak points. You will move about for perhaps 10-15 seconds and then get at least that much time in loading the next location or story-driven cut scene.

The game’s story is told through animated panels with text dialogue that players will have to advance. There are also cut scenes that draw directly from the game’s assets, which is a very good thing.

While somewhat linear in terms of the environment (which includes invisible walls), the game does allow you to take on missions and sub-missions. Saving progress is always wise.

The controls have a small learning curve, and this really is a bit of a button masher. You use the analog thumbsticks to evade attacks and the hot buttons to launch your own attacks. The camera tends to try to stay in follow mode, but unless you use the mini map, you can become disoriented quickly. This is because the small levels do not have a lot of variance in terms of environmental elements. There are no swaying trees or rocks that tend to jump out from the rest. As you look and fight, you may not know which direction you had been going in. Exiting a level the wrong way means more load times when you backtrack.

The sound of this game is delightful and ethereal, from the music to the ambient environmental sounds. The look is lush and beautiful, running along at 720p. There are a few minor framerate issues, but nothing to get too excited about.

Folklore is a unique video game experience. Game Republic has crafted a wonderful tale, with multiple layers, that blends both adventure and RPG elements. The method of telling the story is compelling and even throwing the game up on a 42-inch Bravia HD merely enhanced the visual delight the game offers. While the characters seem to be working as quickly as possible to resolve their underlying personal quests, the game’s pacing is not one that asks players to rush through. Rather, it is an adventure to be savored

Gameplay: 8.5
Be prepared for load times, there is a lot of them. And because you have to traverse the levels as both Ellen and Keats, there is some repetition there.   

Graphics: 9.0
This is a beautiful game. The art direction is superb. There are a few camera issues on occasion, but nothing to get too upset about. The lighting and special effects are wonderful.

Sound: 8.7
The music fits the game perfectly and is a nice blend of orchestral sounds that are soft and soothing, as well as some lilting melodies – like when you are near the inn in Doolin. The vocal work is a tad understated, what there is of it. Because the game uses text-driven dialogue and voice work – the latter not as often as the former – when you hear an actor emote, it seems a bit over the top.

Difficulty: Medium  

Concept: 9.0
This is what a next-gen adventure RPG should be. It has intrigue, a good story and nice flow – well, aside from the load times.  

Multiplayer: N/A
There will also be an online mode that will enable players to create Folklore dungeons and share them online.

Overall: 9.0
A compelling story coupled with gameplay mechanics that fit very well, in a world that is an amazing treat for the eyes. Folklore is a delight to play; a game full of wonder. Discovery is a reward and is often rewarded with information you will need to continue. This is a terrific adventure and one that RPG and adventure fans should embrace.