Gamescope # 16: Folklore

Gamescope # 16: Folklore

Who of you remembers folklore? Released almost quietly back in 2007 as an exclusive PlayStation 3 and developed by Game Repubblic, is a third-person role-playing game surrounded by fantasy elements in noir tones. The title, undeservedly in my opinion, did not have the success it probably deserved, given that when it came out it proposed a gameplay and a style that stood out from the other works on the market. So today we will analyze what Folklore represented and we will try to understand the reasons that did not allow the videogame to reach the general public..



Two parallel stories

folklore he founded the entire narrative sector on the intersection of destinies of two characters from a very mysterious past. The first is a girl named Ellen, orphaned of her mother, the second is Keats, a journalist who works for a magazine that deals with the supernatural. Due to a letter found from the girl's deceased mother and a mysterious call received from the man, the two face a journey that sees them headed to the island of Doolin in Ireland. The two protagonists will soon understand that to solve their puzzles they will have to search the dark past of the village which, at nightfall, is inhabited by strange and mystical creatures. Thanks to these beings the main characters will get a power that will allow them to travel in the Netherworld, also called Oltremondo, or parallel dimensions where spirits, fairies and other beings called Folk dominate. So we seem to understand that, at least as regards the plot, the premises have always been there.


As soon as they arrive, the two will already upset Doolin's natural balance, as Ellen will find herself in front of a woman who, under his eyes, will jump from the top of a cliff. A series of murders will therefore begin and soon the protagonists will find themselves investigating, at least in the daytime sessions set in the village, separately and with their own means at their disposal. After a series of strange events, the boys will find a way to travel through the realms of the Underworld, in search of answers to their questions. Ellen and Keats will meet during their journey but, at least most of the adventure, will take place in a completely separate way. Often they will pass in the same places but, despite this, they will live totally different experiences; this will happen not only with regard to the path and the interaction with the various characters, but also for everything related to the gameplay. By possessing essentially the same skills, you will be able to put them into practice in a totally different way. During the night, however, the boys will cross the various realms of the Netherworld, together with a cast of fascinating supporting actors who help the untangling of the plot. If in some cases spectacular computer graphics sequences will be proposed, most of the work is narrated thanks to static sequences made in perfect comic style.


Gamescope # 16: FolkloreFantastic folk and where to find them

As previously mentioned, the experience will take place alternating the exploratory phases within Doolin with those of battle in the Underworld. Everything will begin by discovering the Kingdom of Faery, the first real step of the two protagonists in the World of the dead, then continuing in different quests made of constant wars or marine worlds. At the end of each quest you will return to the village as the Kingdoms are disconnected from each other, but they share Doolin like landmark. Ellen and Keats do not have weapons available to defeat the enemies, dark monsters present in the various locations, but they absorb the souls of creatures in order to use their powers to their advantage. These beings are called Folk and are the key to the gameplay of the production. After defeating and capturing them, they will be completely at your service, thus allowing you to obtain ever larger and more powerful specimens. The aim will be to defeat the huge Folklore, very bad end-level bosses present in every kingdom. It will be necessary to choose from time to time the most suitable Folk for each situation: it will be possible to equip up to four of them, but you can change the default in each situation.


The Folk, apart from a few exceptions, are totally different from each other, thus guaranteeing greater diversification and longevity, since you will have to relive the adventure even with the second character. The number of creatures far exceeded a hundred, some hidden and others very complex to capture. While Ellen manages to control the monsters thanks to special clothing, Keats will become less human as he absorbs the Folk, thus giving vent to a devastating power. Even the characters that accompany the various protagonists are very different from each other: to guide the girl there will be Scarecrow, a nice and very sociable scarecrow, on the other side for the young investigator is Balgae, a mysterious invisible entity with a mask. What surprised me most about the game mechanics is that for the entire PlayStation 3 era, I have never found a work capable of exploiting Sixaxis., the movement system that the old Pad was equipped with, like Folklore: when you are in the phase of capturing a Folk there will be a special ray that will connect the creature to the body of the protagonist, based on the color of the light beam you will have to perform successfully a certain move with the controller. What struck me was the precision with which the developers supported this special mechanic.


Gamescope # 16: FolkloreHow nice to read comics

The graphics sector, unfortunately, was not exactly the strong point of the production, but the fascinating and very scenic scenarios still help to identify with the adventure. The village of Doolin is very characteristic and, although it is the current world, it was created so that it does not clash with other much more magical settings. Even the possibility of being able to decide, after completing a kingdom, with whom to continue the adventure was a choice that I particularly appreciated, also because towards the end all the gaps were gradually filled in anyway. As previously mentioned, the interlude scenes are made in comics, with the characters involved in the appropriate cartoons. However, there is no lack of evocative films, however far from the quality represented by the time. Another sore point was the dubbing in other languages that, although in some cases it was very precise, it did not manage to give that incisiveness in the most important moments of the game. The choice of comics, however, although it is always very original, fails to convey that narrative pathos that certain truly dramatic and disturbing circumstances would have deserved. The music is in line with the style of the work and, even if they do not excel, they still manage to transport the player in the mood of the title.


Gamescope # 16: FolkloreConclusions

Probably folklore failed to be incisive for marketing moves that were not exactly right, or simply because this type of product does not attract the user's curiosity. The only certain thing is that the title showed, at least from the start, enormous potential, unfortunately never fully realized. The game was however an act of courage towards the hottest video games of that year such as Assassin's Creed or Oblivion and, for this reason, we will never blame Game Republic for the failure of the video game. Folklore had as its strong point a varied and layered gameplay, perfectly blended with a plot that leaves everything in suspense until the last moment and with a conclusion at the height of the story told. If you have the opportunity to recover it, give us a thought, you will certainly not be disappointed.


add a comment of Gamescope # 16: Folklore
Comment sent successfully! We will review it in the next few hours.