Folklore Hands-on Preview

Sony’s Folklore is a game that is already happily confusing gamers mislead by its unusual presentation and hefty credentials. Currently in development at Game Republic, the Tokyo-based studio behind Genji, the mysterious release is being overseen by Yoshiki Okamoto, the legendary executive producer behind Resident Evil, Onimusha and Devil May Cry.

With that heritage, you’d be forgiven for thinking Folklore might involve nerve-racking horror or sword swinging slashing, and either way you’d certainly expect generous servings of blood. The game’s former title, Monster Kingdom: Untold Realms may have been partly responsible for those assumptions, which probably explains the change of name to something more whimsical.

Proudly wearing its influences on in sleeve, Folklore instead visits a world originally crafted by the likes of Brothers Grimm and ancient Western fairy tales. With a visual style that sits somewhere between Double Fine’s Psychonauts and the hugely underrated time travelling adventure puzzle game Shadow of Memories, Folklore has a wonderful dreamy feel that is both dark and cheerful, colourful and sedate.

The plot of Folklore starts out with all the trappings of a traditional action adventure, and is eerily reminiscent of the opening moments of the DS title Another Code: Twin Memories. Jumbling up stereotypes of both English and Irish folk culture, the game is set in the ghostly town of Doolin, a barren location that draws in Folklore’s two playable characters, Ellen and Keats.

Youthful and fearless Ellen is in the coastal town to look for her mother, who for years was believed departed, until a letter arrived apparently written in the dead woman’s hand, requesting the girl’s presence in the town. On stepping foot in the ramshackle community, which is deemed dangerous and fearsome by locals, Ellen comes across Keats as they share witness to what appears to be the suicide of Ellen’s mother. Keats, a rather romanticised vision of a journalist, who writes for an occult magazine, has come to Doolin in response to a desperate phone call from an unknown woman begging him to visit the mysterious community.

At this point in the game you must choose which protagonist you will take control of. The two not only offer different versions of the game with distinct plots, but also affect each other’s strands of the storyline, though as yet it is unclear how varied the two will be. Regardless of the character you choose, it quickly becomes apparent that Doolin is a gateway to several otherworldly realms that entice and tempt exploration with their mystery.

Each of these seven exotic worlds is vibrant and detailed, and contains dozens of curious little creatures that, whilst absolutely your enemies, are something more abstract than monsters. Using the motion sensitivity of the PlayStation 3’s Sixaxis controller you can trap the game’s various beasts and then reel them in, by yanking back on your controller like a fishing rod, before harnessing their powers for attack and defence.

Beyond the curious settings and the basics of the controls, as of yet there is still a great deal to learned, and despite some time playing the game, it appears that this vast adventure has plenty hidden up it sleeve.

For now it is as unusual looking as it is well presented, and has some wonderful comic-based cut scenes, that are captivating despite the ongoing popularity of graphic novel as an influence in video game visuals. The plot seems engrossing and the mystery irresistible, which leaves all the expectation at the door of the combat system, which will decide which side of the action-adventure divide this title falls. Regardless, its visual flair is bound to attract fans of all kinds of dark entertainment, from Tim Burton enthusiasts to pale-skinned Goths, assuring the game at least some success beyond the mainstream market.