Psychopomp, the video game
I rented Folklore, not really sure what to expect. It had received stellar reviews, but so had Bioshock and Halo 3, which were both the definition of mediocre video games. I am similarly cautious of games highly influenced by Japanese design conceits, because I don't get along well with Japanese video game culture.
I am always pleased when I am cautious for no reason.
Folklore is a little darling of a game . . . it has a charm that I couldn't hope to explain myself. I look at it time and again and I think to myself "Kingdom Hearts wishes it was this game." The story is not particularly deep, but it is an excellent mystery. The two playable characters of the game, Ellen and Keats, are looking into a murder that happens in an Irish village by the name of Doolin -- Ellen is seeking her long lost mother, and Keats is investigating the village for the magazine he writes for. What makes them unique amongst investigators is that they have the ability to travel to the afterlife and speak with the dead, which cuts down on a lot of the guesswork when solving murders.
The afterlife as depicted in Folklore is a complex place -- myths of many cultures shape and are shaped by human perception. Most of Folklore's gameplay comes with exploring these areas and doing battle with their denizens -- in order to progress through the game, Ellen and Keats must pick up the correct powers from the denizens they absorb the abilities from. Hints exist, but most of the exploration is left to the player.
The other side of gameplay is the actual footwork of solving the murder, which involves questioning the residents of Doolin and figuring out who did what and why. As with the standard murder mystery, it is far more complex than 'Victim stole Murderer's lollipop, so he wanted revenge.'
I purchased Folklore after failing to finish it on the first rent, and I have been happy with my choice. Folklore can be rushed through for story alone, or it can be doggedly scoured to find each and every level up and power enhancement in the game, which requires some 'grinding' but also puzzle-solving. There are optional sidequests, and downloadable content that offers new costumes for the characters and new powers for combat.
As to the gripes, I have a few: the story mostly rolls out in a sort of dynamic comic book form, which proceeds just a hair slower than my reading speed, which results in me tapping the fast-forward button during the cutscenes about every 3/4 of second to get things moving. That's damn annoying. This game also has one of the infamous design conceits I cannot stand -- the story and the gameplay feel disconnected. The characters and enemies are in totally different areas, cordoned off by load screens, and ne'er the two shall meet. I feel very strongly like the story was a designer's brilliant vision, and that every so often he deigns to allow me to fiddle with the controller for 20 minutes before the next scene of his magnum opus appears before you. I don't feel integrated into the experience.
That being said, Folklore is still a beautiful game with a sharp story and decent gameplay. If you like your games heavy on adventure with some RPG elements, then this is the game for you.
This game will appeal to: Adventure game fans, people who like pretty games, people who like collecting powers for characters, people who who like interesting stories
This game will not appeal to: Shooting game fans, people who like high actionRead full review
