IMO: Folklore is RPG of 2007

IMO: Folklore is RPG of 2007

A sleeper hit is a fitting description for Folklore on PS3. Published by SCEA and developed by Game Republic (developer of Genji: Dawn of the Samurai for PS2 and Brave Story: New Traveler for PSP). Though Game Republic's debut on PS3 with Genji: Days of The Blad fell flat on its face, their take on the RPG genre sets a new bar for this generation's games in general and RPGs specifically. Now lets dive deeper into the ocean of Folklore and discover the treasures sleeping deep within.

Story

I'll try to keep this blog spoiler-free, so don't worry if you haven't finished this masterpiece released on the 9th of October 2007 (hey, I just finished it a couple of days ago myself). Though the story starts with a girl looking for her mother, by the end of the Prologue, or even earlier, you'll know that there's more to it than meets the eye. The plot is filled with twists and interesting characters. The setting is a small village called Doolin but its more epic than you could imagin on a first impression as you'll be visiting different Realms filled with magical creatures known as Folks. Folklore refers to the strongest type of Folks, which cannot be acquired, and make up most of the bosses that you'll face in the game. There are moments in this game that rival even that moment in God of War II where Gaia is introduced. You'll play as both Ellen and Keats and collect different pieces of the bigger picture through their view. You could also dig deeper into the story through different side quests. Most of the story unfolds through manga-like cutscenes where different frames show different dialog pieces in text bubbles which I have enjoyed more than most cut scenes in any video game you could name. These parts give the dialog a clear presence that is as memorable as it is fascinating allowing you, just like in manga, to enjoy each frame of the scene at your own pace. I often found myself staring at the same frame treasuring its delecation and absorbing its magic.

Gameplay

You will be collecting different Folks from different Realms by pulling out their souls or Ids holding the R1 button and doing some gestures and motions in one of the best uses of the SIXAXIX. There are a few differences between the two characters as you can transform Keats(called Ranscendence) by pressing R3 and L3 simultaneously. Also, Ellen calls the Folks themselves to help her while Keats imitates the attacks himself while a transparent image of the Folk appears above him. This gives a different feel controlling each character and establishes a need for different strategies positioning your character. As in most games these days, you move your character using the Left Stick while controlling the camera with the Right Stick (or the D-pad). L1 locks onto enemies allowing you to focus your attack and attention on a single target. Each of the face buttons (Triangle, Circle, X and Square) is assigned to a single Folk meaning that you can equip up to four different Folks at a time. Luckily, L2 calls up a list of all the Folks you've collected so far (ordered by Realm or attack element which could be any of the different thirteen elements). The Folks behave differently based on the character being controlled. This does not only affect their animation but also attack range and type. The Habetrot, for example, does Sleep area attack when controlling Ellen while doing an Earth area attack when playing as Keats. R2 is the dodge button which, in combination with the Left Stick, allows to move quickly in a certain direction. Start button brings different menus for settings, items and Folks while Select button brings up a map and objective screen. There's also a mini-map on the upper-left corner of the screen.

You'd want to explore each level or Realm before facing the Folklore at its end (usually heading North, or up, will get you there) as you will need to collect different Folks and pages. Each Realm has a book that gives hints on which Folks are weak against which and how to defeat the different bosses. This book is very similar to Drake's diary in Uncharted which gives hints to solving the different puzzles throughout the game. Think of it this way: each Folk, Folklore and boss is a puzzle that you need to solve using different Folks in different stages of the battle. There are different items in the game that could be used to upgrade your Folks or unlock their Karmas but I finished the game without using any of them since some Karmas could be unlocked through meeting different criteria like collecting five Ids of the same Folk or beating specific Folks using a certain Folk (meaning killing them without acquiring their Ids).

Beauty

Looking at this game is a treat for your eyes. This game has colors that you won't see in most of this generation's games. The different Folks and characters designs are bizarre and the levels show creativity. I would love to talk about the different Realms and how shockingly awesome their look and art direction are. Alas I don't want to spoil anything for you, so you will have to trust me on this one as you will be filled with surprise and joy as you progress through the game.

Sound

Though forced to use my headphones throughout most of the adventure, thanks to my roommate, I enjoyed the different notes and sound effects to an extreme. In Folklore, just like in every good game, the music compliments and completes the experience. The different piano and violin solos strike the right mode of the current event and each Realm's background music matches its design and theme. These event-critical solos and music masterpieces are as memorable as One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII (arguably the most recognizable track in video games history). The Folks possess sounds that bring them to life and add depth and character to them. Suffice to describe the voice acting by saying that I could not ask for more.

Runner-ups

It wouldn't be fair to finish this writing without mentioning some of the best RPGs of 2007, games like Odin Sphere and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 for PS2 and Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for PSP, as they present great stories and beautiful art directions. And let's not forget Mass Effect despite its lame story and stupid save system since it has one of the greatest dialogs and sci-fi themes in recent memory, even outside the world of video games.