Taking Names In the Netherworld
That said, Ellen and Keats absorb Folk throughout their journey through the Netherworld by pummeling these Folk and then yanking their Id out of them. This is one thing I really liked about Folklore, as you fight various Folks, you have to be mindful as to which Folk you are using in combat. Some Folks do no damage to other Folks, others do plenty, and so forth, and you will know by the sounds of the game and the appearance of a blue shadowy figure popping out of the Folk as you hit it. When it turns red, you can absorb it in one of five or so different ways involving SIXAXIS motion controls. Game Republic did a great job implementing the SIXAXIS controls; for most Folk, just holding down R1 and flipping the top of the controller back towards yourself, i.e., imitating a pulling motion is sufficient, and the motion control here is nearly 100% reliable. Other absorption methods require you to tilt the controller to the left and right, in effect smashing the Id back and forth repeatedly, which fills up a meter (at the end of which you pull the Id out); if you don’t keep a good rhythm of going left to right and back again, the meter begins to drain. These motion controls add a nice edge to the game that stayed enjoyable throughout the experience. Most Folklore, i.e. the bosses, have you doing multiple motion control sequences which makes these battles all the more enjoyable and satisfying, too. About the only complaint I would add to these Id absorption sequences in normal battle is that you cannot stop trying to absorb an Id once you’ve started, leaving you open to take damage from other, still fighting Folk. Oh, and as a last point, should you not absorb an Id from a Folk, they will regain their ability to fight in a few seconds or if you continue to pummel them they will simply die.
Folklore spans some seven realms of the Netherworld, ranging from the land of Fairy’s to the Netherworld Core, which is just past the harsh Hellrealm. These different realms share a few things in common, not the least of which is the gorgeous artwork and visual detail. Each realm begins with about three or four NPCs that you can talk to, revealing some small details about the Folklore in this realm or about other aspects of the game. Each realm is also laid out similarly, usually beginning with some easier battles that introduce you to new Folks and then you will encounter the mid and higher level Folks in the realm before finally battling the Folklore of that realm, after which you will unlock more information about the events of the past and present and then return to Doolin Village. So there is definitely a formulaic design to Folklore, not that that is bad, but just so you know each realm, while distinct, does follow a pattern. Something you may choose to do as I did on a few occasions is take on side quests in between Folklore battles. You can access these starting about half way through the game by talking to the pub owner(s); performing these tasks gives you various power up items that can be used towards unlocking the Karma of your Folk. Unlocking the Karma of your Folk makes them more powerful. You unlock Karma by completing various tasks with your Folk, like killing so many other particular Folk, or using x number of power ups on it. These upgrade paths can be found in the Pause Menu.
It’s Like Halloween For My Eyes And Ears
I would also like to commend the folks behind the visuals and audio in Folklore. I think this is definitely the most richly and vibrantly colorful game I have every played, some areas are simply mesmerizing in their beauty. The visuals never fail to impress and convey the mood of the environment. The same can be said for the tremendous score; the music is powerful and so very fitting. I love the track that plays whenever you take Ellen or Keats to their resting quarters. Thinking back, Folklore has had the most moving and effective soundtrack of any game I have played this year.