Folklore

After a year of taking hits for not having enough great games on the PS3, Sony finally catches a break as a number of excellent titles hit the shelves this fall. As one of the PS3 exclusive games coming soon, Folklore stands out as a phenomenal looking, fantasy-adventure game that is not only wildly imaginative, but comes with solid gameplay mechanics that hold its own in the action department.

As the game opens, the main characters, Keats and Ellen, are drawn to the mysterious village of Doolin, a mystical place that hovers somewhere between reality and dreams. Keats and Ellen start off as strangers, but find they must work together to solve not only their secrets, but Doolin's secrets as well. Both Ellen and Keats are playable characters and each uses a different combat style to take on enemies. Ellen's approach is subtle, as she uses strategic methods to defeat enemies, while Keats uses a traditional, direct attack style to advance through the game.

The control scheme is easy to remember and also incorporates a couple of moves using the Sixaxis controller. The moves are basic and consist of being able to grab enemies and "shake" them into submission by shaking the controller, or "yanking" out a wounded enemy's remaining powers by jerking the controller a little while holding R1. Collecting power from enemies makes Keats/Ellen stronger so that upcoming attacks and magical spells do more damage in battle. The fact that developers limited the use of the Sixaxis controller to a few basic moves does work well here and doesn't seem too "gimmicky," since gamers must rely on traditional controls for all of the other gameplay functionality.

Once the adventure gets underway, gamers journey through seven incredible looking, imaginative realms known as the Netherworlds. Each of the seven realms is unique and filled with over 100 different fantastical beings and creatures that Keats and Ellen will encounter and fight in their quest to move through the various realms. Folklore is set up to be more than just a quick hack and slash and requires gamers to use their various abilities and weapons intelligently to defeat monsters and get through boss battles with as little damage as possible. Folklore is a gorgeous game with deep gameplay and shines as more than just eye candy on the PS3.