An Imaginative, Charming Mystery...

User Rating: 8 | FolksSoul: Ushinawareta Denshou PS3
It's rare that I find a game that captures my attention and amazes me the way Folklore did.

The Folks(monsters) that you use throughout the game are as imaginative as any fairytale could describe and the environments you traverse are nothing short of stunning. Tying together these visuals is a thoroughly engrossing soundtrack that only brightens the already splendid world Folklore is set in.

The story is paced just like any good murder-mystery should be; it gives you tidbits keeping your interest until the very end. The only way this game's story could have been better is if all the dialog was done justice with the game's excellent voice acting. As it is, reading through the text in the graphic novel cut scenes kind of takes you out of the game, especially when you're reading things like "Uwee hee hee" which is said by a prominent character in the game.

This would be just like any generic action/rpg if it wasn't for the implementation of the six-axis controls in the relatively average combat system. You're required to move, balance, jerk, and shake the controller in certain ways to finish off and capture enemies in the game. Boss fights are done in inventive ways because you find out their weaknesses via clues you discover in the level beforehand. Also, aside from your own character's progression, the folks you capture can be improved upon by meeting various conditions or using certain items you collect.

There's a lot to love in this game but despite all it's good qualities it's really hurt by the fact that you can't even do the last half of the game without going through the same levels in the first half of the game with both characters. I realize the reasoning behind this (so you can see both sides of the story) but, still, it's pretty tedious to go through essentially the exact same part of the game twice.

All things considered, though; there's plenty of game to go through and Folklore is a must play for any action/RPG fan with a PS3.