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Xoulone's Folklore (PS3)
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| [January 14, 2008 01:48:19 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
Right when the game loaded, I realized how much I wished I could run inside buildings. It's very irritating having to walk from one side of the room to the next.
After getting back into the Netherworld in Faery Realm, I meet more Folks and absorb more IDs. I didn't state before, but folk attacks can be assigned to the controller's X, Y, triangle and circle buttons. This allows the players to choose a combination of four attacks that will benefit them the most in certain areas. You can upgrade these IDs by performing certain tasks, such as using their ability to kill a certain number of other folks. I liked the engagement of having to switch around the roles of what attacks I use most and to choose what attacks I want to focus upgrading.
During these two hours of gameplay I didn't learn too much about Keats. Getting through the Faery Realm took a lot longer than I thought because I encountered some difficulties in some levels (explained later in this entry). This was discouraging because I spent a lot of time doing nothing but absorbing more Folk IDs. Getting experience is good, but so far I don't know the true goal of the game. What's the point of getting strong when I don't know what I'm going to use me strength for?
DESIGN
The design of the levels are pretty simple. Each level is designed with different path structures, different patterns/colors of vegetation, varying room sizes, and multiple exits that lead to other levels. No levels look like previous ones, which is exciting. Each level resets if you reenter it and this especially helpful if you're grinding experience or upgrading attacks. Some levels even connect to one another and create a loop. Unfortunately I found out the hard way and I traveled around in circles for quite some time. It was embarrassing, really. It wasn't until about the third time through when I realized this and it wasn't until the fifth time when I noticed there was a small narrow path that lead northeast to another level. The map in the upper left hand corner of the screen does a good job of pointing out Folk locations but it doesn't have fog of war so it gives me no incentive to explore the entire map myself. Maybe I was just too lazy to run along the borders, but I guess that's what I get when I'm not forced to take those extra steps.
After every three non-looped levels or so is a safe zone where you can talk to NPCs, learn new things about the world, and save your progress. Save points are called Portals, but these are also used to restore your HP, return you to Doolin, or transport you to another portal within the same Netherworld area. These are very useful because the Folks don't tend to drop too many HP restoring items. You can always retreat back to these Portals to refill your health and go back to killing afterwards. Leveling in this game doesn't seem like a problem because of level resets.
Folklore is the first game I played that uses the controller’s motion sensor functions. In order to absorb this spirits, the player is required to shake the controller in one of six different ways. I found this really neat and innovative because this game’s method of using the SIXAXIS controller is very sensible. ID absorb actions vary from Folk to Folk, which is beginning to make me see challenges I’ll face as I progress. One of the six ways of absorbing a Folk’s ID is called “Balance.” As the ID tries to escape from left to right, the player has to tilt the controller in the opposite direction to keep it centered. By absorbing IDs, you get powers and experience points.
So far this game isn't too bad. It doesn't have a spark to excite me. I think I like the Folk attacks more than the main characters! But it does magically draw me back. I think the story's mysteriousness is addicting, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to fill up all of this FUN I'm lacking.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 14th, 2008 at 11:53:50.
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| [January 13, 2008 09:57:45 PM]
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SUMMARY
Ellen receives a letter from signed by her dead mother in Doolin, the epicenter for the world of the dead, and is determined to find out what happened. Keats is a journalist from an occult magazine “Unknown Realms” and gets a suspicious phone call from a lady in Doolin just before leaving work. He too goes on a journey to this city in order to find answers. Keats, out of curiosity and lack of good stories, goes on a journey to this city to find out what was happening. Not long after, he meets Ellen and they both find themselves involved in a murder mystery that can only be answered by traveling to the Netherworld, world of the dead. This colorful and fairytale-like land is full of friends and enemies.
GAMEPLAY
A screen pops up letting you chose what character you want play. This confused me for a bit because I automatically assumed I could only play one character for the entire game.
Ellen's character makes me uneasy because she's very gentle and tries to put on an absent brave face. I sometimes wonder if she even knows what troubles she's going to face. All Ellen seems to be doing is blindly following whatever Scarecrow, her guide to the Netherworld, says. Keats, on the other hand, thinks that the Netherworld and creatures in Doolin are jokes. Every time he sees something strange or unreal, he thinks he's in a dream. He has to double check with someone/something if what he sees is real. He's an interesting character because he's curious enough to play with death to write a good report for his magazine. It's interesting to put such two characters together in a game because Ellen is very impulsive and gullible while Keats is very calculated and skeptical. As of now I am unsure if the two characters will be friendly with each other or not. The game has potential for the two to be enemies, but we’ll see.
After playing for a long while, I began to sink in the couch. This game seems to have a lot potential, but the excitement is lacking. There was so much story progression in the beginning, unbearable loading screens every two minutes after, and little to no game play at all. Nothing kept me on my feet except the occasional running around and absorbing Folks (enemies or spirits) IDs, the latter which was the only interesting thing in the game. By absorbing Folks, the player can reuse the enemy’s powers.
Also, I found Keat's ability to use the Folk's powers to also be very creative. Not only does he reuse and learn new attacks/moves but the Folks partially reemerge before him, following his motion while he's casting the attack. It looked very nifty and it made me wonder how many Folks out there could be absorbed. The game then started reminding me of Pokemon.
After each chapter of the game is played, a separate screen pops up that allows the player to choose which character to play again. Choosing characters doesn’t seem to change the story progression much at all. It was a hindrance because I was forced to basically play the same chapter twice. Very annoying.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 14th, 2008 at 11:46:11.
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Xoulone's Folklore (PS3)
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Current Status: Played occasionally
GameLog started on: Wednesday 9 January, 2008
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