Preservation has become a big talking point in the gaming industry as of late. With older consoles starting to break down due to age, and the industry facing the very real possibility that those consoles' games will never be playable again, some gamers have starting lobbying for companies to take the time and effort to preserve their games for future generations. This talking point also gets brought up quite a bit when gamers discuss scalpers, who artificially increase the price of older games just so they can sell them on in the future for a greater profit. With a service likePlayStation Plus Premium, Sony now has the ability to preserve more games than ever, and the underrated PS3 gameFolkloreshould certainly be one of them.
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Everyone Deserves a Chance to Play Folklore
Folklorefollows the story of Ellen and Keats, two playable protagonists who wind up meeting at an oldIrish fishing village named Doolin. Lured to the island by mysterious voices, the two witness the death of a woman and begin an investigation into the cause of her presumed suicide. This journey takes them on a trip to the Netherworld, where the two attempt to solve the mysterious case by speaking with the spirits of the dead, who are guarded by various mythical creatures.
The general gameplay loop ofFolklorehas two distinct phases. The first phase sees players question the villagers around town about various comings-and-goings, relationships, and possible suspicions. The second phase, and the more prominent of the two, sees players engage inthird-person hack-and-slash actionin the Netherworld. One of the game’s most unique features is its vast array of abilities, which are unlocked by absorbing downed weakened foes. When the player absorbs the downed enemy, they are granted a new ability which summons that creature and forces them to carry out an attack. Four summoned attacks can be equipped at once, each taking a face-button slot.
One of the biggest highlights ofFolkloreis its art design. Fora 2007 game,Folklorelooks incredible. At the time, the gaming industry was unanimously trying to deliver the most realistic graphics possible, which led to a lot of muted color palettes.Folklorewent against this trend, and it holds up much better because of it.Folklore’s backgrounds are vibrant and bright, as are its varied monster designs that perfectly capture the mythical atmosphere the game is striving for. Critics may have dislikedFolklore’s narrative and some elements of its combat, but the game’s visuals were praised across the board.
ThoughFolkloreisn’t often considered one of thePlayStation 3’s best exclusive titles, it’s certainly still worth playing all these years later. IfFolklorecame to PlayStation Plus Premium, it could add quite a bit of value to the service, with even a single copy ofFolkloresometimes costing more than an entire year’s worth of PlayStation Plus Premium. It would be great to see more underrated classics likeFolklorehead to PS Plus Premium over the next year or so.
