Folklore 2007

About

Folklore is a dark fantasy action role-playing game developed by Game Republic and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Set in the mysterious Irish village of Doolin, the story follows two protagonists: Ellen, a young woman searching for answers about her supposedly deceased mother, and Keats, a journalist investigating supernatural phenomena. Their separate investigations lead them into the Netherworld, a realm inhabited by spirits and mythical creatures known as Folks.

Story

A letter from a dead mother, a mysterious phone call and a forgotten childhood lead Ellen, a young woman, and Keats, a journalist working for a paranormal magazine, to Doolin - a sleepy Irish village that hides a gateway to the Netherworld and the answers to a 17-year-old mystery. You play as either of the lead characters as you venture into a series of seven outlandish realms, each packed with nightmarish creatures. Your goal is to speak with the dead, whose memories hold the key to unravelling the past. The key to progressing in the game is to capture the various Folks - the nightmarish creatures that inhabit the Netherworld - harnessing and combining their powers to defeat strong enemies. Play as either Ellen or Keats, each with their own play styles and individual storylines. Over 100 unique creatures - the Folks - each with unique powers and abilities to capture and create your own combat strategy. Capture enemies using the unique functionality of the SIXAXIS Wireless Controller - latch onto creatures and reel them in by flicking the Wireless Controller at the right moment.

What is happening now

Folklore is a PS3 role-playing adventure that released in 2007. While the game itself has faded from active support, the folklore aesthetic it helped popularize continues to influence modern game development across multiple genres and regions. Recent industry coverage shows growing interest in culturally specific folklore as a design foundation. Several upcoming titles are drawing inspiration from East Asian mythologies and traditions - including a Taiwanese-developed story RPG set in mountain cities, a South Korean action game positioning itself against Western medieval conventions, and a Japanese roguelike with distinctive hex-grid dungeon design heading to Switch and PC. Even established franchises like Guild Wars 3 are deepening their worldbuilding through cultural folklore mechanics tied to playable species. This trend suggests developers increasingly view regional folklore as a compelling alternative to recycled Western fantasy tropes.