Members of the development team at Game Republic, the studio responsible for Folklore, the fantasy action adventure exclusive to PlayStation 3, respond to questions from eu.playstation.com forum members.
How did you come about the idea with the Folks and the absorption of IDs? (Dragonphönix, Germany)
Takashi Shono, Director: At first we were planning a game where you actually captured monsters and took them along with you as your allies. But this seemed mundane and we felt the enjoyment of capturing the monsters was not enough. We decided then that if you could tug out the spirit of the monster with your strength and gain the strength as your own, it would be a lot of fun, and the idea evolved. By using the soul idea, the character could pull out or put away any giant monster and would have a great sense of action.
How would you best describe Folklore's gameplay elements? (Tigertron, UK)
TS: From the start of the idea phase, we felt very strongly that we wanted something that would be different from what is out there, which is why it is hard to put this in a specific genre or category. We feel that a game that doesn’t fit in the usual genres is more interesting. Ideally we’d like the people who enjoyed Folklore to tell their friends about it in their own interpretation.
We are used to seeing games with very impressive cutscenes but Folklore is using a totally new kind of video, more like a comic book; why this choice? (Phenixir, France)
Kohei Toda, Art Director: Rich movies and sound will easily appeal to a lot of people, but we felt that for this title’s particular atmosphere the proactive act of reading would enhance the entire experience and deepen the understanding. We were also influenced by European 'bande dessinée' culture.
What has been your biggest inspiration when making a game like this one? Are the story and characters based on real events and myths or has it been a complete fabrication of the mind? (Fradizzle, Netherlands)
Hidehisa Miyashita, Scenario Writer: The story is based on Celtic tales that imagine a post-mortem netherworld. We have created a story about people whose destinies are affected by the deaths of those near to them. However the story of the village full of colourful characters and their inter-related pasts is completely original. The characters are of course original as well.
Talking about art design, the game looks like coming from Tim Burton's imagination, so similar to his The Nightmare Before Christmas work. Did you get inspiration from his work or did it come from elsewhere? (BONFIRE, Spain)
KT: Of course he is one of our favourite directors and he is very popular in Japan. Since Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride were released during the development period, it may have influenced us. There are a lot of Patrick Woodruff and Roger Dean [foreign fantasy art] fans in our team, so that may be where the taste comes from.
In the future, will there be any updates or extra content for the game? (Dora85, Italy)
TS: We will be having regular download content packs available on PlayStation Store. There will be 6 packs available at first, plus keep your eyes open for some special themed packs!
Is there reason behind Folklore having an Irish setting, and if so, can you tell us why? (CaptainCortez, UK)
TS: The writer always had an image of Ireland being abundant with fairy tales (not just tales but even sightings..!) and that it is a land where many of the Celtic folklore were born. It had been a land of fascination for the writer, and he felt that it would fit the tale of Folklore very well, as it didn’t seem too strange if in fact there really was a portal to the netherworld like the village of Doolin…!
When you started to work on the game and its idea, did you ever think about using the SIXAXIS controller possibilities? (KYO-KEI, Spain)
TS: To be honest, we didn’t have any info on the SIXAXIS during our early idea stages. However, since it matched the idea of absorbing the Ids perfectly, incorporating it was very smooth and we felt enhanced the concept a great deal.
What are the favourite Folks of the developers? Is there one that could act like a mascot? (Catlord21, France)
TS: The team’s favourites are Pouke and Bug-a-boo. These Folks were designed at the beginning stages. When the artists proposed these designs, the general direction of the monster designs was set.
The environments in the fantasy world and in the city of Doolin all look very detailed and beautiful. Are these environments based on real life sites? (Liipo, Netherlands)
TS: Unfortunately, we could not go and research a Faery Realm, so the world is based purely on our imaginations. For the real world, the motif is based on Ireland. We did as much research as we could through books and the Internet to make the setting look authentic.
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