Folklore asks players to believe in something. That something is a world where spirits walk through walls, where a young woman named Heather can summon them with a song, and where the city of New York hides stories behind every door. The PlayStation 3 launch title from developer Media.Molecule is a strange mix of adventure, puzzle, and music game, and it mostly earns its ambition.
Heather can sing to call forth spirits, and each spirit carries a gift — a power, a memory, a tool. She wanders through the city, gathering them, singing them back into existence, and asking them questions. The game wants you to feel the weight of every spirit she collects, and for a while, it succeeds.
Trailer, via IGN.
Heather’s Song
The core loop is simple. Heather sings, a spirit appears, and she asks it about the world around her. The spirits are the heart of Folklore. Some are playful, some are sad, and some carry the weight of ancient stories. Each one leaves a mark on the city, a memory, a piece of lore that ties the whole thing together.
The singing itself is a mechanic. Heather holds a note, and the spirit appears. It’s a small moment, but it gives the game a rhythm that other action titles don’t have. The songs aren’t just sound effects — they’re the way the world works. When Heather sings, the game pauses for a beat, and that pause makes the spirits feel present rather than abstract. It’s a small trick, but it works well.
The City Around Her
New York is the stage. The game moves between several distinct districts, each with its own flavor and its own set of spirits. Some areas are quiet and calm, others are loud and full of life. The city feels lived-in, even when it’s made of polygons and not real streets.
The districts aren’t just dressing. They shape the puzzles and the quests that run through them. A spirit tied to a particular neighborhood might only appear there, and Heather has to travel to find it. That wandering is part of the design, and it works better than it sounds. Moving between districts gives the game a sense of scale, and the variety keeps the early hours from feeling repetitive.
Puzzles and Battles
Between the wandering and the talking, Folklore throws out a steady stream of puzzles. Some are simple, some are clever, and some require thinking about the world in a new way. The puzzles often involve the spirits themselves — using one spirit’s power to solve a problem connected to another spirit’s memory. This interplay is where the game’s ideas come together most satisfyingly.
There are also battles, though they’re not the focus. Heather fights enemies using the spirits she’s gathered, and the combat is serviceable rather than exciting. It’s functional, and it doesn’t demand much attention outside of a few boss fights that stand out. The bosses ask for more thought than the regular fights, which is a welcome change of pace.
Music and Voice
The music carries the game. The soundtrack is full of folk-inspired melodies, and the songs Heather sings during gameplay are part of that. The voice acting is solid, and the spirits each get their own distinct personality in their short scenes.
The presentation is bright and colorful, with a hand-drawn style that stands out on the PS3 hardware. It’s a game that looks good, and it’s a game that sounds good too. The visual style gives the game a distinct identity, and it helps sell the fantasy of a magical New York.
Where It Falls Short
Not everything lands. The pacing sags in the middle stretch, and some of the side content feels thin. The battles aren’t memorable, and the combat systems don’t offer much depth beyond what the puzzles provide. There’s also a sense that the game is trying to say something about memory and history, but the message gets buried under the mechanics. The game’s themes are present, but they never quite cohere into a strong through-line.
| Chapter | Setting | Main Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue | City streets | Introduction to Heather and the spirits |
| Chapter 1 | First district | Early puzzles and spirit gathering |
| Chapter 2 | Second district | More spirits, more memories |
| Chapter 3 | Third district | Boss fights and plot progression |
| Chapter 4 | Fourth district | Final spirits and the ending |
The table shows the rough shape of the game. Each chapter introduces new ground to cover and new spirits to find. The journey is the point, and the journey holds up for most of the game.
The Verdict
Folklore is a game with a clear idea and a less clear execution. Its best moments — the singing, the spirits, the wandering — are genuinely memorable. Its worst moments — the combat, the middle stretch, the thin side content — keep it from greatness.
It’s a game worth playing for its ideas, even when those ideas don’t always land. Heather’s journey through New York is a strange and beautiful one, and it deserves credit for trying something different.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
