PS3 Fanboy

Who knew the PS3 exclusive adventure Folklore would have so much downloadable content? New costumes and quests were available for fans of Game Republic's adventure for the past few months. However, it's finally coming to an end. Download packs #5 and #6 are on the way, and they promise to reveal some interesting plot points about the motives of the Faery Lord.

Check out the PlayStation.blog for the complete details.

Downloadable content for games released a few months ago is cool. Folklore has taken this idea and sprinted through a marathon -- it's had so much extra stuff available since the game launched! This is something much cooler though. Imagine designing your own monster and having it featured in the game as a free download. Yep, it's like the old Mega Man days where you designed the bosses and the developers mostly ignored you, except the opposite. The PlayStation Blog interviewed the person who created Folklore's newest folk named Quasarilli -- here's what "Uridicy" said about the situation.

"Art and games have always been a hobby of mine and as an aspiring game artist it is very exciting for me to see a professional 3D model of my creature Quasarilli." Uridicy goes on to express gratitude about and how the design was originally thought up. "I tried to incorporate some tribal elements with the mask like face, feathers, and horns." As for the skill set, Uridicy decided that stealing items would prove a useful skill for the game. This is true, since the game does require you to get a ton of items to level your other critters. We're glad stuff like this exists. It really brings gaming to a different level and will welcome with open arms any other similar contests in the future.

American Folklore fans will soon be catching up with their European brethren as two new add-on packs will soon be released. Already available on the European PSN Store, these expansions each add a number of new quests along with a new folk and costume to collect.

Priced at $3.99 each, or $5.99 for both, we're guessing that these add-on packs will be added to the store this week on Thursday. For more details on the add-ons, titled "The Alchemist Pack" and "The Origin of Belgae", check out the PlayStation.Blog.

With just a few days before Christmas, Game Republic and SCEA are getting in the holiday spirit by offering a free Folklore add-on pack this week. The free download via the PlayStation Store includes two new winter-themed outfits for Ellen and Keats, a new quest called "Holy Night Visitor" for Keats and an entirely new Folk named Grab Bag.

Ellen sports a new red snow-bunny outfit with matching earmuffs, while Keats' new outfit consists of a white trench coat and a holiday themed beanie and sweater. Ellen is sure to get Mrs. Claus jealous with her sweet red snow-bunny outfit complete with the earmuffs.

This is a gracious offering from Game Republic, and we can only hope that it might pique a few gamer's interest enough to go out and buy this great game.

A recent update on the PlayStation.Blog revealed that the add-on packs for Folklore will be available on the American PSN Store tomorrow. While the Kidnapped Soul pack and the Under the Sea pack have been available in Europe for a wee while now, they will finally be making their way to the US Store this Thursday priced at $3.99 each or bundled together for $5.99.

Inside each pack is a new costume for Ellen or Keats as well as four new quests and a new Folk to capture, allowing you to keep the game going even after you've completed it. Fong also hints to more Folklore surprises coming in the future. For more details on each of the add-on packs check out the PlayStation.Blog.

European fans of Folklore were asked to draw new creatures for Game Republic's PS3 adventure. The Malion emerged victorious, and will appear in a future downloadable expansion for the game. The Malion is certainly far more attractive than the winner of the American contest, the Quasarilli. However, it'll certainly be interesting to see how these two creatures are brought to life by Game Republic and implemented in the game.

Would you kindly play the Folklore demo? This action RPG from Game Republic may not have garnered the same hype as titles like Lair and Heavenly Sword. Regardless of its subdued launch, the game offers some truly fantastic gaming -- some of the best on PS3.

Sony wants you to get a taste of what Folklore has to offer. Like Joe Camel, they're giving you a free sample in the PS Store ... and a few more incentives. Play through the game, download these sweepstakes questions, and answer them based on your findings from the demo. If you manage to get all the questions right, you'll be entered to win a copy of the limited edition Folklore art book. And when they say "limited," they mean it. The promotion ends on November 2nd. Good luck!

Of all of Sony's titles this year, Folklore may have received the least attention from the gaming community. That's a shame, considering it's one of the most original and fascinating games of the year. The team at Game Republic has crafted a game filled with ephemeral beauty, mystery and intrigue. Yes, it has its share of flaws. However, the thought-provoking story, unique combat system and fantastic art style combine for an experience that no PS3 owner should miss.

The game's protagonist, Ellen, finds herself in the town of Doolin to meet her long-lost mother. However, all she sees is her mother, dead, for a few seconds before her lifeless body is seemingly spirited away. Keats, an investigative reporter of the paranormal, joins Ellen in Doolin, and finds his destiny is closely tied with Ellen's. Unfortunately, the game's opening moments seem to do everything possible to dissuade players from pressing onward. The murder of Ellen's mom is certainly intriguing, but the decidedly drab palette of Doolin and uninspired music make the game feel lifeless. Navigating the town at first feels like a chore, and the confusing pace of the comic book-esque cinematics do little to help invigorate the player. But, the Netherworld beckons, and it's there that the game starts showing off its true potential.

Ellen (and Keats) can both see the dead and journey into the Netherworld. When the player first steps into the Faery Realm, they're greeted by a lush, vivid dream-like world that stands in stark contrast to Doolin. Ironically, the world of the dead is far more alive. Here, players will utilize Folklore's unique combat system.

Happy Folklore week! Sure, Japan has had it for a couple of months now but since then we've been waiting patiently for the localisation process to be completed. This week our waiting pays off. But Folklore isn't the only big hitter to be released this week. Here's the full release list:

US Games

• FIFA 08
• Folklore
• Sega Rally Revo

European Games

• Skate
• NBA 08
• Folklore

Asian Games

• NBA Live 08
• Rise From Lair
• The Godfather: The Don's edition

Not a bad haul. We're really pleased to see that Folklore is being released in the same week in Europe and America. We're also happy to see Skate finally get its PS3 release over in Europe. As for Asia, we're intrigued to see how well Lair (named Rise From Lair over there) sells, considering its critical acclaim.

Don't forget, if there's a game on the list that looks interesting to you then feel free to order it, regardless of territory. Your PS3 loves games from other regions. Release dates are subject to constant change, so make sure you check with your local store before venturing out of the house.

Here is the Quasarilli, the winning entry of SCEA's Create a Folk contest. This creature creation was chosen by the development team, Game Republic, and will be featured in an upcoming downloadable expansion for the game. The winner, Lisa, will also be receiving a limited edition art book and a free copy of the game. Congrats!

Stay tuned for PS3 Fanboy's review of Folklore next Tuesday.

It's not too often gamers are afforded the opportunity to have a direct impact on a video game ... like actually getting to create a character, but once again, Sony's giving you that very chance in the Create a Folk contest for Folklore. Currently, there are more than 100 Folks in Folklore, but Sony needs just one more.

Developer Game Republic will turn the winner's artwork into an in-game character that will be downloadable from the PlayStation Store. Even more exciting is that entries will be judged by a panel that includes Yoshiki Okamoto of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry fame.

The competition just kicked off and will run through Oct. 22. To create an entry, you must provide an illustration of your character, his name, a detailed description and a unique attack the player can absorb from him. You can post entries here or e-mail them here.

[Thanks, Kspraydad]

Here it is, the US box art for the upcoming PS3 adventure game, Folklore. It does a great job of giving players a glance at both main characters, Keats and Ellen, and a handful of the Folks they'll collect in the game. The US version of the game will be available October 9th.

Because there are three videos for you to watch today, we've got two hidden after the jump in addition to the Cernunnos Battle video we've slapped above. The other two videos are, respectively, the Faery Lord text adventure and a video on capturing Ids. If you've gotten all the videos from the PS Store and still want to watch these, you might just be looking forward to this game. We are, too, so don't feel bad about that. This is probably the only game Sony has pushed this hard -- it's already got multiple videos, multiple demos, and downloadable packs in the pipeline. They must think it's something special, but we have to ask, do you?

As the old saying goes, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." Amazon yesterday started sending out emails stating that people's Lair and Folklore orders had been cancelled due to a pricing mistake. It seems weird to us that two games were priced wrongly for exactly the same amount of time and at exactly the same price. What are your thoughts?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Amazon's amazing deal on Lair and Folklore yesterday seems to have unceremoniously come to an end. The price for each game has risen to £34.99, more than double the "sale" price. Was it a sale though? We're not sure. It didn't take long for both games to hit the number 1 and number 2 spot on the bestsellers list for Video Games. We're sure Amazon themselves would have noticed the amount of attention the games were getting if it was a mistake.

We don't know whether yesterday's prices will be honoured for those that pre-ordered the games, but are looking into it. If you've been in contact with Amazon about it, please let us know.