Once you've absorbed a folk, you can assign it to one of the face buttons. Tapping L2 brings us the folks menu from which you can view key information and assign them to a button. When in battle, hitting a face button instantly summons whatever folk you've mapped to it. Be aware that mind capacity (MC) is needed to summon folks, so you have to keep an eye on the MC gauge that sits below the hit points bar. Fortunately, MC regenerates quickly, enabling you to toy with Ellen's various folks without too much issue.

As we made our way through the demonstration, Ellen earned experience points and her folks received enhancements by releasing their karma. Each folk possesses specific requirements for unleashing their karma such as capturing a certain number of extra IDs or collecting an item. When you do this the folk's power increases. By absorbing extra IDs, for example, we were able to increase the shielding power of Boobrie.

We were only able to spend a few minutes with the game, but it appears that Folklore will pack in a range of development options for both protagonists and their captured folks. This, combined with its unique folk absorption mechanic, make the game incredibly interesting. While we're concerned that its bizarre style may turn some away, there's no doubt that Folklore will break from convention when it hits stores this fall.