Folk Tales: Alageyik by Sanghi Studios
Modern action horror games are a popular genre. Some are power fantasies that task you with surviving in an unsettling, eerie world, while others aim to create a tension-filled, resonating narrative.
Folk Tales: Alageyik, a surreal action horror game based on the idea of hunting a mythical deer, strives for a balance between the two.
Alageyik Atmospherics
Folk Tales: Alageyik opts for a more cinematic approach with its third-person camera perspective sticking tightly to the protagonist. While common in horror titles, the viewpoint here is closer than most, constraining your field of vision and making the whole experience feel more claustrophobic. It adds to the tension, but the lack of visibility can make combat more of a nuisance.
There isn’t much exploration to be had here; instead, you’ll mostly walk from point A to point B in a linear path through a handful of environments, shooting enemies along the way. You’ll then be awarded with a cutscene at the end of each chapter.
Thankfully, the environments are fun to look at. The level of visual fidelity makes each place feel atmospheric. Details like dried leaves blowing by as you run along an unwelcoming forest path and thick cloaking dust storms as you traverse a sandy dune add so much uneasiness. Overall, it nails its atmosphere and is one of the game’s strongest aspects.
Audio elements are also serviceable, with subtly howling winds and appropriately creepy sounds when enemies are shot adding ambiance. Auditory distortion during the surreal cutscenes makes their presence feel more mysterious.
On the other hand, voices and enemies feel uninspired, and while guns sound fine, they lack that boom that makes them satisfying to fire, so sound design ends up being a mixed bag.
Every Day I’m Shufflin’
Folk Tales: Alageyik takes inspiration from the modern third-person Resident Evil games and their emphasis on shooting enemies as they quickly shuffle toward you. Enemies themselves are dark, humanoid beings that leave a lot to be desired, and you’ll mow down a lot of the same types as they awkwardly spawn into place and fast-walk toward you.
These events offer little challenge or tension. Combat is very basic on its own, as there is only a handgun and a rifle in the game, and ammo conservation isn’t an issue. The lack of tension makes combat events – with the exception of some boss fights – feel tedious.
Folk Tales and Flashbacks
The juxtaposition of the game’s mediocre combat and fantastic atmosphere left me wishing Folk Tales: Alageyik was more cohesive.
The game’s narrative is very vague throughout its roughly 40 minutes of playtime. Cutscenes are dreamlike, with many involving the protagonist floating in unknown spaces or looking bewildered as he enters new areas.
I desperately wanted to grasp onto some kind of narrative, but other than small glimpses provided through flashbacks, the cutscenes were too vague and uninteresting to provide an engaging story.
The Verdict:
Folk Tales: Alageyik is an ambitious game but stumbles in a number of places. It’s currently in Early Access, and developer Sanghi Studios plans to add more chapters and improve on preexisting mechanics, but it still needs a lot of work to create an engaging experience.
That said, I feel like there could be something here. If improved upon, this game has the potential to be shaped into a more fun and rewarding action horror experience.
Folk Tales Alageyik is available via Steam.
Check out the official trailer for Folk Takes: Alageyik below
